Slate Breaker: College Football Week 1 (Thursday)

Game Picks

Murray State @ Missouri

Missouri at home against a FCS team? This one is a no brainer. Missouri returns an offense that racked up the 27th most yardage in the nation a year ago. Brady Cook is back and all his top pass catching options are back so this passing game will only be better this season. They did lose their do-it-all RB in Cody Schrader, but they have more than made up for the loss by adding two of the top backs from outside the Power 5 last season with Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll. This Missouri offense will not miss a beat in the opener and will pummel Murray State. Missouri by a zilly.

Coastal Carolina @ Jacksonville State

The most intriguing game of the opening slate of Week 1 games has to be this Coastal Carolina/ Jacksonville State game. You would think that Jacksonville State should easily win this game since they are returning not 1 but 2 heavily used QBs from last season, but reports from this week would suggest there is a fair bit of ineptitude in this offense. Not only could they not decide on a QB to lead their offense, they could not even decide on 2 as their first depth chart indicated they would be rolling out a QB carousel with both incumbent QBs, Logan Smothers and Zion Turner, listed as starters as well as newcomer Tyler Huff. With a lack of consistency at the QB position, this offense could be a real mess. Following the end of the Grayson McCall dynasty in Coastal Carolina, the Chants are in a similar position to JVSU. QB Ethan Vasko did display some promise as an injury replacement for McCall last season going 3-1 as a starter but that was with a much more talented offensive core. Now, he will share Week 1 snaps with Michigan State transfer Noah Kim making it hard for either to develop any kind of a rhythm in this new offense. I doubt we will see any kind of real production from the QBs in this game so this is a game that will be decided by the running game and their defense where I think Jacksonville State has a slight edge.

North Carolina @ Minnesota

Following the end of an era for UNC where they saw superstar QB Drake Maye leave for the NFL, the Tar Heels looked a bit vulnerable in the season opener even though they have the more talented roster. Over the past week, the line has rapidly moved in UNC's favor and this likely has nothing to do with UNC. Minnesota's offense is built on the back of their two top playmakers RB Darius Taylor and WR Daniel Jackson. Both had been dealing with slight injuries leading up to the season, but their was some optimism that they would be ready for Week 1. The rapid movement of the line would indicate that these injuries to their stars are more serious than we were led to believe and one if not both of these playmakers will be limited if not out completely. Minnesota is debuting their new QB Max Brosmer and if he does not have his bell cow back or WR1, I do not like his chances of toppling the UNC defense. If Taylor and Jackson end up missing the opener for the Gophers, UNC should be in control from the jump.

North Dakota State @ Colorado

I love this game. There is endless hype surrounding this Colorado squad particularly on the offensive side of the ball so you would think they would easily stomp any FCS team. This is not just any FCS team however, NDSU is one of the powerhouses that has dominated FCS competition over the past decade plus. This NDSU squad has a lot of experience with returning QB Cam Miller who already has a FCS national championship under his belt. The big crux of this Colorado squad was their defense as they allowed the 5th most yards in the nation last season. The Buffs did bring in a new defensive coordinator as well as a bevy of transfers, but I am not convinced this defense will go from swiss cheese to a steel curtain immediately. An offense like NDSU will still be able to work over this new Colorado defense which will lead this game to turn into a fun, exciting shootout. Ultimately, Colorado has too much talent to lose this game, but it will be a great game to watch nonetheless.

Player Spotlights

Top Fantasy and DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) Plays

Quarterbacks

Play of the Day: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (vs NDSU)

This game has the highest over under of the day and Colorado is double digit favorites so this offense is going to score a lot of points. Also, who is the Colorado running back? Without a proven option to carry the ball out of the backfield, Sanders is going to carry a heavy offensive load and he is entirely capable. Sanders should easily pass for 300 yards and multiple TDs if this game remains somewhat competitive and Sanders remains in the game.

Brady Cook, Missouri (vs Murray state)

The only real challenge that Cook will face this week is playing time. Missouri should jump out to an early lead and not look back so it is entirely possible that Cook only plays a half or so this week. As a fantasy player, Cook is as consistent as they come, scoring at least 19.8 FDP in 10 of his final 11 regular season games. Cook does not have an elite ceiling though as he only topped 30 FDP once all last season. The lack of ceiling does make Cook more of a fade, but given the lack of depth at the position on this slate; he is a solid play if you want to lock 20 points into your lineups.

Cam Miller, North Dakota State (@ Colorado)

With loads of experience, Miller is primed for a big day. He can be a bit inconsistent with his passing output, but his redzone abilities make him a must start for me. He led the team with 13 rushing TDs last season. If Miller can sneak his way into the redzone in this one, he will be a real difference maker on a slate that lacks depth at the QB position. Colorado's defense has a lot to prove and until they can prove that they can hold their own, they will be a consistent target for fantasy players.

Running Backs

Play of the Day: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (@ Minnesota)

This one is not complicated. With Darius Taylor out or limited, Hampton is the last bell cow back standing on this slate making him a must play. Add in that the Tar Heels are debuting their new QB, Hampton will be given as much work as he can handle and it will lead to great things. Across the 11 regular season games where Hampton got at least 15 touches, he averaged a whopping 24.2 FDP. Do not get cute, put Hampton in your lineups or you will get left behind.

Missouri RBs, (vs Murray State)

Man if I knew who to play here, I would be all in. Both Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll are studs who can carry any offense, but they are locked into a committee. Add in that this will be a blowout, the decision here is nothing more than a toss up. At least one of these guys, maybe even both, will be a difference maker for fantasy players but there is a lot of risk attached to these plays.

Jacksonville State RBs, (vs Coastal Carolina)

For an offense led by a three QB rotation, the running game will be the identity of this unit. The Gamecocks took a big blow this week when senior RB Ron Wiggins had to undergo surgery that will cause him to miss the majority of the season. While this is a horrible set of circumstances for Wiggins and the Gamecocks as a whole, it does make things easier for us fantasy players as we can lock in on Anwar Lewis as the feature back for this team. Lewis has been able to step up when given the opportunity last season as he had 5 games with at least 10 touches and either racked up 100 total yards or a TD in 4 of those games. While Lewis is a fairly safe play given his incumbent role in this offense, it is newcomer Andrew Paul who really catches my attention. A transfer from Georgia of all places, it is undeniable that Paul oozes raw talent. He is a big back so he will likely be the goal line back. The main issue surrounding Paul is whether he has gained the good graces of Rich Rodriguez. If Paul is ready to slot into a huge role for this offense, he will be a slate breaker so he is well worth the risk.

Wide Receivers

Play of the Day: LaJohntay Wester, Colorado (vs North Dakota State)

While Travis Hunter rightfully garners plenty of attention in this offense, it is Wester who stands out the most to me. Hunter was a big time contributor last year, but it was Xavier Weaver who led this team in yardage and TDs leaving a huge void following his departure to the NFL. I like Wester's chances to step into this valuable role as he is a great athlete and route runner. He has been a prolific producer carrying FAU's offense last year with over 1,000 yards despite subpar QB production. At the end of this season, Wester will be competing for the Biletnikoff.

Luther Burden, Missouri (vs Murray State)

As the season rolls along, you will realize I love this guy. It took everything in me to not put him as the Play of the Day, but the imminent blowout ultimately bumped him down. Burden did slow down a bit down the stretch last season, but that was a result of nagging injuries. He is healthy once again making him a near lock for 100 yards regardless of opponent. Burden is truly among the elite in the nation that can only be rivaled by Tetairoa McMillan. Anytime Burden takes the field, he warrants your consideration. P.S. I also like Mookie Cooper if you want to get a bit different.

Jameson Tucker, Coastal Carolina (@ Jacksonville State)

Tucker is one of the few holdouts for an offense that is looking completely different. He was a big play guy last year with a robust 21.2 yards per catch so he does not need a lot of work to produce. He should get a lot more work however so pairing his big play ability with his increased role could lead him to be an elite producer at WR. The only real question mark surrounding Tucker is whether his QBs will be able to support him, but if they provide anything close to adequate play, he will be a viable fantasy play.

RaJa Nelson, North Dakota State (@ Carolina)

This one makes me nervous, I am not going to lie. The Bison lost a lot of production following the departures of Eli Green and Zach Mathis. The next leading receiver was Nelson although he racked up just 388 receiving yards. He is an explosive, dynamic player though as he averaged 13 yards per catch and the team also utilized him behind the line of scrimmage with 302 rushing yards for nearly 9 yards per carry. Colorado was also very vulnerable to wideouts last year allowing an opposing wideout to rack up 100 yards in 8 of their final 10 games. There is plenty of risk attached to Nelson, but given the matchup and the likely opportunity, the play is too juicy to pass up.

Pick Six

Top Anytime Scorer Plays

RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (@ Minnesota)

Hampton will be leaned on early and often. I will be absolutely shocked if he does not find the endzone and while his odds are not great on his own, he is a great piece to build a parlay off of.

RBs Nate Noel & Marcus Carroll, Missouri (vs Murray State)

I only expect these guys to play a half or so but they should still get plenty of work especially by the endzone since Missouri lacks a big bodied receiver to target close to the goal line. The Tigers should score at least 5 TDs in the first half giving both these guys a good chance of finding the endzone before the starters get pulled.

RB Andrew Paul, Jacksonville State (vs Coastal Carolina)

I would not be surprised if the Gamecocks end up running the ball 75% of the time in this one and Paul seems primed to soak up the short yardage work. He is listed as a healthy 5'11" and 215 lbs so if he is given the ball within the 5, I like his chances of breaking the plane.

TE Joe Stoffel, North Dakota State (@ Colorado)

Stoffel is a score or bust type of player as he does not rack up much production between the 20s with just 300 receiving yards last year, but as soon as the Bison get within the 10 all attention turns to the big bodied tight end. He was constantly targeted near the goal line leading to a TD on 23% of his receptions last year. Stoffel is nowhere close to a lock to score, but he is definitely the best bet amongst Bison pass catchers.

WR LaJohntay Wester, Colorado (vs NDSU)

I am fully in on the Wester hype. I think he will step right into that Xavier Weaver role which includes a lot of pre-snap motion to be able to get him the ball in space. There was also a play that Pat Shurmur loved running where they would give Weaver a jet sweep when they were near the goal line so I am hoping that Wester gets that same opportunity. 

FanDuel DFS Dream Team

QB: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (vs North Dakota State)

RB1: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (@ Minnesota)

RB2: Andrew Paul, Jacksonville State (vs Coastal Carolina)

WR1: Luther Burden, Missouri (vs Murray State)

WR2: LaJohntay Wester, Colorado (vs North Dakota State)

WR3: RaJa Nelson, North Dakota State (@ Colorado)

Flex: Cam Miller, North Dakota State (@ Colorado)

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