College Football Grind Down: Week 2 - Page Four
Iowa Hawkeyes at Iowa State Cyclones – O/U 50
| Iowa Hawkeyes | Iowa State Cyclones | ||||
| Rd. Proj. | Rd. Spread | Pace | Pace | Hm. Proj. | Hm. Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.75 | -3.5 | 73.75 | 76.08 | 23.25 | 3.5 |
| PaYd/G | RuYd/G | PaYd/G | RuYd/G | ||
| Offense | 242.00 | 156.33 | Offense | 248.42 | 124.08 |
| Opp Def | 282.67 | 246.00 | Opp Def | 175.75 | 158.75 |
| Opp Def Rank | 126th | 117th | Opp Def Rank | 2nd | 76th |
Breakdown
This rivalry game has been pretty fun over the past few years as the games have all been very competitive. That’s expected to be the case again this year, and we won’t have to worry about a blowout here. Despite the four quarter game, this is a tough game to target, though. Iowa State was RBBC in the opener so I’m not looking there. They have some talent at WR, but Sam Richardson really spread the ball around in the opener. Iowa’s passing game was once again average at best.
Iowa
Elite Options
NONE
Secondary Options
Leshun Daniels, Jr (FD: $7,300, DK: $5,300) – He didn’t get into the end zone which really hurt his fantasy production, but everything else looked good. He had great volume as he had 26 carries for 123 yards, and Iowa State was one of the worst rush defenses in the country last year allowing 5.67 YPC. He’s not an all-in guy for me as I do worry about his goal-line usage, but he’s a guy I’ll have solid exposure to as I think he tops 100 yards again so if he can find his way into the end zone then he’ll be a great mid-range play.
The Iowa passing game is unexciting, but it looks like Matt VandeBerg will be their top option. I don’t love his upside, but he’s certainly capable of 60 receiving yards and TD.
Iowa State
Elite Options
NONE
Secondary Options
Sam B. Richardson (FD: $7,900, DK: $7,000) – Richardson often goes overlooked, but he can be a solid fantasy option. He can be a factor in the run game and has a talented group of wide receivers to throw to. The Iowa defense impressed in the opener against what is actually a very good FCS team in Illinois State so I don’t have him as a top option. However, the QB pool is very thin in the early slate and he did have 280 yards of total offense and two TDs last year against Iowa and had similar numbers against them in 2013. At his price point, the upside isn’t really there for me, but I’m not overly enthused about many QBs in the early slate.
Allen Lazard (FD: $4,900, DK: $4,600) – He was one of the more highly touted recruiting coups for the Cyclones in quite a while and he’s flashed his talents so far. This Iowa State receiving corp is deep so it’s tough to pinpoint, but in my opinion Lazar is the best of the bunch and he’s the guy I’d get exposure to if I was rolling an ISU receiver. He brings great size at 6’5 so he should be a popular red-zone target for Richardson, and he did get into the end zone in Week 1. I don’t mind him as a cheap WR3 on FD or FLEX option at DK.
Appalachian State Mountaineers at Clemson Tigers – O/U 58.5
| Appalachian State Mountaineers | Clemson Tigers | ||||
| Rd. Proj. | Rd. Spread | Pace | Pace | Hm. Proj. | Hm. Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.75 | 19 | 73.00 | 75.67 | 38.75 | -19 |
| PaYd/G | RuYd/G | PaYd/G | RuYd/G | ||
| Offense | 219.75 | 241.00 | Offense | 257.58 | 152.50 |
| Opp Def | 162.00 | 98.58 | Opp Def | 195.17 | 152.33 |
| Opp Def Rank | 4th | 9th | Opp Def Rank | 18th | 54th |
Breakdown
This is the DK only game and while it looks like a mismatch at first glance, Appalachian State has a solid ball club. That is evident in the Vegas line as Clemson is favored by less than three scores, which means we should get plenty of run out of Deshaun Watson, Artavis Scott, and Wayne Gallman.
Appalachian State
The have a very good RB in Marcus Cox and Vegas does expect something along the lines of a 38 to 20 type of ball game. They also have one of DB730’s favorite names in Simms McElfresh at WR. Their other WR, Shaedon Meadors had a solid but injury-plagued freshman year and produced a TD and 64 receiving yards in a blowout Week 1 win. I typically avoid the smaller schools in situations like this, but they’re all cheap due to the matchup, and someone should score. I’d limit my exposure to a low dollar GPP, but if you rostered Rashon Caeser in Week One the gamble certainly paid off.
Clemson
Elite Options
Deshaun Watson (DK: $9,900) – Watson saw very limited action in Week One but was great while he was in there as he was 18 for 22 with 194 passing yards and two TDs. He’ll see more playing time this week and he’s right there with Luke Falk as my top option on DK. He’s a guy who could very well end up in New York for the Heisman trophy ceremony, and should be in line for a very big day.
Artavis Scott (DK: $7,900) – The Tigers, unfortunately, lost Mike Williams to injury in Week One so Scott will have to shoulder a heavier load. Williams and Scott were 1A and 1B prior to the injury so Clemson will likely look to get the ball in his hands more. He had six receptions for 75 yards and a TD in the opener, and Clemson looks to him on quick passing plays, which add up on a full PPR site like DK.
Secondary Options
Wayne Gallman (DK; $6,800) – Gallman excelled down the stretch last year and picked up where he left off as he found paydirt twice in Week One. It’s tough to put him as elite option as this offense is going to run through Watson. However, Gallman is a talented kid, is involved in the passing game, and can make defenses pay when they focus too much on Watson.
Germone Hopper (DK: $4,400) – There is some talent lurking behind him, but Hopper is going to get the first crack at replacing Mike Williams. I think he’s a risky cash game option, but a solid upside play for tournaments as this is a great offensive system.
That’s all I have for this week in the early slate. I’ll be in Vegas for the Rotogrinder’s party this weekend so look forward to finally meeting everyone and watching some CFB over a few drinks!