It’s Power 5 time!
This is Week number 3 in college football and some top-tier teams are exactly who we thought they would be and others have floundered.
Arizona is one of the main teams that comes to mind. The Kevin Sumlin era with the Wildcats is off to a big thud, including fantasy production from Khalil Tate (I should know, he’s been a big target of mine these past two weeks, and? THUD!).
Texas, Florida State and Miami are a few other teams that have flopped around ashore. My Texas Tech Red Raiders are going to get smashed against Houston this weekend unless they miraculously find their identity.
We have some stout matchups this week as SEC play gets ramped up as LSU travels to Auburn. Another fun game to watch regarding our DFS lineups will be Boise State and Oklahoma State.
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QUARTERBACKS
Cole McDonald – Hawaii – $9,200
Analysis: Hawaii’s run-and-shoot is back and Cole McDonald has fired 10 touchdowns in his first two games. Navy and Rice have been able to hang around with the Warriors (that is still their name, right?). Now they get Army, Hawaii’s third-straight option opponent. McDonald might be the highest-priced quarterback, but he might have the most opportunity to put up points on this slate.
Taylor Cornelius – Oklahoma State – $8,900
Analysis: OSU gets its first formidable opponent of the season in the Broncos of Boise. Luckily, we don’t have to watch the game on that horrific blue field. Cornelius has tossed 35 and 40 passing attempts in two blowouts, so I expect those numbers to increase in a game that features the Cowboys favored by 2.5 in a game with a 63.5 over/under.
Deondre Francois – Florida State – $8,700
Analysis: Florida State is on the road and only favored by 2.5 points. That tells you enough about the state of the Seminoles this season. But good news is Syracuse, their opponent, has been slaughtered by opposing passing games so far this season, allowing 313 yards per game through the air. This is a right-the-ship opportunity for Deondre Francois and his weaponry in a game with the highest over/under on the slate.
Brett Rypien – Boise State – $8,500
Analysis: Rypien comes in at a discount compared to the other QBs on this list, But he’s on the other side of the OSU game. If you expect Boise to keep pace with Oklahoma State, Rypien is going to be the reason why they either stay afloat or pull ahead. It’s difficult to put a tab on OSU’s defense since they haven’t played anyone yet, but it’s the Big 12 where defense doesn’t really exist, unless you are Oklahoma I guess.
Taquon Marshall – Georgia Tech – $7,800
Analysis: I meant to slip Marshall into the Power 5 last week, but it slipped my mind. He got injured, left the game and came back. He’s supposed to be ready to play in full as the Yellow Jackets travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers. Marshall may be called upon more usage wise due to the season-ending knee injury to Kris Benson (who, go figure, was a Power 5 member last week). For a QB that has the rushing upside, touchdown upside and maybe sneaks in a couple of big throws, this is a steal at this price.
RUNNING BACKS
Justice Hill – Oklahoma State – $7,800
Analysis: Justice Hill is the lead back for the Cowboys. They draw Boise State who will be the toughest defense to date. Hill hasn’t had to do much in two blowouts to date, but now the big boys come to play and Hill will be called upon to shoulder a full load in a projected high-scoring affair. For the projected usage and game flow, Hill is vastly underpriced, even if Boise will be a stronger defense for the OSU offense.
Trey Sermon – Oklahoma – $7,300
Analysis: Trey Sermon takes over the OU backfield after Rodney Anderson blew out his knee, ending his season. The Sooners travel to take on Iowa State, who threw up in their mouths a little bit in their opener against Iowa. OU has been dominant on offense this season with big wins over UCLA and FAU. Sermon should be the workhorse, which is what we are banking on with this play.
Alexander Mattison – Boise State – $7,100
Analysis: The opposing running back in the Oklahoma State game also hasn’t seen a ton of volume to this point. But he’s been in cupcake games and should see extended time as the Bronco’s starting running back. He’s averaging nearly 20 fantasy points per game in his two contests. Mattison is a high-volume play in a high-scoring game with high-upside.
Jordan Mason – Georgia Tech – $5,600
Analysis: We get to pay down for a lead back in a contest that should see the Georgia Tech offense run it down Pittsburgh’s throats. Mason takes over for Kris Benson, who is out for the season. GT spreads the carries around, but Mason is the starting B-Back in this offense, which sees the majority of the carries in this offense.
Qadree Ollison – Pittsburgh – $4,700
Analysis: Back to that whole workload thing, Ollison is now the No. 1 for Pitt after previous starter Darrin Hall was ineffective in two games. Ollison has the experience and offers some value on this slate. The Panthers aren’t anything special on offense, but Ollison should see the volume and if he gets a touchdown, he will smash this price.
WIDE RECEIVERS
John Ursua – Hawaii – $8,100
Analysis: Ursua is the number one fantasy option at wide receiver this week as Hawaii travels to take on Army. Ursua saw 16 targets last week against Rice and has 19 catches and 3 TDs in that span. He’s clearly McDonald’s favorite target. He seems way too cheap for the production and opportunity he sees on a weekly basis.
Cedric Byrd – Hawaii – $7,400
Analysis: Byrd is 1B in this offense. He leads the team in touchdown receptions and is averaging 30 fantasy points per game so far this season. He has 16 catches so far and should be able to add plenty to that number this week with McDonald slinging the pigskin around.
Sean Modster – Boise State – $7,000
Analysis: We aren’t stopping at this point in the game. Modster has been a monster for quarterback Brett Rypien this season, accumulating 13 catches for 241 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those numbers could be even more gaudy should Boise have played someone with an offensive capability to keep up.
Jamal Custis – Syracuse – $6,500
Analysis: Florida State slings the ball around to a lot of different targets, but where can narrow down an option in this potential high-scoring affair is Custis, who is Eric Dungey’s lead receiving option. He has 16 targets in two games, 209 yards and 3 touchdowns in that span as well. Florida State is a run-stuffing defense, so I expect Syracuse to try and air it out a bit more as Florida State has surrendered 341 yards passing per game this season.
Dillon Stoner – Oklahoma State – $6,400
Analysis: Last but not least is the Stoner. As Cornelius has thrown a ton of passes in blowout, we expect him to expand on those numbers, meaning more to eat for Stoner, who has just 8 catches this season and no touchdowns in any of OSU’s blowouts. I suspect that changes moving forward, especially with the grasp on No. 1 receiver duties.
