CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 3

Welcome back to the college football waiver wire watch. Throughout the college football season, I'll pick two guys from every conference who either caught my eye in the previous week or have an upcoming favorable matchup. As always, I'll answer any questions or comments in the comments section below.

First, though, here are the guys who came through last week and may still be available in your leagues:

Desmond Reid, RB, Pittsburgh (43.4 points)
John Mateer, QB, Washington State (36.3 points)
Brendon Lewis, QB, Nevada (30.5 points)
Anthony Colandrea, QB, Virginia (29.6 points)
TJ Finley, QB, Western Kentucky (22.3 points)
Nick Nash, WR, San Jose State (22.0 points)
Missouri D/ST (17.5 points)
Corey Rucker, WR, Arkansas State (16.0 points)
Alex Tecza, WR, Navy (15.2 points)
Logan Ward, K, Oklahoma State (11.0 points)
Caden Davis, K, Ole Miss (10.0 points)

70+ Club in Upcoming Slate: Here are the college games that have opened up with an over/under closest to the 70-point mark, which means a plethora of fantasy points. Enjoy these barn burners and roster some players in these games if you can.

69.0 points - North Texas at Texas Tech
63.5 points - UCF at TCU
63.5 points - Ole Miss at Wake Forest
63.0 points - Kent State at Tennessee
62.5 points - Oklahoma State at Tulsa
62.0 points - UCF at TCU
61.5 points - West Virginia at Pittsburgh
60.5 points - Arizona State at Texas State (Thursday Night)

*Fantasy Points referenced are in DraftKings format.
**To qualify for recommendations, players must be rostered in fewer than 50 percent of Fantrax Leagues

AAC Waiver Wire Pickups

Colin Weber, TE, Charlotte (2 Percent Rostered)

Through two games, Weber ranks fifth among all tight ends at 7.5 targets per game. While that's resulted in just nine catches for 80 yards, it suggests a scoring opportunity is on the horizon. The redshirt junior had at least one catch in every game last season, and it looks like he's an even bigger part of the offensive game plan this year.

DT Sheffield, WR, North Texas (7 Percent Rostered)

QB Chandler Morris (88 percent rostered) and WR Damon Ward (80 percent rostered) have already been scooped up in most leagues, so go out and get the next best thing in Sheffield. There's plenty of offense to go around with Sheffield combining for 13 catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns on 23 targets in the first two games. They play at Texas Tech this week and the score in this game could get out of hand with these two offenses. 

Week 2 Rewind: UTSA QB Owen McCown (4.5 points - 10/23, 105 YDS, 2 ATT, 3 YDS) & Navy RB Alex Tecza (15.2 points - 9 ATT, 92 YDS, 1 TD)

ACC Waiver Wire Pickups

Anthony Colandrea, QB, Virginia (22 Percent Rostered)

No reason to go away from Colandrea at this point as he's averaged 30.2 fantasy points in his first two starts of the year. With Maryland and Coastal Carolina on the schedule for the next two weeks, he should remain in fantasy lineups. The sophomore has double-digit carries in six of his last eight games. I think it's safe to say he's a dual-threat quarterback. For that reason alone, he should be rostered in more leagues.

Konata Mumpfield, WR, Pittsburgh (16 Percent Rostered)

Mumpfield is tied for fourth in the conference with 8.5 targets per game. This suggests he's going to see somewhere around 100 targets this year, which he hasn't done since his freshman year at Akron when he had 63 catches for 751 yards and eight touchdowns on 100 targets. He's the Panthers' top target, so I like him for the rest of the season in a competitive ACC Conference.

Week 2 Rewind: Virginia QB Anthony Colandrea (29.6 points - 33/43, 357 YDS, 3 TD, 2 INT, 13 ATT, 23 YDS) & Pittsburgh RB Desmond Reid (43.4 points - 19 ATT, 148 YDS, 6/8 TAR, 106 YDS, 1 TD)

BIG 12 Waiver Wire Pickups

Behren Morton, QB, Texas Tech (41 Percent Rostered)

Morton wasn't great against Washington State with a pair of turnovers and just 18.6 fantasy points in the 37-16 loss, however, the passing volume was great with 58 attempts. Morton has back-to-back 300-yard passing performances with at least 42 attempts in each game. He'll go up against North Texas this week, who is not known for playing defense. This upcoming game could have the most offensive yards on the entire slate, so make sure you get a piece of it for your fantasy squad.

CJ Donaldson, RB, West Virginia (33 Percent Rostered)

With double-digit carries and a touchdown in each of the Mountaineers' first two games, Donaldson should be on the radar for more fantasy rosters. Teammate Jahiem White (98 percent rostered) has been less productive so far, so this is likely more of a committee scenario than a backup situation. With an upcoming game against Pittsburgh, both Donaldson and White should be able to command double-digit touches once again.

Week 2 Rewind: TCU TE/WR Jack Bech (3.1 points - 2/2 TAR, 11 YDS) & Texas Tech QB Behren Morton (18.6 points - 34/58, 323 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT, 4 ATT, 7 YDS)

Big Ten Waiver Wire Pickups

Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa (30 Percent Rostered)

Not only has Johnson been the best running back on his team by a significant margin, but he's also been the best in the conference at 33.1 fantasy points per game. Teammates Kamari Moulton (4 percent rostered) and Leshon Williams (8 percent rostered) have averaged just 4.0 and 3.3 fantasy points per game, respectively. Johnson has been fantastic with 8.5 yards per carry on 36 attempts through two games. It appears Johnson could be headed for workhorse status and his fantasy roster percentage should rise accordingly.

Billy Edwards, QB, Maryland (3 Percent Rostered)

Edwards has done an admiral job of replacing Taulia Tagovailoa with 25.3 fantasy points per game to start the year. His completion percentage (75.4 percent) and strong chemistry with WR Tai Felton (55 percent rostered) suggest this trend is sustainable. He and Felton have combined for 18 catches for 330 yards and three touchdowns (on 23 targets) in the Terps' first two games.

Week 2 Rewind: Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola (12.1 points - 23/30, 185 YDS, 1 TD, 3 ATT, 7 YDS) & Penn State WR Harrison Wallace (0.0 points - 0/2 TAR)

C-USA Waiver Wire Pickups

Tyler Huff, QB, Jacksonville State (1 Percent Rostered)

Huff had a surprisingly effective performance at Louisville with 28.5 fantasy points, including a pair of scores in the first half of the 49-14 loss. He rushed 18 times for 101 yards and a touchdown. While at Furman in 2022-23, he had 210 total carries for 1,285 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. As long as he continues to hold off Logan Smothers (8 percent rostered), who did not play against Louisville, he's a priority add to fantasy rosters.

Seth McGowan, RB, New Mexico State (5 Percent Rostered)

McGowan has been the Aggies' best playmaker this season at 19.4 fantasy points per game. That shouldn't be too surprising considering he was a four-star recruit for Oklahoma early in this collegiate career. After some legal troubles, he's landed at the small school where he can make a huge impact. The team will need his playmaking ability when they play on the road at Fresno State and at Sam Houston State over the next two weeks.

Week 2 Rewind: Western Kentucky QB TJ Finley (22.3 points - 27/39, 351 YDS, 1 TD, 3 ATT, 13 YDS) & UTEP RB/WR Kam Thomas (14.6 points - 5/6 TAR, 99 YDS, 1 ATT, -3 YDS)

MAC Waiver Wire Pickups

Tanner Koziol, TE, Ball State (26 Percent Rostered)

The Cardinals didn't start until Week 2 this year, and that worked out just fine for Koziol, who opened the season with 18.0 fantasy points. He pulled down six of his seven targets for 60 yards and a touchdown. Ball State will likely have trouble against Oklahoma, but Koziol was active against Kentucky and Georgia last year with a combined 11 grabs for 90 yards on 15 targets.

Coleman Owen, WR, Ohio (16 Percent Rostered)

Owen ranks second in the conference in overall targets at 21, which averages out to 10.5 per game. He's the No. 1 option for the Bobcats and should be picked up in more leagues for that reason. They'll play an FCS team this week, so temper your expectations in what could be a blowout. However, he should be a solid play in most weeks. He was extremely productive at Northern Arizona and Ohio saw their top six pass-catchers depart this offseason.

Week 2 Rewind: Ohio RB Anthony Tyus (13.4 points - 17 ATT, 74 YDS, 1 TD) & Central Michigan QB Joe Labas (8.9 points - 20/39, 151 YDS, 2 TD, 5 INT, 4 ATT, -1 YDS)

Mountain West Waiver Wire Pickups

Brayden Schager, QB, Hawaii (40 Percent Rostered)

This is a good spot to jump on Schager, who recently struggled with 9.8 fantasy points against UCLA in Week 1. He threw a couple of picks and was harassed behind the line of scrimmage all night long. With an upcoming matchup at Sam Houston State, he should be able to get much closer to the 31.9 fantasy points he racked up in Week 0 against Delaware State. Regardless of the outcome, you're likely to see high-volume passing as Schager averaged 40.4 passing attempts per game during the 2023 season.

Mac Dalena, WR, Fresno State (2 Percent Rostered)

Delena was one of the best receivers in all of college football in Week 2 with seven catches for 235 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. His 41.3 fantasy points don't seem like a fluke either when you consider he posted 12.7 fantasy points against a tough Michigan defense in Week 1. Teammate Jalen Moss (62 percent rostered) is more highly regarded, but both players seem viable for fantasy purposes.

Week 2 Rewind: San Jose State WR Nick Nash (22.0 points - 7/9 TAR, 90 YDS, 1 TD) & Nevada QB Brendon Lewis (30.5 points - 23/35, 271 YDS, 1 TD, 18 ATT, 97 YDS, 1 TD)

SEC Waiver Wire Pickups

Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas (46 Percent Rostered)

If you haven't picked up on a theme yet, all dual-threat quarterbacks should be rostered in more than 50 percent of leagues. That's exactly what Green is and that's why he's averaged 33.4 fantasy points per game. He had two rushing scores in the opener and rushed 18 times in the overtime loss at Oklahoma State. I would expect him to have big games against UAB and Auburn over the next two weeks.

Henry Parrish Jr., RB, Ole Miss (19 Percent Rostered)

I've seen enough from the Rebels in their first two games to think that this is one of the best offenses in the country. Based on 14 carries for 165 yards and four touchdowns against Middle Tennessee, Parrish is likely the lead back for this exciting offense. Ulysses Bentley IV (23 percent rostered) has just 11 carries through the first two games. Both backs will be active, but it looks like Parrish could have a much higher upside.

Week 2 Rewind: Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia (14.4 points - 10/13, 83 YDS, 13 ATT, 51 YDS, 1 TD) & Oklahoma TE Bauer Sharp (1.5 points - 1/3 TAR, 5 YDS)

Sun Belt Waiver Wire Pickups

JC French, QB, Georgia Southern (20 Percent Rostered)

French opened the season against a good Boise State team with 33.8 fantasy points. Through two games, he now has five total touchdowns and zero turnovers. More importantly, he's averaging 43.5 attempts in a high-volume passing attack. With South Carolina State on the schedule this week, it should be a productive outing. He's also a useful roster piece during the conference slate later in the year.

Corey Rucker, WR, Arkansas State (42 Percent Rostered)

There is zero reason to move away from Rucker, who has double-digit targets in each of his first two games. He also has a touchdown in each of those games and appears to be Arkansas State's top receiver. The team has tough matchups at Michigan and Iowa State in the next two weeks, but that means a ton of continued targets for Rucker. Teammate Courtney Jackson (5 percent rostered) is also in play because they'll need to throw the ball a ton this year.

Week 2 Rewind: South Alabama QB Gio Lopez (DNP - Toe Injury) & Arkansas State WR Corey Rucker (16.0 points - 4/10 TAR, 60 YDS, 1 TD)

INDEPENDENTS & PAC-12 Waiver Wire Pickups

Taisun Phommachanh, QB, UMass (1 Percent Rostered)

Yet another dual-threat quarterback option available in nearly all leagues. Phommachanh has been busy to begin the year with 38 carries for 101 yards and a rushing score. That should play at Buffalo if you need a signal-caller this week. Phommachanh had 23.8 fantasy points at Toledo and the Rockets have a much better defense than Buffalo has.

Week 2 Rewind: Washington State QB John Mateer (36.3 points - 9/19, 115 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 21 ATT, 197 YDS, 1 TD)

DEFENSE & KICKER RECOMMENDATIONS

Defense

Tennessee (vs. Kent State) - The Vols D/ST is averaging 19 fantasy points per game with a touchdown in each of their first two games. They now get to go up against Kent State who just recently lost to an FCS team. Available in 76 percent of leagues.

Illinois (vs. Central Michigan) - HC Bret Bielema has this squad cooking with four forced turnovers in each of their first two games. They shut down a good Kansas offense and are available in 98 percent of leagues.

Nebraska (vs. Northern Iowa) - This D/ST has averaged 17.75 fantasy points against two FBS opponents. Now they get to go up against an FCS foe and are available in 75 percent of leagues.

Week 2 Rewind: Louisville vs. Jacksonville State (7.0 points - 14 PA, 2 SK, 1 TA), Missouri vs. Buffalo (17.5 points - 0 PA, 3 SK, 1 TA) & UNLV vs. Utah Tech (8.5 points - 14 PA, 1 SK, 3 TA)

Kicker

Kade Hensley, Coastal Carolina - Hensley is the top fantasy kicker in the country with 14.5 fantasy points per game and is available in 98 percent of leagues. He's already converted six of his seven attempts in just two games.

Ian Hershey, Arizona State - Available in nearly 100 percent of leagues, Hershey has been consistently great to begin the year with 12 fantasy points per game.

Logan Ward, Oklahoma State - The Cowboys' offense is still working on their chemistry, so Ward has been important with six made field goals on seven attempts. That will continue into the conference season and he's still available in 82 percent of leagues.

Week 2 Rewind: Ole Miss Caden Davis (10.0 points - 1/1 FG, 7/7 XP), Oklahoma State Logan Ward (11.0 points - 3/4 FG, 2/2 XP), & Missouri Blake Craig (8.0 points - 1/3 FG, 5/5 XP)

SUMMARY & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

Utilizing the two players for each conference above, here are my top recommendations for the week by position:

QB: ARK Taylen Green, HAWAII Brayden Schager, GASO JC French

RB: IOWA Kaleb Johnson, MISS Henry Parrish Jr., NMST Seth McGowan

WR: UNT DT Sheffield, AKST Corey Rucker, PITT Konata Mumpfield

TE: UNCC Colin Weber, BALL Tanner Koziol

D/ST: Illinois (vs. Central Michigan), Tennessee (vs. Kent State), Nebraska (vs. Northern Iowa)

K: COCAR Kade Hensley, OKST Logan Ward, AZST Ian Hershey

Be sure to check out our college football custom rankings and our player rankings cheat sheet for up-to-date season-long rankings, as well as our college football weekly rankings to help guide your lineup decisions. During the season, our college football DFS optimizer and value report are powerful tools to help build DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.