Below is our game-by-game previews on which players should be considered on your roster as well as which players you may want to stay away from.
San DIego State At Cal
Kickoff: 5:00 PM EST
Spread:
O/U: 58.5
Cal -12.5
QB – Jared Goff- $9,000
Analysis: In case you haven’t seen Jared Goff play, he is one of the best quarterbacks in college football. He is a prototypical drop back passer, which limits his upside, but he makes up for that in his passing ability as he is consistently passing for more than 300 yards per game. While the matchup isn’t great as San Diego State is a low tempo team meaning they’re going to attempt to slow the game down and limit the number of possessions, Goff is still a quarterback who is matchup proof due to Cal not wanting to run the football.
Recommendation: At $9,000, Goff is too expensive on DraftKings
RB- Daniel Lasco- $5,600
Analysis: Daniel Lasco is a running back who is much better than his stats show him to be. The problem with him is that he is so dependent on catching the ball, as he is not going to get more than 12-14 carries per game. He is in a great matchup, as San Diego State had issues with stopping the run last year, so
Recommendation: Due to DraftKings being a full ppr, this increases Lasco’s value to both a GPP and a cash game play, as he should rack up a couple of receptions which will greatly increase his value for this week.
San Diego State
RB –Donnell Pumphrey- $8,200
Analysis: Donnell Pumphrey is the top running back option on this slate, as he is a guy who is going to get a significant amount of touches as San Diego State attempts to slow down the Cal offense.
Recommendation: Pumphrey is expensive, but he is one of the top cash game plays and a great GPP play, as he is in a tremendous upside as San Diego State looks to slow this game down with the running attack.
Tennessee At Oklahoma
Kickoff: 6:00 PM EST
Spread: Oklahoma -1.5
O/U: 57.5
Oklahoma
QB- Baker Mayfield- $8,600
Analysis: After an impressive showing in week one, Baker Mayfield gets his first test of the year in facing a Tennessee team that comes in with a lot of hype. Vegas expects this to be one of the highest scoring games on this slate, and Mayfield will be leading the charge for the Sooners. Tennessee showed in inability to stop the passing game of Bowling Green, so Baker Mayfield is a top option for this slate
Recommendation: Mayfield is a great option in cash games, but does not possess the upside that other quarterbacks have on this slate due to the lack of running ability.
RB- Samaje Perine-$9,200
Analysis: Samaje Perine is a player who had an extremely disappointing game versus Akron in week 1. He is a bruising running back who relies on volume in order to wear down the defense as he does not have tremendous speed. The problem is that Oklahoma has changed offenses and are currently running an air-raid attack offense. This severely limits Perine’s production as he is no longer in the same offense that he was in as he is just not going to get the volume that he received in 2014.
Recommendation: Avoid Perine until further notice
WR- Sterling Shepard-$7,600
Analysis: Sterling Shepard seems to shine in these types of games. He did not receive a high number of snaps as predicted last week due to having injury issues that made it pointless for him to stay in the game longer than absolutely necessary. He is risky, as he has been known to lay an egg in some games, but is the top receiving option in this air raid attack and should be targeted often by Baker Mayfield
Recommendation: Shepard is one of the top wide receivers in both cash and GPP games.
Tennessee
QB- Joshua Dobbs- $8,900
Analysis: Joshua Dobbs has the perfect combination of running and passing, and has shown that he has the ability to have a monster game as he combines both his legs and his arm. The challenge is for the first game of the year, Tennessee went to a run game offense that did not allow Dobbs to throw the ball as much as expected. While Dobbs did not throw as much as expected in week one against Bowling Green this was largely due to the game getting out of hand in the second half.
Recommendation: Dobbs is the top play as for Tennessee to stay close in this high scoring game they will be riding on the shoulders of Dobbs.
RB- Jalen Hurd- $7,400
Analysis: Jalen Hurd is a player who is incredibly talented. In the first game, he was in a time share situation with Alvin Kamara, as both running backs received over 15 carries. In this game, we expect Jalen to receive 20-25 touches, and should be a great play due to his pass catching ability and utilization rate in the offense.
Recommendation: Hurd is someone who has upside, but is really expensive compared to other options on this slate
RB- Alvin Kamara- $4,700
Analysis: Alvin Kamara had 15 carries for 144 yards and 2 td’s. He is a home run hitting running back who should serve as a change of pace for Jalen Hurd.
Recommendation: Kamara is a pure punt play, as we don’t expect him to have the 15 carries that he had last week. Most of his carries were once the game was over and Tennessee was looking to run out the clock. Overall he’s a guy who is a change of pace play in this game, and you are likely looking to hit on a long rushing touchdown for him to hit value.
Pitt At Akron
Kickoff: 6:00 PM EST
Spread: Pitt -12.5
O/U: 50
Pitt
RB – Qadree Ollison- $6,600
Analysis: The James Conner injury is one of the most devastating injuries of the early 2015 season. The offense had run through him for the past few seasons. In steps Qadree Ollison, while the sample size is not there, the production was there in week one. He had 16 carries for 207 yards and a touchdown in week one as he faced Youngstown State. The problem is he is highly priced, so it is a little bit difficult to trust a running back who while he looked great, there is concern that once they re-evaluate their running back options they will go with a mixed slate of running backs. Therefore he’s a wait and see guy for us.
Recommendation: Ollison at $6,600 makes for a nice play, as he should get a bulk of the carries. There is a little bit of uncertainty as Boyd comes back and some talk of splitting carries but overall he should be one of the top plays in this slate.
WR- Tyler Boyd- $7,700
Analysis: Thankfully for Pitt, they get their #1 wide receiver back in a time where they desperately need him. He has shown that he is one of the best wide receivers in the country, and should only see an increased work-load now that James Conner is out for the year.
Recommendation: Coming back from suspension, $8,000 is too much to pay. He is a decent contrarian option, as he will be under-owned due to the price.
Akron
There are no fantasy relevant options on Akron this week
Memphis at kansas
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: Memphis -12
O/U: 60
Memphis
QB- Paxton Lynch- $8,000
Analysis: This isn’t so much of an endorsement of Paxton Lynch as it is against Kansas. Kansas is the worst FBS team, and it may not be close. Paxton Lynch should be able to have a decent game, but he isn’t very skilled, so while he is in a great matchup, be cautious with this.
Recommendation: Paxton is a GPP play, at his price he is not a safe option.
North Texas AT SMU
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: SMU -6.5
O/U: 60.5
North Texas
WR- Carlos Harris- $4,500
Analysis: Carlos Harris is PPR gold, and is one of the safest wide receivers in college football as he had 71 catches last year. This should continue versus an SMU team that had a difficult time in stopping Baylor’s passing attack
Recommendation: Carlos Harris at $4,500 is an absolute must play on Draftkings, as the full PPR makes him for the safest play on the board.
SMU-
Courtland Sutton- $5,100
Analysis: The freshman for SMU came out of relatively nowhere in Chad Kelly’s offense in week one. He is a freshman who is 6’4 215 lbs, that had 85 yards and 2 td’s last week. He is only a freshman, so the sample size is not great, and freshman wide receivers have shown that they can be inconsistent.
Recommendation:
Avoid until further notice, as he only had 3 catches last week, so if that catch number drops any further, it will make him not relevant from a fantasy perspective. He will be over-owned due to his 2 TD game last week making him difficult to own in GPP’s.
Western Michigan at Georgia Southern
Kickoff: 7:30 PM EST
Spread: Western Michigan -5
O/U: 56
Western Michigan-
WR- Daniel Braverman- $6,800
Analysis: Daniel Braverman is very similar to Carlos Harris. Versus Michigan State last week he had 13 catches for 109 yards. The problem with Braverman is he does not see many touchdown looks, which severely limits his upside.
Recommendation: Daniel Braverman is one of the safest players on the board, but he comes at a cost. He should have 8-9 catches, but the likelihood of finding the end zone is low, so you’re looking at realistically 15-20 points.
Georgia Southern-
There are no fantasy relevant options at Georgia Southern this week
Marshall at ohio
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: Marshall -3
O/U: 60
Marshall-
RB- Devon Johnson- $8,900
Analysis-
Devon Johnson was one of the top running backs last season and started off the year with three touchdowns versus Purdue. Historically Ohio has had a very strong defense, so the matchup is not the greatest for him today.
Recommendation-
Devon Johnson is a great GPP play, as he is someone who will be under-owned due to his matchup, but is someone that at times can be matchup proof.
Ohio-
QB- Derrius Vick- $6,300
Analysis-
Austin Appleby looked as if he was a competent quarterback last week when playing Marshall, as he had 270 yards passing with a touchdown and a rushing touchdown. Vick is a better player than Appleby, as he brings a dynamic skillset of both running the ball as well as passing the ball.
Recommendation-
Derrius Vick makes for a great play for both Cash and GPP’s due to his price and the 2 QB setup on DraftKings.
Ball State at Texas A&M
Kickoff: 8:00 PM EST
Spread: Texas A&M -30.5
O/U: 63.5
Ball State
There is no one who is fantasy relevant
Texas A&M-
Both of these wide receivers are great plays for GPP’s, as they’re under-priced, and all it takes is for one long touchdown for them to make value. There are no safe cash game plays in this game due to the blowout potential as well as pricing for the top options in this offense. They can also be used as a punt play on DraftKings due to the extra flex position.
Missouri at Arkansas State
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: Missouri -10
O/U: 56
Missouri-
QB: Maty Mauk-$6,900-
Analysis: Maty Mauk is one of the most inconsistent players in college football, but he is facing an Arkansas State team that should make for a great matchup this week for Missouri. The problem is that he doesn’t have the rushing upside that other college quarterbacks do so you really are going to be reliant on passing touchdowns, which at times can be difficult to project.
Recommendation: Mauk is a solid QB2 option, but by no means is a must start. Avoid him in GPP, as he does not have the upside that other quarterbacks do on this slate.
Arkansas State-
There is no one that is recommended in this slate as it is a poor matchup for Arkansas State.
Arizona at nevada
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: Arizona -10
O/U: 63
Arizona
QB-Anu Solomon- $9,300
Analysis: Anu Solomon is one of the top options every single week as he is someone who in Rich Rodriguez’s offense has shown that he has the ability to put up great stats. He is a little bit boom/bust in the sense that even at times when the team scores a significant amount of points he is not guaranteed to go off. For example last week in a non-blowout the team scored 42 points, but he only had 226 yards passing with four touchdowns. Nevada is not a great defensive team, and the spread is not expecting a blowout which puts Anu in a great situation this week.
Recommendation: Anu Solomon is one of the top GPP options on the slate at quarterback due to his upside, but there is the risk that we mentioned that he does not always have the yardage numbers to go along with the touchdowns.
WR: Caleyb Jones- $5,900
Analysis: Similar to Anu Solomon, Caleb Jones is a boom/bust type receiver who is in a great matchup this week. He seems to exploit the non-conference non FBS schools averaging over 100 yards per game in his career when playing those types of schools
Recommendation: Caleyb is the top wide receiver GPP option, as he is one of the wide receivers to get to 200 yards and multiple touchdowns. At this price, he can be used in cash games, although there is risk involved due to his boom/bust history.
WR: Samajie Grant- $5,100
Analysis: Grant has been the more consistent wide receiver, but he was suspended for the opening game. He is a guy who has shown that he does not have the upside that Jones has, but he is someone who consistently has 80-90 yards receiving over the end of last season. From a touchdown standpoint, he d
Recommendation: Samajie is a cash game play, although not a great one, as he did not have a 100 yard game last season. At his price it is not impossible for him to hit value, and with so few low-end options he should be considered.
RB: Nick Wilson- $8,700
Analysis: Nick Wilson had a disappointing week one, but don’t let that fool you, he is one of the best running backs in college football. He ended 2014 with 5 of his last 7 regular season games over 100 yards, and finished the season at 1,375 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Recommendation: At his price, if you can fit him in, he is a great option that should be safely used in both your cash gaems and your GPP’s.
Nevada-
RB: Don Jackson- $4,800
Analysis: Don Jackson looked like a running back who could take over at Nevada after being mediocre last year. He had 13 carries for 124 yards in a hard fought game against UC Davis last week, while he does have a more difficult matchup in facing North Texas this week, he should be someone who has shown he will get carries on the goal line, so if he can fall into the end zone he should make value.
Recommendation: Jackson makes for a great rb2/flex play, while he does not catch the ball enough to be a completely safe play, he is still safe enough to play in cash and has the upside for a GPP.
East Carolina At Florida
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: Florida -20.5
O/U: 53.5
East Carolina-
RB- Chris Hairston- $4,900
Analysis: Let’s start this by saying that East Carolina is in an awful matchup against Florida, but at $5,300 Chris Hairston has to be mentioned as the pricing is simply too low. Last week he had 154 yards and 4 touchdowns after taking over for Breon Allen last season.
Recommendation: He is a great punt play, as even if he ends up with 50 yards and a touchdown, he will be reaching value.
Florida
There are no relevant options for Florida this week, as Will Grier is overpriced and they spread the ball around too much to be fantasy relevant.
Kentucky at south Carolina
Kickoff: 7:00 PM EST
Spread: South Carolina -7.5
O/U: 56
Kentucky-
RB: Stanley Boom Williams-$5,400
Analysis:
As his name mentions, he has some Boom in his game. He had a great week one with 10 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown. The problem though is that he only had 10 carries. The matchup today is much more difficult as he is no longer playing Louisiana Lafayette, and is now playing a conference game in South Carolina.
Recommendation:
He is a GPP play, due to his long-play potential, but absolutely should not be considered for cash games, as he will only receive 10-15 touches which is not enough to safely be used. At 5,400 he has the ability to easily make value, but the challenge is will he get enough touches to do so.
South Carolina
WR: Pharoh Cooper-$7,900
Analysis:
For anyone who watched the games last week, when Pharoah Cooper is electric when he gets the ball in his hands. He only had 3 receptions, but also had 4 rushes last week. He was selected first team All-SEC, so he should improve on those initial stats, as he is such a major part of South Carolina’s offense. Steve Spurrier himself mentioned that the play calling was poor, so we fully expect Cooper to receive more touches this week. Kentucky does not have a great defense, as they allowed 33 points last week against UL Lafayette.
Recommendation:
He is a great GPP play, due to his price he is not a great cash game play, but he is one of the most electric player in college football.