Slate Breaker: College Football Week 2 (Friday)

Game Picks

Brigham Young @ Southern Methodist

The Mustangs have struggled to establish any kind of an offensive identity as they rotate between Preston Stone and Kevin Jennings, but they are still double digit favorites since they have so much talent on both sides of the ball. BYU is in the middle of an identity crisis. When this program was racking off a bunch of wins a couple years ago, they were a team that would wear you down with an elite running game led by backs like Tyler Allgeier and Chris Books, but they do not have a lead back they can count on leading to an inability to sustain drives and put constant pressure on their opponents and keeping the BYU defense constantly on their heels. The SMU offense may be an ever changing unit, but they will still find ways to beat teams like BYU thanks to a strong running game and a stout secondary. This game will be a great testing ground for a SMU team that is looking to decide who they will roll with at QB as they head into the meat of their schedule. SMU will roll in this one.

Duke @ Northwestern

Northwestern is a slight home favorite, but this game really seems like a toss up. Maalik Murphy has proven to be a very capable starting QB so Duke definitely has an advantage on the offensive side of the ball, but the offensive line is a mess and struggled to contain their FCS opponent in Week 1. Northwestern on the other hand seems a bit one dimensional on offense with starting QB Mike Wright only passing for more than 200 yards 3 times over his career. This looks like a bit of a defensive struggle on paper, but the experience of Maalik Murphy will allow him to pull out a tough road victory.


Play Spotlights

Top Fantasy and DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) Plays

Quarterbacks

Play of the Day: Maalik Murphy, Duke (@ Northwestern)

All the other QBs on this slate are far less talented than Murphy or stuck in a timeshare. Murphy sticks out after impressing in his Blue Devil debut throwing for nearly 300 yards and multiple TDs while showing excellent pocket presence. Murphy is by far the safest fantasy play on this limited slate.

SMU QBs (vs BYU)

One of these SMU QBs will be amongst the top scorers on this slate. Heck, they both even could, but either could burn you and score less than 5 points. Preston Stone is by far the most talented QB but the limited work has really hurt him with only 332 passing yards over his first two games. Eventually, this offense should be turned over to Stone, but they have made it obvious they want to roll out both QBs for the time being making both QBs risky plays. Even with the uncertainty attached to these QBs, they still warrant your consideration given the lack of depth at the QB position.

Mike Wright, Northwestern (vs Duke)

Wright is an amazing athlete shown by a 5.1 yards per carry mark, but do not expect him to light it up through the air. His ability to run the ball makes him a fairly safe play, but his one dimensional play style limits his upside. 


Running Backs

Play of the Day: Brashard Smith, SMU (vs BYU)

There is no play to be more excited about than Smith. The SMU RB room is normally a three headed monster, but Jaylan Knighton is banged up having only handled 4 carries this year before having to sit out the next game while LJ Johnson has picked up an injury and is labeled day to day heading into Friday. With a QB carousel and multiple RB injuries, Smith will be the focal point of an offense that is expected to score the most points on this slate. Must Play.

Cam Porter, Northwestern (vs Duke)

Porter is the only true bell cow back on this slate, but the matchup is a big obstacle this week. Northwestern will struggle to run the ball against this stout D line so even though Porter will likely finish with the most touches amongst Friday's RBs, he is by no means a lock to be a top scorer. Porter is a relatively safe play, but he may not be worth his price if he is unable to find the endzone.

Star Thomas, Duke (@ Northwestern)

I love Thomas. He is a dynamic back who is a strong pass catcher while being an apt runner between the tackles. Duke returns RB Jaquez Moore, but it was Thomas who led the team in touches in Week 1. With a solid combination of opportunity and talent, Thomas is a great play against a Northwestern defense that has struggled against the run for a couple of years now.


Wide Receivers

Play of the Day: Jordan Moore, Duke (@ Northwestern)

No WR on this slate has the resume that Moore does. He has at least 88 receiving yards in 5 of his last 6 regular season games showing the kind of floor you get from Moore. Especially with Jalon Calhoun now in the NFL, Moore will be a target machine giving him a strong floor regardless of opponent and his chemistry with new QB Maalik Murphy was very encouraging making him the obvious top play on this slate.

Bryce Kirtz, Northwestern (vs Duke)

While the Northwestern passing game is nothing to brag about, it is very consolidated making it a good option for fantasy players as all the targets go to either Bryce Kirtz or AJ Henning. Most of Henning's work comes close to the line of scrimmage so he will need a TD to be worth a play, but Kirtz is a big play machine and continually works down the field making him a viable play. The passing game does worry me, but if they are moderately productive, Kirtz will be a top play.

RJ Maryland, SMU (vs BYU)

If you want a piece of the SMU passing game, Maryland is your guy as he is on the field far more than any other SMU pass catcher so he is likely to absorb the most production. He is definitely far more productive with Preston Stone at QB so his floor has been sabotaged by SMU's QB carousel but the upside is undeniable.

Keanu Hill, BYU (@ SMU)

Hill was not overly involved in BYU's first game following his move to tight end, but that was because they were playing a far inferior opponent allowing them to push the ball down the field more. SMU should put a lot more pressure on this BYU passing game leading to a lot more work underneath for Hill. Chase Roberts was the team's leading receiver in week 1 totaling over 100 yards but this was only the 3rd time Roberts has passed the century threshold over his career so I would not get used to that kind of production, while Keanu Hill has the most career yards and TDs on the team so he should be way more involved as the season rolls along.


FanDuel DFS Dream Team

QB: Mike Wright, Northwestern (vs Duke)

RB1: Brashard Smith, SMU (vs BYU)

RB2: Star Thomas, Duke (@ Northwestern)

WR1: Jordan Moore, Duke (@ Northwestern)

WR2: Bryce Kirtz, Northwestern (vs Duke)

WR3: Keanu Hill, BYU (@ SMU)

Flex: Maalik Murphy, Duke (@ Northwestern)


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