College fantasy football: Start/sit advice for Week 2 – Alan Bowman poised for big numbers

With a wild opening week in the rear-view, we focus our attention to Week 2’s slate of games. Which players should you lock in with plus matchups or steer clear of in less-than-desirable game scripts?

Quarterback

Start

Alan Bowman, Texas Tech: New coach, same old Red Raider offense. In their first game since the departure of Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech racked up 691 total yards and 45 points in a home win over Montana State. Bowman threw for 436 yards and a pair of scores on 53 pass attempts even in such a lopsided affair. And this week should be no different. Tech hosts UTEP, who rank next-to-last in Bill Connelly’s defensive SP+ and allowed 34 points to Houston Baptist in the opener. Bowman will undoubtedly contribute the most to this game’s 65-point over/under (per Sports Insights).

Cole McDonald, Hawaii: McDonald had an up-and-down opener against Arizona. He threw for his usual 300-plus yards and four touchdowns, but he also had four — count ’em, four — picks. He was replaced by Chevan Cordeiro late, which sparked rumors of a quarterback competition going into this week’s game against Oregon State. That didn’t exactly play out during this week, so McDonald is set to start again, this time against Oregon State. The Beavers are all offense (sixth) and no defense (128th), which lends this game to a monster over/under of 78 points. McDonald and Co. are 6.5-point favorites in a game Connelly’s projections expect to hit the over, meaning big things for the Warriors’ offense.

Sit

Brandon Wimbush/Dillon Gabriel, UCF: Don’t get me wrong — facing a porous Florida Atlantic defense is a great spot for a quarterback. But there are two quarterbacks vying for snaps in the UCF offense, which puts a damper on either player’s fantasy prospects. While it’s true Wimbush drew the start, Gabriel ate up 13 of his attempts because of Wimbush’s inaccuracy. Until one player steps up, this is a situation to avoid in all formats.

Jacob Eason, Washington: In his big debut, Eason went off against Eastern Washington. The junior transfer completed 75 percent of his passes for 349 yards and four scores. Again, that was against Eastern Washington. This week, the former Bulldog will play in his first Pac 12 game and face a step up in competition against a tough California defense. The Golden Bears were 13th in defensive efficiency last year and are 23rd in defensive SP+ through one week of action. Eason could be on to something, but temper expectations in Week 2.

Running Back

Start

Travis Etienne, Clemson: Etienne is a stud, and though this may seem dicey against Texas A&M’s top-20 defense, the talented junior is running hot and hasn’t had a problem against SEC teams in the past. In 2018, he rushed for a total of 280 yards and five touchdowns against the likes of A&M, South Carolina and Alabama. In the title game against ‘Bama, he averaged 6.1 yards per carry, which is good even in light of his 8.1 career average. It’s highly unlikely that he averages the 17-plus he did in Week 1, but Etienne needs to be in your lineups every week.

Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt: Vaughn doesn’t draw a cookie-cutter matchup nor is he a big-time name. What he does have on his size though are usage and production. Going back to the start of last year, the senior has amassed 1,314 rushing yards on 172 carries. He’s also contributed 194 yards on 16 catches, two of which went for scores. The back didn’t reach the end zone against Georgia, but his 108 total yards speak to his involvement in the offense. Vaughn’s Commodores are getting a touchdown on the road, but they have a 24.5 total and could keep this one closer than the oddsmakers think.

Sit

J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State: It’s hard not to love a guy who’s turned in back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in a major conference. It only makes it harder with Dobbins running for 91 and a score in the team’s blowout-capped win over FAU. Others got carries, meaning Dobbins could see north of the 21 he garnered already, but it’s the effectiveness that’s in question. Cincinnati is a much tougher matchup defensively, and they’re slower-paced because of their run-first approach. Because of that, Connelly and his projections favor the under in this one and expect the Buckeyes to fall short of their 35.75 implied total. In season-long, you are probably starting him, but you could deploy better options or find a more concrete DFS play elsewhere.

LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan: One of the biggest opening takeaways from the Big Ten was Michigan State’s dominant defense. For Bellamy, that’s just terrible news as he draws those Spartans this week. The fifth-year senior produced over 1,200 yards on the ground last year, but this isn’t a MAC opponent and the matchup is one better not trifled with.

Wide receiver

Start

KJ Hamler, Penn State: Hamler looks and smells like regression because he only needed four catches to go for two touchdowns and 27-plus fantasy points. Quite literally, though, that’s all Hamler might need on any given game day. He is one of the most electric players in college football and a larger workload could only lead to larger returns. He averaged 18.0 yards a catch last year and accounted for a half-dozen scores on 47 touches. This week’s opponent, Buffalo, is outside the top 100 in defensive SP+ and returns only three defensive starters. So long as it’s not over in the first 20 minutes, Hamler should eat once again.

Cedric Byrd, Hawaii: I could just say, “See above”, but that wouldn’t let me blow your mind with Byrd’s season-opening onslaught. The senior pass-catcher turned 14 catches into 224 yards and four touchdowns, ranging from 7-35 yards. Byrd was impressive last year, and he looks like the go-to guy early for McDonald. Fire him up everywhere.

Sit

Quartney Davis, Texas A&M: On the opposite side of that Aggies-Tigers matchup, no one weapon seems like a solid play. The Tigers are 15th in defense after one week and on the backs of a mostly experienced secondary. All but one starter is an upperclassman, one of which is standout A.J. Terrell. Davis, who had seven scores a year ago, now has eight touchdowns over 13 games and on 51 catches. Regression should hit him hard starting this week.

Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State: Last week, Herm Edwards and the Sun Devils beat up on Kent State by a count of 30-7 on their home turf. They failed to cover the spread, but it would shocking if this week’s game was even that close. Against FCS Sacramento State, ASU are 36-point favorites going into Friday’s tilt in Tempe. They will be doing a ton of running, leaving the passing game with little work. In a similar situation, Aiyuk had just four catches — albeit for 140 and a score. Betting on a repeat performance wouldn’t be wise.

Tight end

Start

Joshua Deguara, Cincinnati: To double back on last week’s start, Mizzou’s Albert Okwuegbunam is a must-play every time out, so let’s examine a not-so-obvious name. Deguara, a 6-foot-3 senior, only has one full year of production under his belt. In 2018, he caught 38 balls for 468 yards and five touchdowns, and he’s built on that early with four catches, 53 yards and another trip to the end zone this year. He draws stiff competition in Ohio State, but the Bearcats are hovering around 20 points in what should be about a two-touchdown game. They’ll need him to be a factor if this one plays out as expected.

Sit

Hunter Bryant, Washington: As with Eason, the Huskies’ passing game is fade-able only because they are going up against a tough defense in Cal. But as for Bryant, a junior tight end, he just hasn’t proven to be a productive player for long enough. Before last week’s six-catch, 81-yard outing, he had only 33 total with no more than 331 yards in his previous two seasons. Eason might bring up his stats, but there are a number of better options.