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Snatch ‘Em Up Now
If they weren’t already drafted in your league, these guys will be hot commodities on the wire this week.
Quarterbacks:
Jaxson Dart, USC – Talk about being thrown into the fire with new head coach Donte Williams, now having to possibly decide the direction of the program as to which QB to start this week. Williams stated that Kedon Slovis should be able to practice, but did he lose his job to the true freshman who looked sensational against Washington State with 391 passing yards and four touchdowns. Two interceptions, but understandable for a first-year player being thrown into the fire against a conference opponent on the road. Wonder what the USC higher ups are thinking right now, possibly using Dart as a showcase for the next staff? Seems viable.
Seth Henigan, Memphis – Last time to snag Henigan who had an average outing against Mississippi State with just 159 passing yards and two touchdowns. Still sitting under 30 percent ownership, Henigan gets UTSA next week before hitting the AAC portion of the schedule where defense is optional.
Jaren Hall, BYU – At least 24 fantasy points scored in each of the first three games for Hall, and now gets a matchup vs. South Florida this week – a team he faced a few years ago that first put him on our fantasy radar. After facing three-straight Pac-12 opponents, the schedule lightens up from here on out for Hall.
Running Backs:
Rasheen Ali, Marshall – Ali is slightly above the 30 percent threshold I use for the purpose of this article, but wanted to highlight him one last time as he dominated the carries in the Marshall backfield with 24 attempts for 189 yards and three touchdowns. For Ali owners, that is huge for his outlook moving forward. If he’s somehow still around on the wire, nab him now.
Jaylen Warren, Oklahoma State – The Oklahoma State passing game is in complete disarray at the moment with poor quarterback play and a decimated WR corps. Warren, the Utah State transfer, looked good in the second half vs. Tulsa the prior week, leading the staff to give him the bulk of the work against Boise State, and paid off with 218 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.
Tayon Fleet-Davis, Maryland – Take advantage of Tayon Fleet-Davis for one more week before Big Ten play opens up with Iowa in two weeks. Won’t be starting TFD that week, but Maryland gets Kent State at home next weekend where the Flashes rank 118th in run defense through three games. Even beyond next week, I still like TFD as a roster option as he’s the clear top choice in the Maryland backfield, and if he isn’t getting it done on the ground, he has 10 catches on 11 targets.
Will Shipley, Clemson – I’m surprised to see the ownership disparity between Shipley and Tre Henderson as the former still sits well below 30 percent on Fantrax. Either way, Shipley dominated the volume in the Clemson backfield vs. Georgia Tech with 21 of the 33 carries that went to RBs, rushing for 88 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers’ offense is broken right now, but history would indicate this gets fixed at some point. Shipley looks to have control of that backfield moving forward.
Wide Receivers:
Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss – Cheating a bit here again with Mingo sitting at 31 percent ownership, and I’ll eat some crow here as I completely counted him out after being burned much of last year. Mingo is the clear second option behind Dontario Drummond with 15 receptions and three touchdowns on 24 targets. All three of the Ole Miss receivers have value as they’re dominating the snap count share.
Calvin Jackson Jr., Washington State – Don’t really understand the six percent ownership for Jackson Jr. unless everyone is playing in non-PPR leagues? 18 receptions on 24 targets, and 70+ receiving yards in each of the first three games. This will be a consistent performer each week in your lineup, albeit probably limited upside, with the QB situation still seemingly in flux.
Arkansas State WRs – Te’Vailance Hunt is still sitting right at that 30 percent ownership threshold with Jeff Foreman at 19 percent on Fantrax. No, the production wasn’t there against Washington, but all three of the top WRs for Arkansas State accounted for at least seven targets. All uphill from here with Tulsa next week before Sun Belt play arrives so jump on them now.
Nathaniel Dell, Houston – Doesn’t matter which QB is throwing him the football, Dell is the clear-cut WR1 for the Cougars with double-digit targets in each of the first three games and three touchdowns. 8-133-2 vs. Grambling.
Tight Ends:
Lucas Krull, Pittsburgh – Last shot most likely at securing Lucas Krull to your roster at just 13 percent ownership on Fantrax after finding the end-zone for the third and fourth time this season vs. Western Michigan.
Jelani Woods, Virginia – The receiving production will look good for everyone involved when your QB throws for 500+ yards, but Woods is arguably the best pass-catcher on a UVA team that loves to feature the position. Back-to-back games with a receiving touchdown on 15 targets.
Worth A Look
If you have the roster room, these prospects are worth a look.
Quarterbacks:
Payton Thorne, Michigan State – That’s back-to-back four-touchdown performances for Payton Thorne, and the schedule ahead is mighty tasty for the entire Michigan State offense with Nebraska, Western Kentucky and Rutgers in the next three weeks. This isn’t a high-volume passing offense, ranking 79th nationally with just 29 pass attempts per game, hence why Thorne isn’t higher on this list.
Mikey Keene, UCF – With Dillon Gabriel out for the foreseeable future, the Knights will turn to 180-pound FR Mikey Keene to lead the offense for at least the next month or so. Small sample size from Keene who played against Bethune-Cookman in Week 2, completing 4-of-7 passes for 55 yards and a TD. Don’t expect the offense to change much with Keene, they’ll still play at lightning speed under Gus Malzahn, averaging 77 plays a game, but you must wonder if Joey Gatewood potentially steals some snaps here as a runner. Will have to hear more this week from Malzahn as to the plan of action with Gabriel out.
Austin Kendall, Louisiana Tech – Best performance of the season for the West Virginia transfer, throwing for 351 yards and four touchdowns in a narrow loss to SMU. Definite streaming option this week vs. a North Texas defense, and team for that matter, that is broken, ranking 114th in yards allowed per game.
Running Backs:
Montrell Johnson, Louisiana – So Johnson isn’t just a dynasty option as we stated last week? Expect a three-man rotation here as we’ve seen previously under Billy Napier with Johnson, Chris Smith and Emani Bailey all involved, but the 200-pound freshman appeared to be the preferred choice with Louisiana in the red-zone vs. Ohio. Don’t expect 20 carries a game here is what I’d preface if looking to add him.
Cam’Ron Harris, Miami – Game script dictated that Miami had to throw more often than they’d have liked against Michigan State, though the ground game wasn’t exactly flourishing either against the Spartans. That said, Harris did dominate the touches in the backfield where no other Miami running back carried the ball. Harris also added seven catches on seven targets. Favorable matchup next week against Central Connecticut State, followed by two average defenses in Virginia and North Carolina.
Stephen Carr, Indiana – The Hoosiers can’t run block to save their lives, but the volume for Stephen Carr to start the year is encouraging with 19 or more attempts in each of the first three weeks. Favorable matchup against Western Kentucky next week where Indiana will surely look to slow the pace of play.
Damien Moore, California – I wish the volume was better, averaging just 13 carries a game, but the production has been there with 70+ yards in each of the first three weeks with five touchdowns. I’m definitely not using Moore next week vs. Washington, but should be a valuable asset beyond that against the remainder of Pac-12 opponents.
Calvin Tyler Jr., Utah State – This is one of those situations that make me feel like analysis is worthless. Calvin Tyler came into Saturday with a matchup against a run defense that was up there statistically with the likes of Georgia. What did he do? 127 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Tyler now has a touchdown in each of the first three games, and after splitting the workload with the RB2 the previous two weeks, it’s his backfield now.
Wide Receivers:
Marcell Barbee, Texas State – Not sure how much longer this coaching staff will be around, but take advantage of Barbee while you can. 16 receptions on 26 targets in three games, and had a pair of touchdowns in the loss to Incarnate Word. All this guy does is produce, dating back to last season.
Stanley Berryhill, Arizona – I thought the Wildcats hit rock bottom last weekend. What’s lower than that, as they lost to directional in-state school Northern Arizona? But we don’t care about the W/L column for schools, just our fantasy teams. 11 receptions on 17 targets, and is now second nationally in that category with 38. PPR formats only here.
Dontayvion Wicks, Virginia – Similar argument here that we wrote with Woods above, numbers are inflated here with the game script forcing UVA to throw the football 50 times, but Wicks now has three TDs in the last two games. Its not as though Virginia has been able to run the ball effectively either, averaging just 121 yards per game on the ground which is 107th nationally. Brennan Armstrong will be slinging it all year.
A.T. Perry, Wake Forest – No, A.T. Perry is not the new WR1 here, but had a monster performance with 7-155-1 on a team-high nine targets. He’s what we expected Donovan Greene to be this season prior to his injury.
Makai Polk, Mississippi State – Similar to Calvin Jackson above, I’m confused as to how someone with 25 receptions on 32 targets in three games is owned in just six percent of leagues. SEC opponents now here on out for Mississippi State, but the volume is there for Polk to get 10+ points a week in full-point PPR leagues.
Jake Bobo, Duke – I keep waiting for Bobo to come back down to earth, but the production keeps piling up after tallying 11 receptions on 14 targets with over 100 yards receiving. Next up for Duke…the Kansas Jayhawks. Assuming Duke doesn’t just run the ball the entire game, Bobo should have another productive day.
Corey Gammage, Marshall – Gammage still hasn’t found the end-zone this year, but you’d have to think it’s coming for the 6-foot-4 junior. Seven receptions in each of the first three games with a team-high 33 targets.
Brandon Bowling, Utah State – It has taken no time at all for Blake Anderson to get his high-volume passing attack working in his debut season. WR2 situation for Utah State feels like it’ll change weekly, but Bowling has emerged the last two weeks with over 300 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
JaCoery Sullivan, Central Michigan – Revenge tour is in full effect for Sullivan with most of us counting him out after a disappointing 2020 season. Suillvan now has a TD in all three games this season, and topped 100 yards for the second time against LSU.
Tight Ends:
Jack Bech, LSU – Folks wanted to see more of the talent freshman tight end, and they did vs. Central Michigan with 5-81-1 on seven targets. Playing time for Bech and all LSU freshman will increase as this season moves along.
Longshots
Need to see more from these guys before pulling the trigger, unless you are in the deepest of leagues.
Quarterbacks:
Gerry Bohanon, Baylor – This was expected given the level of competition Baylor has faced in the first three weeks. Now the schedule ramps up with Big 12 competition, starting with the top ranked defense in the conference in Iowa State. Promising signs here with Bohanon completing over 70 percent of his passes, and really hasn’t had to use his legs much to attain fantasy production – his best physical attributes. He puts up numbers this week, I’ll turn a corner.
Cameron Rising, Utah – Charlie Brewer was mediocre through two games and struggled vs. a tough San Diego State defense. Cameron Rising, who was in a tightly-contested battle with Brewer during fall camp, stepped in and threw for three touchdowns and added 46 yards on the ground. Time to make the change, Kyle Whittingham.
Justin Lynch, Temple – Yes, Temple scored just three points on Saturday against Boston College. No, Justin Lynch didn’t record a touchdown. But some positive signs as he completed 70 percent of his passes for the second straight game and rushed for 42 yards on nine attempts. If you are in dire need of a one-week streaming option, Lynch does play Wagner next weekend. Still TBD, but might be a long-term dynasty option as well, even though this Temple program is not headed in the right direction.
Ben Bryant, Eastern Michigan – Turns out that Eastern Michigan beat writer who listed Ben Bryant as QB1 for the Eagles was actually right. Preston Hutchinson was available, but it was Bryant who played 58 of the 68 snaps, completing 14 of 21 passes for 298 yards and a TD. Texas State is the only remaining non-conference opponent on the schedule before EMU enters MAC play.
Running Backs:
Alton McCaskill, Houston – Dana Holgorsen finally did what most of us have been calling for – removing the veterans from the RB rotation and giving the keys to 3-star FR Alton McCaskill who rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns. McCaskill sits here because we must consider the competition level of the opponent Houston faced, but could also see an uptick of carries moving forward if Clayton Tune is out for an extended period.
Jawon Hamilton, Eastern Michigan – As mentioned with Bryant above, schedule is favorable with MAC play on the horizon for Hamilton who appears to be the preferred option in the backfield, rushing for 118 yards and a TD vs. UMass. This coaching staff never gives their RB1 20 carries a game, and Darius Boone Jr. is a competent backup, but Hamilton could have value down the road.
Carson Steele, Ball State – Carries are still distributed evenly between Steele and Will Jones, but the freshman has been far more effective, averaging over six yards a carry with a rushing TD in each week this season. Hopefully the opportunities increase as the season goes along.
Corey Kiner, LSU – The youth movement has begun for the Tigers, starting with Kiner who led the team with 74 yards and a TD vs. Central Michigan. Tyrion Davis-Price? 0.7 YPC. Its over. Still don’t trust the LSU backfield to produce relevant fantasy numbers on a consistent basis, but this is Kiner’s job moving forward.
Kareem Walker, South Alabama – Have to give credit to a running back that rushes for 150 yards and three touchdowns, but Walker is only under consideration in the deepest of leagues. His production the past two games have come against Bowling Green and Alcorn State. Against a defense with a pulse in Week 1, Walker averaged just 1.5 YPC.
Wide Receivers:
Jalen Nailor, Michigan State – A breakout from Jalen Nailor was easily-predictable this week despite being overshadowed by Jayden Reed as he still led the team in routes run and targets. The breakout was coming, and happened vs. the Hurricanes with 5-79-2 on 10 targets. As mentioned with Thorne, upcoming schedule is very appealing.
Will Sheppard, Vanderbilt – The 6-foot-3 sophomore has emerged as arguably the top option in the Dores’ passing attack with a team-high 35 targets in three games. Don’t expect Vanderbilt to find the end-zone much this season, particularly in conference play, but Sheppard is an option for both PPR scoring formats and dynasty.
Jalen McMillan, Washington – Kinda have to mention McMillan here after putting up 175 yards and a TD on 10 catches (10 targets) vs. Arkansas State. This is still the Washington offense, and it is still Dylan Morris throwing him the football so I’m not prioritizing any Washington players with my FAAB.
Corey Crooms, Western Michigan – Even with Skyy Moore back in the lineup, Crooms remained a steady presence, playing 66 of the total 91 snaps vs. Pittsburgh, finishing with 7-149-1 on 11 targets. Just wait until this Western Michigan offense gets into MAC play.
Purdue Receivers – Good news is that David Bell is up, walking and interactive with his teammates following the brutal hit he took vs. Notre Dame. Assume we will hear this week as to the prognosis of how long Bell will be out, but probably unlikely he’s back this week. Volume will be there for the Purdue receivers, but I’m not sure who amongst this remaining group is any good? Jackson Anthrop has 17 receptions in three games with a pair of 9-target performances. Milton Wright saw nine targets against ND, but has been a massive bust. As said on the Discord, maybe the WR2 is just tight end Payne Durham.
Tre Harris, Louisiana Tech – The FR was a surprise name on the first line of the depth chart to open the season, and now has 10 receptions and three touchdowns in the last two games. Topped 100 yards vs. SMU, and is a target in both redraft and dynasty formats.
Keshunn Abram, Kent State – Typical of this to happen after I drop a player from a league. The 6-foot-2 outside receiver caught all six of his targets for 138 yards and a TD vs. arguably the best defense in the Big Ten in Iowa. Just one more P5 opponent this season for Kent State before they enter MAC play officially when this offense will hopefully take off.
LaJohntay Wester, Florida Atlantic – I liked what I saw last year out of the speedy slot receiver for FAU, but his production wasn’t there because of the anemic QB play. Not the case with N’Kosi Perry throwing him the ball, as Wester now has back-to-back 100-yard performances and touchdowns in each of the last two weeks. A team high 33 targets as well.
Josh Vann, South Carolina – Longest of longshots here in my opinion as the South Carolina offense is dreadful, but that’s back-to-back 100-yard performances for Josh Vann, one of which coming against Georgia so you have to take some notice.
Dynasty:
Deion Smith, LSU – I’ll be very curious to see the WR rotations moving forward for the Tigers, but if the youth movement is in full force, Smith should snag a starting role moving forward. 5-135-2, including Randy Moss’ing a defensive back for his first touchdown.
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