College fantasy football waiver wire: Faizon Brandon leads top targets ahead of Week 2

A wild Week 1 of the college football season is officially in the books. And if you're already regretting some decisions you made in your college fantasy football drafts this summer, fear not — because the waiver wire holds an embarrassment of riches that can help you patch any unexpected holes you might have on your rosters.

This is one of the most pivotal times of the season for every CFF manager. Unlike in the NFL, where offseason information is overflowing and there's minimal change from year to year, college fantasy will inevitably involve getting some things wrong and rebuilding on the fly. It's the nature of the beast when trying to keep tabs on 68 power-conference teams (plus Notre Dame!) introducing all sorts of new players and new coaches and new schemes.

Week 1 represents our first real look at which players and teams are in position to surprise us this season. There are bound to be tons of breakout performers available on the waiver wire, and winning your league could come down to determining which ones are worth chasing — and which are just a flash in the pan. That's why we're here to help, with five recommendations at every position ahead of Week 2.

College fantasy football quarterbacks to add ahead of Week 2

Mason Heintschel, Pitt (9 percent rostered)

Heintschel's numbers read like something out of a video game: 31-of-41 for 453 yards and seven touchdowns. And he did all of that against a Miami (Ohio) defense that, while still MAC competition, projects to be one of the better units in the Group of 6 this year.

There's plenty of reason to buy into Heintschel and this Pitt offense. He more than held his own when thrust into action as a true freshman last season, and while he doesn't offer huge dual-threat upside, he can run it when he has to. OC Kade Bell runs an up-tempo, dynamic spread offense, and the Panthers won't face a ton of rugged defenses in the ACC.

Faizon Brandon, Tennessee (9 percent)

As a general rule of thumb: When Josh Heupel has a blue-chip quarterback prospect, you generally want as many shares of that player as you can get your hands on. Brandon won the job at Tennessee as a true freshman, and he more than looked the part in Week 1 against Furman, throwing for three TDs (including a couple beautiful deep balls that are staples of Heupel's offense) while running for 68 yards and two more scores.

Again, this is maybe the most fantasy-friendly system in the country, and Brandon is an uber-athletic five-star who looked awfully poised in the pocket. He's got plenty of talent around him in RB DeSean Bishop and WRs Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews. Wheels up.

Michael Hawkins Jr., West Virginia (4 percent)

West Virginia didn't look overly impressive in a 31-24 win over Coastal Carolina in Week 1. But what's important here is the volume Hawkins Jr. got, piling up 103 yards on a whopping 20 carries. We know Rich Rodriguez will run his quarterback into the ground if he's able, and Hawkins Jr. is the sort of athlete he wants to build his offenses through.

Sure, RB Cam Cook will get tons of work in his own right, and the Mountaineers might struggled against conference competition. But if Hawkins Jr. stays healthy, his rushing usage is a cheat code for fantasy, and gives him week-winning upside to boot.

Gio Lopez, Wake Forest (1 percent)

After a miserable year under Bill Belichick at UNC, Lopez fled for the greener pastures of Wake Forest, where he's united with OC Rob Ezell — with whom he put up very impressive numbers at South Alabama back in 2024. Sure enough, they clicked like old times in the Demon Deacons' Week 1 win over Akron, with 350 yards and three scores through the air.

Sure, Wake won't play the Zips every week. But the ACC is hardly a gauntlet, and this is a proven pairing with solid skill position talent. Lopez is at the controls of this offense and is a reliable thrower with legit rushing value as well (7/39 on the ground in Week 1).

Steve Angeli, Syracuse (6 percent)

Angeli looked to be on his way to a breakout campaign with the Orange last year, shredding Clemson in Death Valley before an injury ended his season. He's back now, though, and this 'Cuse offense under OC Jeff Nixon is ready to put everything on his right arm once again.

Angeli was cooking in the opener against New Hampshire, with 263 yards and three scores on 20-of-29 passing. And we know that, when the competition level picks up, Nixon is among the pass-happiest coordinators in the country, volume that helps Angeli overcome his lack of rushing value. Again: Target proven passers with ACC schedules if you can.

College fantasy football running backs to add ahead of Week 2

Jamal Rule, Nebraska (3 percent)

Just who would emerge as Nebraska's new RB1 after the departure of Emmett Johnson was one of the most tantalizing questions of the offseason. True freshman Jamal Rule picked up serious steam as his first camp progressed, and he paid that hype off with 122 yards on 15 carries and two scores in his Huskers debut.

Dana Holgorsen is known as a spread guy, but he has a sneaky strong history of fantasy RBs; just look at Johnson last year. This Nebraska offense should be competent with Anthony Colandrea at the helm, and Rule offers more juice than other backs like Mekhi Nelson.

Ty Clark III, Wake Forest (39 percent)

Clark was an underrated fantasy asset entering the season, and he remains so after rampaging for 105 yards on just seven carries against Akron. Again, the Deacs are going to score their fair share of points this season, and Clark is the undisputed RB1 in this offense. He'll get taken out of the garage far more often against power-conference competition, and he proved himself with over 160 yards of total offense in the bowl game against Mississippi State last year.

Duke Watson, UCF (44 percent)

Two years ago, it was an open question whether Watson or Isaac Brown was the best running back on Louisville's roster. But an injury hampered in last season and led to his transfer to UCF for 2026, where he's the lead back for Scott Frost and what should be a very run-heavy offense with Alonza Barnett III at the controls. And sure enough, he took the first play of the year 64 yards to the house, proving that his big-play ability is fully back.

We know that Watson has legit P4 talent, and we know that UCF is going to run the ball a ton against a mediocre Big 12 schedule.

Lloyd Avant, Oklahoma (1 percent)

I'm still a bit skeptical about investing in the Oklahoma backfield, both because of how mightily the Sooners struggled in the run blocking department last year and because of how much usage QB John Mateer soaks up with his legs. But Avant paced the Sooners with 15 carries in the opener against UTEP, cashing in 79 yards and a score (no other back had more than seven). That sort of volume shouldn't be ignored, even if it remains an open question just whether this year's offensive line will fare any better in the SEC.

Fame Ijeboi, Purdue (6 percent)

Again, caveats apply here. Purdue won't play FCS competition every week — their schedule is pretty brutal, actually — and the Boilers project to be possibly the worst team in the Big Ten (though Rutgers is currently making a run for that title). But there's something to be said for volume, and Ijeboi — who transferred in from Minnesota after some impressive performances with the Gophers last year — is clearly the best back on this roster. Don't expect him to produce every week, but he'll have big numbers in the right matchups.

College fantasy football wide receivers to add ahead of Week 2

Umari Hatcher, Syracuse (3 percent)

See above re: Syracuse's passing game being worth your time. This team has been producing stellar outside receivers since the Dino Babers days, and it sure seems like Hatcher is next in line after he went for 8/147/2 in Week 1. This team is going to chuck the ball around the yard as often as anybody this season as long as Angeli is healthy, and they have a history of funneling it to go-to guys. If that's Hatcher, he's well worth a roster spot.

Donovan Olugbode, Missouri (8 percent)

Speaking of programs who have churned out receiving talent in recent years. Missouri is undergoing major change this season, but new QB Austin Simmons sure looked the part of a guy who was the heir apparent at Ole Miss not long ago en route to shredding Arkansas-Pine Bluff. This is the same offense that saw Luther Burden put up big numbers, and it appears Olugbode could be next line after he put up a 100-yard day to pace all tigers receivers.

With Jamal Hardy out indefinitely after his offseason gunshot wound, we could see Eli Drinkwitz go back to a pass-happier scheme than we saw last year. That fits Simmons' skill set, and while slot man Cayden Lee will also get his share of targets, Olugbode is a worthy flier.

Nik McMillan, Kansas (3 percent)

McMillan came to Lawrence via Buffalo, where Lance Leipold used to ply his trade. He picked up WR1 buzz over the offseason, and then he dropped 6/130/1 on poor LIU on Saturday night. The Jayhawks don't have a ton of competition for targets, and new starter Isaiah Marshall sure looked the part in his first start. With Andy Kotelnicki back at the controls as OC, Kansas could surprise a lot of people this season.

Javon Tracy, Minnesota (2 percent)

QB Drake Lindsey is picking up some NFL Draft buzz after a big day in Week 1 against Eastern Illinois, and Tracy looks to once again be his favorite target, ;leading all Gophers receivers with five catches for 98 yards. Volume is admittedly an issue here; this is a PJ Fleck team, after all, and it will always start with RB Darius Taylor. But Lindsey has the arm to push the ball over the middle of the field, and Tracy is a big body who went for over 800 yards at Miami (OH) two years ago. You don't have to go that far back to find Fleck producing some big fantasy numbers at the position, either.

Devin McCuin, Ohio State (26 percent)

Jeremiah Smith is the sun, the moon and the stars in Columbus. But somebody else has to catch passes from Julian Sayin occasionally, and that someone figures to be McCuin — a shifty UTSA transfer who backed up plenty of offseason hype with 97 yards and a score in the opening romp over Ball State. This will be a balanced, frustratingly plodding offense under OC Matt Canada, but with Smith drawing all sorts of attention on the other side, he could have plenty of opportunity to feast.

College fantasy football defenses to stream in Week 2

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