Slate Breaker: College Football Week 2 (Saturday)

Game Picks

Arkansas @ Oklahoma State

As long as Ollie Gordon is toting the rock 30 times per game, the Okie offense will be deadly. Arkansas was fairly weak against the run last year so I expect Ollie Gordon to have another Ollie Gordon game where he totals more than 150 yards and finds the endzone multiple times. The Arkansas offense looks to have taken a major step forward with Taylen Green at QB, but they just do not have the firepower to ultimately prevail in this one.

Texas @ Michigan

One of the marquee matchups on paper, this game will likely disappoint some folks. I think Texas ultimately runs away with this one as the Michigan offense looked horrendous in Week 1 and that was against Fresno State. Texas looks to have completely restocked their offense following some major losses from last season and have already established themselves as one of the premier title contenders this season. Texas wins big in this one.

Kansas State @ Tulane

This Kansas State team has some exciting pieces. QB Avery Johnson has taken over the job and he is a dynamic playmaker with both his arm and feet. Pair him with Jayce Brown and the Wildcats have a QB/WR duo that can only be topped by Arizona and Colorado in the Big 12. Tulane is a program in transition following a complete coaching change and the departure of Michael Pratt to the NFL. Kansas should roll easily in this one.

Georgia Tech @ Syracuse

The Syracuse offense looks like a pretty formidable unit with Oronde Gadsden back in the fold and Kyle McCord leading the way, but their defense needs a lot of work. Syracuse has a history of struggling to contain the run so a matchup against a run heavy offense like Georgia Tech is an absolute nightmare. This will be a competitive matchup but the Yellow Jacket running game will wear down the Orange and take home a dub. 

Baylor @ Utah

Cam Rising is back and he did not miss a beat. I am high on Utah as long as Rising is guiding this offense and they could contend for a national title if all the pieces fall in place. Baylor just does not compare to the Utes.

California @ Auburn

While the Tigers are double digit home favorites, this game will surprise a lot of people. Cal has a real weapon in Jaydn Ott who can carry this offense and allow them to compete against most teams. Auburn on the other hand lacks any real star power on the offensive side of the ball and is a bit one dimensional so if Cal can stop the run, an upset could be in the works.

Iowa State @ Iowa

Iowa State has a lot of firepower on offense, but Iowa matchups up well against just about any offense so this game will devolve into a bit of a tug of war. Ultimately, whichever of these teams makes the fewest mistakes will come away with a win and I have more faith in Rocco Becht's ability to take care of the ball than Cade McNamara's. Iowa State pulls off the upset and lays claim to the title of best team in Iowa.

South Carolina @ Kentucky

South Carolina has lost a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball as they now lack a difference maker at QB and on the outside. With the lack of talent on the offensive side of the ball, South Carolina is going to struggle to keep their head above water in the SEC and will likely become this year's doormat now that Vanderbilt has shown some promise. Kentucky easily rolls in this one.

Kansas @ Illinois

Kansas has the star power in this one with an offense loaded with talent in every phase of the game. Illinois will be able to score some points but Kansas will easily outpace them and bring home a W.

Virginia @ Wake Forest

This matchup offers plenty of intrigue as neither side has a clear edge. They both have QBs who can move the ball on a regular basis, but are prone to making the big mistake. Neither features a particularly strong defense so this game could easily devolve into a shootout. I like Virginia in the end as they are used to playing in high scoring games so they should know how to control the ball down the stretch and bring home a win.

Colorado @ Nebraska

Man, Dylan Raiola was impressive in his college debut. He was as advertised, delivering 238 yards and 2 TDs. Now he gets to play a Colorado defense that struggled all last year and looked pretty bad against North Dakota State in their opener. Nebraska has one of the most underrated defenses so they could stifle Shedeur Sanders & Co, but this still should be a shootout. As long as Dylan Raiola limits his mistakes, the Cornhuskers will make a huge statement against Colorado.

Tennessee @ NC State

This is my game of the week. Nico Iamaleava looked fantastic in his first start of the year, but that was against Chattanooga. NC State is a different beast and I expect him to face far more hurdles that could limit his production. Ultimately, the Volunteers have just too much talent and will be able to go into North Carolina and pull out a win.

Player Spotlights

Top Fantasy and DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) Plays

Quarterbacks

Play of the Day: Dylan Raiola, Nebraska (vs Colorado)

Raiola is the next big college QB. He spurned all the big college programs like Georgia and chose Nebraska leading them to become an instant threat in the Big 12. Colorado will be a real challenge for this Nebraska team, but not on the offensive side of the ball. Colorado just cannot stop opposing offenses allowing 35 fantasy points to a FCS QB last week so a QB of Raiola's talents will be able to knife right through this defense. Colorado will also be able to score though making Raiola an even better fantasy player as the total points in this game could get crazy and push 100. Raiola is going to put on a show in the first marquee matchup of his career.

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (@ Nebraska)

I love this Colorado Nebraska game. There will be so many points to take advantage of so you will need pieces of this game if you want to have a good fantasy day this week. Colorado is not a strong running team, ranking dead last in the country with 69 yards per game last season. Nebraska is a very strong run defense so Colorado will be passing even more if that is even possible. Sanders will easily push past 300 yards with at least 3 scores. Get him in your lineups.

Cam Rising, Utah (vs Baylor)

If you want a strong floor in your lineup look no further than Rising. He is a monster when playing at home scoring at least 20 fantasy points in 9 of his last 11 home games. I expect nothing less as Rising looked like his old self in his season debut.

Nico Iamaleava & Grayson McCall, Tennessee @ NC State

I almost love this game as much as the Nebraska Colorado game. Both of these teams feature strong offenses led by very capable QBs while showing some deficiencies on the defensive side of the ball. Both of these guys should easily blow past 20 fantasy points and are very not very expensive. 

Jalon Daniels & Avery Johnson, Kansas & Kansas State

The Kansas boys seem very similar to me. They are far too cheap with both guys under $10K even though they are legitimate dual threat options. Both are road favorites so they are expected to have fruitful days. Tulane may look scary for Johnson on paper, but this is a different Tulane program and will no longer be the strong defensive unit that they once were. I expect both these guys to contribute at least 10 points with their legs alone showing the strong floor and elite upside they can give you.

Running Backs

Play of the Day: Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State (vs Arkansas)

I have a very simple strategy this year, if Ollie Gordon is on a slate I am playing him. He is worth every penny even if he has the highest price on a slate because his floor is 25 fantasy points with 50 point upside. He is simply unrivaled when it comes to fantasy running backs and you will need him in your lineups. 

LeQuint Allen, Syracuse (vs Georgia Tech)

Georgia Tech's run defense was simply nonexistent last year allowing an insane 226 yards per game on the ground. LeQuint Allen is one of the only true bell cow backs in the entire nation handling at least 19 touches in 7 of his last 8 games. A plus matchup and a boatload of touches makes Allen an extremely safe play.

Jaydn Ott, California (@ Auburn)

Ott is dealing with a minor injury, but if he is a go; he will be a difference maker. Ott is this Golden Bears offense scoring double digit fantasy points in 14 of his last 15 games and showing elite upside with numerous 30 point games. This game should be a tight one since both offenses are fairly one dimensional so Ott will be relied on from the get-go to the final whistle leading to a huge fantasy day.

Dylan Sampson, Tennessee (@ NC State)

I am not hearing enough buzz about Sampson. He was part of a three headed monster in the Tennessee backfield a year ago, but 2/3 of that committee are now in the NFL leaving Sampson as THE GUY in this Tennessee backfield and the early results have been very promising. Sampson had a monster game in Week 1 totaling 153 total yards and 3 scores. Sampson's price will not remain this low for long as he will prove to be among the elite fantasy RB options this year.

Kaden Feagin, Illinois (vs Kansas)

Feagin's price is just too low. Sure he is not an elite player, but he is the lead back for a run heavy offense and has already shown he can produce when given a healthy workload. In games where Feagin received at least 15 touches, he averaged 18.6 fantasy points. Feagin should be a huge value at this price even in a tough matchup.

Wide Receivers

Play of the Day: Kevin Concepcion, NC State (vs Tennessee)

If you love high volume plays look no further than Concepcion. He has received at least 10 touches in 6 of his last 7 games and still received 8 in the game he failed to reach double digits. Simply put, Concepcion's usage is unrivaled for a WR and with a shootout on hand, he could put up a crooked number. His redzone usage is also very encouraging with 9! TDs over his last 7 games. You need to pay up for this guy.

Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (vs Western Michigan)

Smith's price has shot up, but it is still not high enough. He has stepped right into the ultra valuable WR1 role for Ohio State so until his price is over $9K, he is an incredible value. Week 1 was not a fluke, it is just the beginning.

Malachi Fields, Virginia (@ Wake Forest)

Fields had a great 2023 season, racking up over 800 yards and 5 scores but he was not even the top target as Malik Washington was the engine for this offense. Now that Fields is the go to option in this offense, the sky is the limit. Virginia loves passing the ball so as the top target, Fields is basically locked into a 1200 yard 10 TD season and his price does not reflect that yet.

Jahmal Banks, Nebraska (vs Colorado)

Banks did not lead the team in targets in Week 1 but he is obviously the most talented pass catcher on this team so it is only a matter of time until he becomes the top target. Even if he is not the top target this week, he is well worth the start since he plays Colorado. The Colorado defense cannot stop the pass so Banks will have endless opportunities to produce this week and will come away with a monster line as this game dissolves into a shootout.

LaJohntay Wester, Colorado (@ Nebraska)

Wester was a bit of disappointment in Week 1 as the passing game ran through Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn, but I still think he is the most talented WR on this team so his time will come. Heck, he almost had a 20 point day in Week 1 as Shedeur missed him when he was wide open for a 60 yard TD as they were trying to close out the game. Wester's production will come and his price dropped way too low making him a terrific value.

Zakhari Franklin, Illinois (vs Kansas)

A lot of time has passed since Franklin was one of college football's elite fantasy WRs. He bit off more than he could chew in his move to Ole Miss and got lost in the shuffle. He is now in Illinois where his talent will once again be able to shine. He is reunited with his old UTSA OC where Franklin had over 1,000 yards and 12 scores when he was last calling plays for Franklin. Franklin is one of the top values on this slate since you can have him for so cheap.

Thomas Fidone, Nebraska (vs Colorado)

Fidone is basically free and for a guy that got 5 targets last week that is just too cheap. There will be a lot of yardage to go around in this one so Fidone should rack up at least 40 yards so if he can find the endzone, he will be a great value. He is definitely worth the dart throw.

FanDuel DFS Dream Team

QB: Grayson McCall, NC State (vs Tennessee)

RB1: Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State (vs Arkansas)

RB2: Dylan Sampson, Tennessee (@ NC State)

WR1: Kevin Concepcion, NC State (vs Tennessee)

WR2: Jahmal Banks, Nebraska (vs Colorado)

WR3: Zakhari Franklin, Illinois (vs Kansas)

Flex: Dylan Raiola, Nebraska (vs Colorado)

**DISCLAIMER: Remember, sports and fantasy are supposed to be fun. Please play responsibly.**