In an iconic football clip, the immortal Vince Lombardi once screamed “What the hell’s going on out here?” Thousands of College Fantasy Football diehards agree with the Hall of Fame coach after three weeks of the season.
QB Kaidon Saltor, the preseason unanimous CFF QB1, has not scored on the ground and is the CFF No. 136 overall-ranked-player. RB Ollie Gordon is M.I.A. the past two weeks and is CFF RB22 for the season…not what CFF managers expected when drafting the Cowboys’ star runner. WR Luther Burden is outside the top 50 CFF WRs after being taken in the top five picks in nearly every draft.
Despite the many disappointments, other players have arisen and are well worthy of being on CFF rosters and in lineups. Luke Probasco, Volume Pigs and I watched countless hours of football and combed the box scores to identify some of the preeminent players on the waiver wire in college fantasy football this week…Let’s Go!
Writers Note: My CFF teams with Saltor and Gordon are a combined 2-7. What the heck are the coaching staffs at Liberty, Oklahoma State and Missouri doing out there?
Week 3 College Fantasy Football Waiver Wire
Quarterbacks
Arch Manning, Texas (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 34%
Total Fantasy Points: 60
FPPG: 30
Arch Manning came in relief for Quinn Ewers who left with a strained abdomen, according to coach Steve Sarkisian. Did CFF managers just witness a changing of the guard for the Longhorns? I don’t think so. I have little doubt in my mind that if Ewers is healthy and ready to roll, Sark won’t give him the keys once more.
The problem for Ewers shareholders now is that if things start going bad, against let’s say Oklahoma (I know, hard to imagine but just work with me here), then Sark might be more amicable to the idea of getting Arch in there earlier to see what happens. Ewers hasn’t lost his job because of one performance versus UTSA. But he could lose his job later in the year.
As for Arch, yes, this was a great performance: He flung four aerial strikes and passed for 185 yards. He also added an electric 67-yard touchdown scamper on the ground. I don’t think Manning would be doing this regularly in SEC Conference play so temper expectations. So why is he on the list this week? Well, Texas plays UL-Monroe this weekend, and if Ewers is not 100%, I’d imagine the Longhorns roll Arch out again. Nothing wrong with a one-week rental in College Fantasy Football.
Woke up 3-0 😤🤘 pic.twitter.com/i2CnUT9TgB
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 15, 2024
Billy Edwards, Maryland (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 9%
Total Fantasy Points: 86.3
FPPG: 28.8
PFF Grade: 90.4
I have been impressed with Billy Edwards over the opening three games of the season. Nonetheless, two factors kept me from placing the Terrapins’ signal caller in the column: First, he played UConn to open the campaign, and I did not want to overestimate his performance. Second, coach Mike Locksley indicated that he might occasionally swap Edwards with transfer QB MJ Morris from North Carolina State behind center. Both concerns are no longer an element in my analysis of Edwards.
At 6’3” and 222 pounds, Edwards is CFF QB23 and scored over 28 Fantasy Points (FPs) in three consecutive games. He has completed more than 70% of passes, tossed six touchdowns, passed for 827 yards and rushed for 64 yards with two scores. With Villanova and Indiana on the upcoming docket, Edwards provides a nice option for CFF diehards who need help at quarterback.
Notebook: “Billy, it’s his job. He’s our quarterback and we’ll ride with him, but we’ll continue to develop the rest of our roster,” coach Locksley stated two weeks ago (testudotimes.com).
Caden Veltkamp, Western Kentucky (Probasco)
Fantrax Rostership: 10%
Total Fantasy Points: 57
FPPG: 28.5
PFF Grade: 88
Caden Veltkamp is a gamer! Last year, he was called upon in relief during the Famous Toastery Bowl game. He ended up dropping 52.45 fantasy points on Old Dominion. Starter TJ Finley was injured during action this last week. Veltkamp’s number was called upon once again. He proceeded to go 27-of-30 and scored 55.9 fantasy points against Middle Tennessee State. Can Western Kentucky put the toothpaste back in the tube? Veltkamp needs to be the most added QB this week.
Honorable Mention Quarterbacks
Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
Fantrax Rostership: 22%
Total Fantasy Points: 80.1
FPPG: 26.7
PFF Grade: 75.1
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
After three weeks, who is the most intriguing signal caller on the waiver wire?
- Josh Hoover, TCU: 25%
- Alan Bowman, Oklahoma State: 9%
- Arch Manning, Texas: 43%
- Eli Holstein, Pittsburgh: 23%
Scholar’s Selection: I am still on #TeamEli (see last week’s column) after he led Pittsburgh to an amazing come-from-behind victory in the Backyard Brawl against West Virginia.
“Josh Hoover in my opinion. He continues to chuck it all over the field. Great schedule the rest of the way, and he will toss it 45 times a game!” @aceholesrule
“Pittsburgh has the pace, and Arch Manning is intriguing if Ewers is out. Yet, Josh Hoover has the skill, schedule, and talent around him to keep producing consistently high numbers.” @eliotmays
Running Backs
Fluff Bothwell, South Alabama (Probasco)
Fantrax Rostership: 4%
Total Fantasy Points: 53.7
FPPG: 17.9
PFF Grade:
Who the heck is Da’Marion “Fluff” Bothwell? He is a 5’10” and 219-pound true freshman running back. Fluff is anything but fluff. He burst onto the scene here in 2024. He has had games of 12.8, 14.6, and 26.3 FPs. Bothwell has been efficient thus far. He is averaging seven carries for 81 yards and a touchdown a game. He is handling 43% of the running back carries and has 53% of the running back rushing yardage. Go ahead and acquire Fluff off the waiver wire.
Notebook: “It’s either ‘oh, crap’ or, ‘oh, awesome, a freshman.’ But as soon as he came into the game, we’re like ‘oh perfect.’ Defenses, they’ve never seen him. And they’ve never seen what we’ve been seeing all through fall camp,” teammate Devin Voisin revealed after the Jaguars’ opening contest (al.com).
Kalel Mullings, Michigan (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 15%
Total Fantasy Points: 39
FPPG: 13
PFF Grade: 84.8
Coming off a loss to Texas, the Wolverines coaching staff wanted to establish dominance at the line of scrimmage and get the ground game going. Patience is a virtue, and Kalel Mullings has waited for four seasons on the bench. Finally, the graduate student earned the opportunity to show his skills against Arkansas State, finishing with a career-best 153 yards on 15 carries as CFF RB14 for the week.
At 6’2” and 233 pounds, Mullings packs a punch and provides the Wolverines with a much-needed, between-the-tackles grinder. Yet, he also has some sneaky speed in the open field. In the first quarter, his 30-yard touchdown was his longest rush in maize and blue. He matched that long run with a second-quarter dash of the same distance and then set a new career-long with a 38-yard scamper in the final frame.
Averaging 7.5 ypc, Mullings leads the team in rushing yards with 270 and touchdowns with two. Michigan hosts USC and Minnesota in the Big House in the next two weeks. There is risk picking up Mullings with Donovan Edwards in the backfield. Nevertheless, the bruising back warrants a roster spot on CFF teams.
Notebook: “Kalel Mullings put up the most impressive numbers. He averaged more than 10 yards per carry (10.2) on his 15 attempts, picking up 153 yards and two touchdowns. It’s clear Mullings is one of this team’s best options on offense right now and the coaches should continue getting the ball in his hands as often as possible,” wrote Grace Foulk after Saturday’s victory (maizenbrew.com).
He’s slippery! And he’s got six! #GoBlue | 📺 BTN pic.twitter.com/6gHfMy7SSN
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) September 14, 2024
Jaivian Thomas, California (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 1%
Total Fantasy Points: 34.9
FPPG: 11.6
PFF Grade: 76.3
While teammates around him remain sidelined, Jaivian Thomas is not a bad idea to roster. If Jaydn Ott isn’t playing next week against Florida State, a team that might be one of the worse in the P4 this year, then Thomas is a guy worth a shot in CFF lineups. He finished this weekend with 17 carries and over 160 yards in the 31-10 victory against San Diego State.
Last year against Oregon, Thomas was carted off the field and taken to the hospital after suffering a season-ending injury. A freshman in 2023, the Golden Bears runner worked hard over the offseason and looks fully recovered with 241 rushing yards and a touchdown on 31 carries in three outings this year.
Notebook: “The injury was [scary], but I overcame it and I’m glad it happened. I feel great coming back and having a good offseason to recover. Being able to put on this weight helped me a lot. Last year, I was a lot lighter and I kind of feel that played a huge part in what happened at the end of the year,” Thomas reflected in a recent interview with Avinash Kunnath (writeforcalifornia.com).
Elijah Jackson-Anderson, Eastern Michigan (Volume Pigs)
Fantrax Rostership: 1%
Fantasy Points: 18.6
FPPG: 6.2
PFF Grade: 60.2
Did Eastern Michigan find something with Elijah Jackson-Anderson? The junior runner took 24 carries for 87 yards and a score via the air to land him 18 FPs. Delbert Mimms, III still got his 16 carries, and he was the only runner to score via the ground.
If the Eagles are going to go ground-heavy, the backfield battle is one to watch for MAC play. They play St. Francis University (FCS) and Kent State over the next two weeks. Sure, Jackson-Anderson had not done anything in his career so far, but he’s a local kid from Flint Michigan: Who can’t root for an underdog story like this?
Caden Durham, LSU (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 19%
Total Fantasy Points: 23.3
FPPG: 11.6
PFF Grade: n/a
It seems like a lifetime ago that I regularly scouted LSU running backs (Jeremy Hill, Leonard Fournette, Derrius Guice and Clyde Edwards-Helaire) for CFF leagues and as NFL Draft Prospects. Since the Tigers won the National Championship, their backfield has been a wasteland of fantasy production. In the first two games of this year, neither John Emery, Jr. nor Kaleb Jackson established themselves as fantasy starters.
Against South Carolina, Caden Durham caught my eye running the football and the long wait may be over in Baton Rouge for the next great fantasy ball carrier. A true freshman, Durham was a four-star recruit who was the No. 8 running back in the country and the No. 19 overall player in Texas. At 5’9” and 205 pounds, Durham sparked the ground game versus Gamecocks and ended the afternoon with 98 rushing yards and twice crossed the goal line. The Tigers are averaging 33.3 ppg., and Durham looks like a difference-maker with the ball in his hands.
Notebook: “He broke a ton of tackles. That’s the nature of the SEC, to make guys miss and run through tackles. He did a really good job of showing himself today, and setting a standard of what we need at that running back position,” coach Brian Kelly said in the post-game press conference (lsusports.net).
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
In the backfield, who is the top runner on the CFF waiver wire?
- Kalel Mullings, Michigan: 25%
- Caden Durham, LSU: 32%
- Fluff Bothwell, South Alabama: 20%
- Anthony Hankerson, Oregon State: 23%
Scholar’s Selection: As a Michigan fan, I did not vote Kalen Mullins. Instead, I will target LSU freshman Caden Durham. The Tigers must find a ground game to complement their dynamic passing game, and Durham jumped off the screen against South Carolina.
“Fluff Bothwell for me! First, how can you not root for a fella named Fluff? South Alabama has been fertile for backs, and Fluff seems next in line.” @aceholesrule
Wide Receivers
Giles Jackson, Washington (Laub)
Fantrax Rostership: 9%
Targets: 24
Fantasy Points: 63.1
FPPG: 21
PFF Grade: 84.3
A four-star recruit in high school, Giles Jackson sprinted for 1,820 yards and 26 touchdowns and seized 142 passes for 2,580 and 32 scores. Amassing 63 total touchdowns, he scored via rush, catch, kick, and punt returns as well as fumble and interception returns. In addition, he ran track and field as a sprinter and jumper.
In 2019, Jackson joined the Michigan program and played two seasons in Ann Arbor. Dangerous in the open field, he returned 37 kicks for 976 yards and brought two to the house, earned honorable mention All-Big Ten (return specialist) as a true freshman. In 2021, he decided to transfer to Washington. A challenging locker room, Jackson remained on the sideline most of the time for the Huskies behind three future NFL receivers until this season.
At 5’9” and 187 pounds, the speedster stepped into the slot role in the passing game and has excelled in 2024. Targeted 24 times, he has corralled every pass aimed in his vicinity for 326 yards and a touchdown. The elusive ankle-breaker is CFF WR14 with 63.1 FPs after three games. Defenses must account for Denzel Boston and Jeremiah Hunter on the outside, and Jackson dominates inside, winning one-on-one matchups. It is a difficult road ahead for Washington but game scripts and aerial schemes indicate that Jackson will be peppered with plenty of targets for the remainder of the year.
Notebook: “The 5’9” and 178-pound receiver is penciled into a starting role and should turn into an important member of the receiving corps in 2024, which starts at spring practice. Jackson was a key member of the second team throughout fall camp last season…” noted Roman Tomashoff in April (uwhuskieswire.com).
A 31-yard ROCKET from Will Rogers to Giles Jackson and Washington is on the board. 🚀
📺: Peacock | @UW_Football pic.twitter.com/mjSIpuLFAX
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 14, 2024
Omari Kelly, Middle Tennessee (Probasco)
Fantrax Rostership: 20%
Targets: 22
Fantasy Points: 60.5
FPPG: 20.5
PFF Grade: 74.5
Omari Kelly is an Auburn transfer, who is a 6’0″ and 180-pound junior. In terms for high school pedigree, he is one of the highest-ranked prospects the Blue Raiders have ever brought into the program. I have been waiting for Kelly’s breakout game, and we finally got it! He caught all nine of his targets for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Middle Tennessee is expecting big things on campus. Jake Bolden, from Blue Raider Podcast, was on the G5 Hive Worker Bee Series earlier this offseason. He stated that he would be shocked if Kelly was not First Team All-CUSA come the end of the year.
Honorable Mention Wide Receivers
De’Zhaun Stribling, Oklahoma State
Fantrax Rostership:15%
Targets: 25
Fantasy Points:58.5
FPPG: 19.4
PFF Grade: 78.9
Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Fantrax Rostership: 12%
Targets: 22
Fantasy Points: 35.7
FPPG: 11.9
PFF Grade: 64.8
Pat Bryant, Illinois
Fantrax Rostership: 18%
Targets: 17
Fantasy Points: 62.4
FPPG: 20.8
PFF Grade: 80.4
CFF Twitterverse on Fire!
At receiver, who is the top playmaker on the CFF waiver wire?
- Pat Bryant, Illinois: 21%
- De’Zhaun Stribling, Oklahoma State: 25%
- Omari Kelly, Middle Tennessee: 19%
- Giles Jackson, Washington: 35%
Scholar’s Selection: I prefer playmakers in high-octane passing attacks so I cast my vote for De’Zhaun Stribling.
“Pat Bryant earned my vote. Summer darling that has finally hit his stride. Having Zakhari Franklin as a viable threat has opened Bryant up to be who some CFF diehards thought he would be this year.” @aceholesrule
“Giles Jackson for me. Washington has shown they plan to continue to rely on him when needed. Tough schedule ahead, but possibly even more reason to like Giles in CFF lineups. @eliotmays
CFF All-Americans: Week 3
- QB Caden Veltkamp, Western Kentucky: 51.9 points
- QB Alan Bowman, Oklahoma State: 45.8
- RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina: 40.6
- RB RJ Harvey, UCF: 39.9
- WR Nick Nash, SJSU: 57.5
- WR Omari Kelly, MTSU: 50.9
- WR De’Zhaun Stribling, Oklahoma State: 36.4
- TE Jack Beach, TCU: 35
- Flex Darius Taylor, Minnesota: 39.1
CFF Player of the Week: Nick Nash, SJSU
It’s the @nick3nash show 😤
Watch live on @truTV #ThisIsSparta | #AllSpartans pic.twitter.com/t1oAgLQOP7
— San José State Football (@SanJoseStateFB) September 15, 2024