Two power-conference programs are making changes at quarterback just two weeks into the college football season, as Vanderbilt hands the keys to five-star phenom Jared Curtis while Clemson hopes that fellow true freshman Tait Reynolds can rescue its moribund offense. Both garnered plenty of hype over the offseason, and it'll be fascinating to see how quickly they can acclimate to the college game. For our purposes as college fantasy football owners, though, are either of them worth a gamble on the waiver wire this week?
I'd be more willing to take a shot on Curtis than Reynolds. For starters, he was a significantly more hyped recruit, the No. 2 QB in the 2026 class behind only Houston's Keisean Henderson, and he showed off some truly droolworthy physical ability during Vandy's Week 2 win against Delaware. It'll be a steep learning curve in the SEC, but he should offer some legit upside during the softer spots on the schedule. Reynolds, meanwhile, wasn't overwhelming in relief against Georgia Southern, and I just don't have nearly as much faith in retread OC Chad Morris to come up with solutions that will make his life easier.
Of course, there's much more to get to around the CFF landscape than just those two QBs. Here are five players at each position for you to keep an eye on in your Yahoo leagues this week.
College fantasy football quarterbacks to add ahead of Week 3
Bear Bachmeier, BYU (22 percent)
Bachmeier isn't always the prettiest operator from the pocket, but he's looked much cleaner as a passer so far in his second season as a starter, throwing for 217 and three TDs with zero picks in a solid win over Arizona on Saturday. The questions around BYU's revamped receiving corps appear to have found a positive answer thanks to Legend Glasker and Kyler Kasper — lord knows the Cougars always find 6-foot-4 guys lying around — and that's huge for the viability of this passing game. We know that Bachmeier is always a threat in the run game, especially in the red zone, and this BYU offensive line is among the most seasoned in the country.
Lincoln Kienholz, Louisville (19 percent)
What happens when a Jeff Brohm quarterback can actually use his legs? Brohm has been the architect of some dynamite passing games, first at Purdue and now at Louisville, but he's never had an athlete like Kienholz under center. The results have been eye-popping: After shredding Ole Miss in Week 1, Kienholz put up 374 total yards and four total TDs in a Week 2 romp over Villanova. A friendly ACC schedule that misses Miami and Clemson shouldn't present too many challenges, either.
CJ Bailey, NC State (5 percent)
If you bailed on Bailey (sorry) after the debacle in Week 0 against Virginia, it might be time to consider hopping back on the bandwagon. The Wolfpack got right in a big way in Week 2 against Richmond (73 points, over 300 total yards from Bailey), and at this point that season-opening mess is looking more like a testament to how good UVA is this year than anything wrong with NC State's offense. Bailey has talented skill players around him and is a dynamic dual-threat talent with a seriously high ceiling, and the schedule from here is hardly rugged.
Michael Hawkins Jr., West Virginia (5 percent)
Those of us old enough to remember the collegiate stylings of Pat White know just what Rich Rodriguez can do with a dual-threat QB at his disposal. And Hawkins Jr.'s stat line against UT-Martin was downright White-esque, with 155 passing yards and two scores to go with 96 yards and two more TDs on the ground — all in just 13 total touches. Quality of competition caveats apply, of course, but West Virginia's schedule doesn't stiffen up until the very end of the year, and Rich Rod is going to ride Hawkins Jr. — a legit athlete who started his career at Oklahoma — until the wheels fall off.
Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt (1 percent)
I'm fading Reynolds for fantasy purposes just because I have no idea whether Clemson will have a healthy enough offensive ecosystem. I'm more confident in Vanderbilt — what a sentence that is — and after watching Curtis put his raw athleticism on display against Delaware in Week 2, I think the juice might be worth the squeeze here. There will be some bumpiness on the way, as the INT and a few too many sacks last Saturday suggest, but he can simply do things that most other quarterbacks can't. Don't expect to start him every week, but if you have room on your bench, the former five-star is worth investing in.
College fantasy football running backs to add ahead of Week 3
Daniel Hill, Alabama (30 percent)
... does Kalen DeBoer finally have a running game? It sure looks that way after Hill put up 104 yards on 18 carries against a very game Kentucky front seven on Saturday. DeBoer is always a pass-first coach, but with Keelon Russell still getting his feet under him as a college starter, this offense could be more ground and pound than we're used to. And Hill sure seems like the beneficiary, especially with star freshman EJ Crowell battling injury.
Abu Sama III, Wisconsin (15 percent)
Speaking of teams that want to run the ball: Wisconsin is going to have to grind its way to points this season, and Sama III is a big part of that, putting up 100+ yards on Western Illinois a week after receiving the lion's share of the carries against Notre Dame. Don't start him against the toughest teams on the Badgers' Big Ten slate, but Sama III was explosive at Iowa State last year, and he's clearly Luke Fickell's workhorse next to QB Colton Joseph.
Gi'Bran Payne, Cincinnati (11 percent)
Say what you will about Scott Satterfield, but he's got a history of productive running backs, and Payne — who transferred in from Notre Dame after being buried behind Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price — appears to be next in line. He's now started his season with back-to-back 100-yard efforts, and while QB JC French IV is going to soak up plenty of carries in his own right, Payne should take increasing command of this backfield as the year progresses. He's clearly Cincy's best option, and the schedule's pretty friendly outside a date with Utah and a trip to BYU.
Rodney Fields Jr., Kansas State (10 percent)
Most prognosticators thought that Joe Jackson would be RB1 for Collin Klein this year, but instead it's looking like Fields Jr., who transferred from Oklahoma State over the offseason and has shown real juice through two weeks. Jackson is still around to siphon some work, and with Avery Johnson a threat on the ground as well, there are lots of mouths to feed here. But Fields Jr. is clearly the first choice between the tackles, and he needed only 13 carries to go for 105 and a score against Washington State on Saturday.
Aiden Flora, Iowa State (2 percent)
Flora's Cyclones debut got cut short by injury in Week 1, but he was back in the saddle in the Cy-Hawk game against Iowa, grinding out 89 yards on 19 carries against a very tough defense. He's the lead back in an offense that's going to want to run the ball a whole heck of a lot this season, and if Saturday is any indication, he's up for the Big Ten challenge.
College fantasy football wide receivers to add ahead of Week 3
Isaiah Horton, Texas A&M (28 percent)
Horton appears primed to take over KC Concepcion's production in the A&M passing game, leading the team in receiving in Week 1 before finding the end zone twice in Week 2. Marcel Reed needs somebody to throw the ball to, and while Mario Craver is dangerous as well, he's more of a complimentary speedster. Horton is the prototypical X, and there should be plenty of balls coming his way as the Aggies get into conference play and their sketchy run game gets tested.
Tony Diaz, Iowa (26 percent)
An Iowa receiver? Seriously? I was skeptical too, despite the considerable hype that Diaz received over the summer. After putting up 95 yards on eight catches against Iowa State on Saturday, though, I'm officially a believer. The UT-Rio Grande Valley transfer is a next-level athlete, and Iowa QB Hank Brown is at least competent enough to put the ball up there and let him go get it. That's good enough for our purposes, and outside of Michigan and Ohio State, the Hawkeyes' schedule isn't overly rugged.
JV Gibson, Cincinnati (6 percent)
French doesn't throw it all that often, but when he does, he's almost certainly looking for Gibson, an Oklahoma transfer who's accounted for two TDs and the overwhelming majority of Cincy's receiving yards over two weeks. It remains to be seen whether this passing game will hold up once we get to conference play, but you should always be on the lookout for target hogs like this, and Satterfield's offensive track record is encouraging.
Ed Small, TCU (4 percent)
Jordan Dwyer doesn't appear to be any closer to returning as he battles a foot injury, and in his absence, Small has become Jaden Craig's go-to target. After catching nine balls in the loss to UNC in Week 0, he put up 101 yards against Grambling on Saturday. He's the clear starter in the slot, and Craig doesn't have many better places to look right now with Dwyer on the shelf.
Na'eem Abdul-Raheem Gladding, Maryland (3 percent)
Maryland QB Malik Washington appears to be making a year-two leap, and Gladding appears to be emerging as his go-to target. The duo connected eight times for 130 yards and a score on Saturday against UConn, and with the Terps currently decimated by injury at running back, this offense is going to live and die with the passing game for the foreseeable future. Expect tons of volume, most of which will go Gladding's way.
Add us as a preferred source on Google