Quarterbacks
James Blackman, Florida State —
% Owned: 1%
With Deondre Francois going down with a season-ending knee injury in Saturday’s game against Alabama, Jimbo Fisher announced in the postgame press conference that James Blackman will take over the starting job over JJ Cosentino. Florida State faces off against Louisiana-Monroe in Week 2, which gives Blackman a chance to get adjusted to his new role before the Hurricanes come up to Tallahassee in Week 3. With the Francois owners desperate for a replacement, his ownership is destined to rise. Add him if you’re in need of a quarterback, or use him as a valuable trade piece.
Tyler Rogers, New Mexico State —
% Owned: 3%
Tyler Rodgers was a pleasant surprise this week by throwing for 398 yards and three touchdowns against Pac-12 opponent Arizona State. Rogers’ defensive matchups only get easier here on out (with exceptions to Arkansas and App State), which gives Rodgers a high ceiling and a medium floor for the rest of the season if he can limit his turnovers.
Ross Bowers, California —
% Owned: 2%
Bowers had a solid performance in his first start against North Carolina by tossing 363 passing yards and four touchdowns. Bowers stepped to the scene by beating out presumed starter Chase Forrest for the starting job. With a coaching change, it’s fair to be skeptical of Cal’s historically pass-heavy offense. However, Justin Wilcox seems to keep on keeping on. Bowers may not score with his legs, but he will still score often, which makes him a nice grab for fantasy owners.
Running Backs
James Williams, Washington State —
% Owned: 8%
Yes, Williams did have a huge game against Montana State. However, he was the No. 1 receiving option in Mike Leach’s Air Raid system with an astounding 13 receptions and 163 receiving yards. Williams is worth the pick up should he continue to see this many touches.
Nate Hopkins, UCONN —
% Owned: >1%
UCONN had to rely on a second-half comeback to beat Holy Cross, which isn’t the best sign, but hear me out. Nate Hopkins was a big reason that the Huskies escaped Week 1 with a win. Hopkins finished with 130 yards and three touchdowns, and it’s hard to ignore someone who sees the end zone that much.
JK Dobbins, Ohio State —
% Owned: 8%
With Mike Weber out with a hamstring issue, JK Dobbins took full advantage of his first start by cranking out 181 rushing yards. Weber will make his return to the field, but Dobbins made a really good case for the starting job for the Buckeyes and will be one of the most added players this week.
Tre Bryant, Nebraska —
% Owned: 5%
Nebraska hasn’t had an elite back since Ameer Abdullah left for the NFL in 2015. Tre Bryant got 31 carries for the Huskers in a Week 1 match up against Arkansas State and ran for 192 yards and one touchdown. Nebraska has been known to rely on the run for years now, which makes Bryant a hot addition in any format.
Wide Receivers
Gary Jennings, West Virginia —
% Owned: 1%
Will Grier looked stellar in a Week 1 loss to Virginia Tech, and his favorite target was Garg Jennings. Jennings finished Sunday’s game with 13 receptions for 189 yards and two touchdowns, and that was against a solid defense. If Grier continues to play as well as he did Sunday, then Jennings should thrive against the weaker defenses of the Big 12.
AJ Brown, Ole Miss —
% Owned: 11%
Laquon Treadwell, Damore’ea Stringfellow, Van Jefferson and Evan Engram are all names that bring back fond fantasy memories. It seems as though the next man in line for Ole Miss this season is AJ Brown. Brown caught eight passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns against South Alabama this past Saturday, and with Shea Patterson slinging the ball around, Brown has plenty of upside.
Simmie Cobbs, Indiana —
% Owned: 29%
Simmie Cobbs showed out against Ohio State with 11 receptions and 149 yards with a touchdown. Cobbs really stepped up in a big way for the Hoosiers after Nick Westbrook’s unfortunate ACL tear on the opening kickoff of the game. With Westbrook gone, Cobbs is the unquestioned No. 1 target for Indiana this season.
Tight Ends
Ryan Smith, Miami (OH) —
% Owned: 17%
Ryan Smith should be high on anyone’s radar by establishing himself as the No. 2 target, as well as the top red zone target, for Miami (Ohio). With seven receptions, 98 yards and two touchdowns, Smith sees more targets than most tight ends and will prove to be a valuable asset for anyone who owns him.
Caleb Wilson, UCLA —
% Owned: 2%
Texas A&M and UCLA’s matchup was the best game of the 2017 season so far, and if you missed it, then you really missed out. Josh Rosen connected with Caleb Wilson 15 times … 15 TIMES! Wilson finished with 208 yards, and the only downfall of his game was that he couldn’t find the end zone. Even if this game turns out to be a fluke performance against a spotty defense, Wilson is too irrisistable to pass up on.