RADIO
The second Saturday in College Football is quickly upon us, and first impressions of last weeks' games are still strong in our minds... And rightfully so. Make a little room in your play-of-the-game memory vaults for this week, and don't forget to consider the opponents, the venues, the weather, and any sustained injuries or suspensions from the previous week. Knowledge is power when it comes to fantasy football, and every game and player conts, especially as we get deeper in the season and our depth charts start wearing thin.
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0) @Virginia Cavaliers (0-1)
Notre Dame has never played the Cavaliers at their house in Virginia, but don't let that discourage you. Virginia showed plenty signs of life when they lost to an impressive UCLA last week, but it will simply not be enough against a team like Notre Dame, who may even be slightly more poised on offense and is especially highly decorated with defense this time around. Take QB Malik Zaire ($8,300, 26.1 FPPG), and WR William "Big Play" Fuller ($7,900, 29.7 FPPG). Due to depth and equal utilization of running backs at Notre Dame, you'll want to use RBs from a different match up, as past season have taught us that Irish RBs are hit or miss in fantasy rosters.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (0-1) @Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)
It didn't start off looking like it was going to be a blow-out, but Ohio State got into their groove and dominated Virginia Tech last week. Your money should be on a prevalent tale of victory for the Buckeyes on Saturday. Take Braxton Miller ($7,300, 27 FPPG), the QB-turned-WR who pulled off an athletic and victorious performance earlier this week. QB Cardale Jones ($9,500, 30.3 FPPG) racked up about 3x as many rushing yards than in his previous field appearances, and completed about a third less passing yards. That being said, you have a friend in RB Ezekiel Elliot ($9,300, 18.8 FPPG) if you have the cash flow to put up for a quality RB, especially in a matchup where it will most likely be a blow-out.
Middle Tennesse Blue Raiders (1-0) @Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0)
Despite Bama's early success, you don't want to bank on a Quarterback in the middle of a quarterback controversy. Head coach Nick Saban is not platooning QBs Jake Coker ($6,900) and Cooper Bateman ($5,000); it seems so far that they are in some kind of opener/closer rotation. However, RB Derrick Henry ($8,100, 34.9 FPPG) is a sure bet. You can also bank on Middle Tennesse WR Ed'Marques Batties ($4,500, 28.3 FPPG) to make all their plays. Batties will not likely live up to his performance last week against Jackson State, but he's a great little productive pick that will fit comfortably within the limits of your salary cap.
Louisiana State Tigers @Mississippi State
LSU did not get a chance to adequately kick off the season last weekend due to weather conditions when they were scheduled to play McNeese State. Make no mistake, The Tigers beat Mississippi State 14 years in a row, until last year, when they lost 34-29. There's no way of knowing what kind of improvements LSU QB Brandon Harris has made since last year, and it's safe to say that we all thought he was on the way out... But the position is his to lose once again. However, LSU is poised to take the win, so go ahead and count on LSU RB Leonard Fournette.
Oregon State Beavers @Michigan Wolverines
Both Oregon teams are invading the same state this evening, but this is one matchup that the Wolverines should have in the bag. Count on TE Jake Butt ($3,700, with a whopping 19.3 FPPG), the best in his position in the FBS, to deliver probably north of 20 points on the fantasy boards. You can also count on his teammate, WR Amara Darboh ($6,500) to overwhelm... for the price, anyway.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (1-0) @ Syracuse Orange (1-0)
Syracuse shut out Rhode Island last week, and Wake Forrest only allowed 3 points when they played Elon. Wake Forest QB John Wolford ($7,200) is a little bit of a steal, and will perform well against Syracuse, but probaby won't live up to his performance last week. This one could go either way, but Syracuse has the more poised roster and is projected to walk away with the win.
Idaho Vandals (0-1) @Southern California Trojans (1-0)
It seems that for the second year in a row, USC will have the most go-to fantasy picks of any team in the FBS. You should feel plenty comfortable taking QB Cody Kessler ($9,500, 21.9 FPPG), but he's not your most economical option. Like all of USC's first string running backs in the last couple of years, Tre Madden ($7,700, 25.1) will see plenty of action. However, Idaho RB Elijhaa Penny ($5,300, 24.6 FPPG) has similar numbers for over 2 grand worth of savings, however it's not unreasonable to wonder how long an opposing running back can do against that renowned USC defense... That being said, USC takes it home.
South Florida Bulls (1-0) @Florida State University (1-0)
Last week, less than 10% of fantasy owners had FSU QB Everett Golson ($8,500, 28 FPPG) drafted. This weekend, get your head in the game and continue to be mesmerized by all of Golson's improvements... Florida State suits him. RB Calvin Cook ($7,900, 29.4 FPPG) will be complimenting Everett's superb deep passes with handling most aspects of the run game, and he's a solid way to get some skin in the game. Florida State will be Idaho's first loss of the season.
UCLA Bruins (1-0) @ UNLV Rebels (0-1)
UCLA, so far, is probably the most talked team in terms of improvement. QB Josh Rosen ($8,000, 25.9 FPPG) is our favorite kind of guy: a true freshman, thriving under center, with the help of plenty of returning starters on both sides of the ball. The problem with Rosen is that he completes most of his passes and they go all over the field, so there's no real standouts. Even RB Paul Perkins had minimal scoring. Make no mistake, UCLA is gonna take it all the way to the bank.
