Slate Breaker: FD CFB DFS Week 1 (Thurs)

Quarterbacks

Play of the Day: John Rhys Plumlee, UCF (vs. Kent State)

This guy will be the slate breaker as when he is healthy there are not many better fantasy QBs. Plumlee is a freak athlete that can turn the slightest amount of space into 6. He is an okay passer but he really shines on the ground. The QB converted to receiver converted back to QB had five 100+ rushing yard games and 83 in another, this type of rushing provides an excellent floor that when paired with a good passing game can skyrocket his fantasy points. When Plumlee has both his air and ground game working he puts crooked numbers having 5 games over 30 maxing out at 52.62 FD points against Temple. Then you factor in the opponent, Kent St was the 15th worst pass defense a year ago so the veteran QB should be able to slice the defense up through the air. The strong rushing baseline pairing with Kent St's weak passing defense should have fantasy owners salivating at the thought of a 50 point day from Plumlee. You need this guy in your lineup.

Brennan Armstrong, NC St (@ UConn)

The Virginia transfer went from being one of the most statistically productive QBs in the nation two years to one of the least productive thanks to the departure of his offensive coordinator and a shoddy line. Well Armstong is with a new team but has reunited with his old OC and should be playing behind a much improved offensive line. Armstrong has a big arm and can make all the throws while possessing decent speed and mobility providing a nice rushing floor. Since we are yet to see this team in action, this pick is a bit of a wild card but I think his old friend who will once again be calling plays for him can maximize his potential which will lead to a productive game. UConn seems tough against the pass on paper allowing just 221 ypg though the air but you have to factor in that they played army who passed for 0 yards so removing that outlier the team actually allowed 241 ypg which shows the team's vulnerability threw the air. UConn's run defense looks like it may be a bit of an obstacle for Armstrong too as they could not stop anyone a year ago so NCST may just run all over this team. The team's lack of a true difference maker at RB adding with their game plan against this same team from a year allows me to rest assured that Armstrong will have a big game since the pass was heavily relied on in the previous matchup as then QB Leary had 320 yards and 4 passing TDS. Expect to see the Armstrong from two years ago reappear.

Running backs

Play of the Day: Travis Etienne, Florida (@ Utah)

Etienne is far and away the best play on this slate. At just $5,800, Etienne provides a big bang for your buck. Etienne is the second half of a 1-2 punch that will be the focal point of this Florida offense. As a freshman last year, it took a while for Etienne to get fully involved in this offense; but once integrated, he was explosive. In five of his last seven games, Etienne had more than 70 total yards while averaging just 11 touches over that span. With Anthony Richardson gone, the team will be running early and often meaning Etienne's opportunity will skyrocket this season. While Utah presents a tough challenge, Etienne's big play ability, increased workload and cheap price make him a must play on this smaller slate. 

Sean Tyler, Minnesota (vs. Nebraska)

It is the end of an era for Minnesota as one of college football's most productive players, Mo Ibrahim, has moved on leaving a giant hole for this team to fill. Tyler is the guy who is looking to fill the hole, a transfer from Western Michigan, Tyler has been one of the most productive backs in the MAC over the past couple seasons. This is the perfect situation for both Tyler and Minnesota, Tyler now gets a chance to be the lead back in one of college football's more run heavy offenses with a solid O line and Tyler has shown he can handle a bell cow's workload. The team is claiming that it will be a committee to start the season but even if that is the case Tyler will get the lion's share of the carries against a weak run defense like Nebraska who gave 189 rush yards per game. So you can rest assured that Tyler will be getting a lot of carries providing a solid floor with the potential for a monster game if he does end up being a bell cow.

Ja'Quinden Jackson, Utah (vs Florida)

There is no bell cow on this team and with this being the first game of the season, many backs will be worked in. Jackson is atop the depth chart and will likely end up with the most work. The good thing about Jackson is that he does not need much work to end up with a good stat line. He did not get consistent work to start the season, but once worked in he went crazy. He averaged almost 6.8 yards per carry and scored 9 TDs on just 78 carries. He does not offer much as a pass catcher out of the backfield so that does lower his floor, but I do not expect a floor game from him with how much this team should be running the ball.

Wide Receivers

Play of the Day: Kobe Hudson & Javon Baker, UCF (vs Kent St)

These guys are the plays of the day for all the same reasons Plumlee is a great play at QB. Both these guys were heavily involved in the offense a year ago and newcomer Corey Gammage seemed like their only competition for targets but he has been buried in the first depth chart. I slightly favor Hudson since he is more of a home run threat and one play can make his day with a ridiculous 16.4 yards per catch. Baker did have more catches and yards than Baker though so there is a trade off with these two. If you want a safe floor go with Baker but if you want to go for first in the tournament then Hudson is your guy. I also do not hate plugging them both in your lineup.

Keyon Lesane & Porter Rooks, NC St (@UConn)

I have to be honest I have no intel on which of these two will be the leading receiver. Both were complementary players a year but neither put a big performance together. One of these guys will be the one to ascend to the top target role but it seems like a coin flip at this point. They both came away with a touchdown in this same game a year ago but it was Rooks who ended up with 20 more yards. Even if you make the wrong decision between these two there should be enough targets to go around and both will likely put up more than 5 FD points.

Devaughn Vele, Utah (vs Florida)

With Cam Rising and Brant Kuithe likely to miss the game, Vele will be the only steady target available for the green Bryson Barnes. I do not expect Barnes to have a great game but he will be feeding Vele the ball early and often which should lead to a very productive fantasy day for the only veteran left standing on this often. The weak QB will hurt his ceiling but his floor is as safe as it gets.

Ricky Pearsall, Florida (@Utah)

His usage is great, the price is great, and this game script is great. With a blowout likely out of the picture due to Utah's injuries, Florida's top option at receiver will be seen on the field for most of the game. Pearsall is a jack of all trades as he runs all the underneath routes, gets worked in purely as a ball carrier and gets a couple shots down the field each game. Pearsall has one of the highest ceilings of any receiver on this slate and his short yardage usage make him a great play on this limited slate.

Dream Team

QB: John Rhys Plumlee, UCF (vs Kent St)

RB1: Trevor Etienne, Florida (@ Utah)

RB2: Sean Tyler, Minnesota (vs. Nebraska)

WR1: Kobe Hudson, UCF (vs Kent St)

WR2: Ricky Pearsall, Florida (@ Utah)

WR3: Devaughn Vele, Utah (vs Florida)

Flex: Brennan Armstrong, NC St (@UConn)

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