College Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 2

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Published on September 5, 2022

Welcome back to the 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 who have a favorable match-up in the near future. As always, I'll get to any questions or comments you have in the comments section below.

First though, here are the guys who made me look good last week;

Vanderbilt QB Mike Wright (46.2 points)
App State QB Chase Brice (44.0 points)
Washington QB Michael Penix (35.5 points)
Nebraska RB Anthony Grant (34.9 points)
Western Kentucky QB Austin Reed (32.1 points)
West Virginia WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (30.7 points)
Connecticut RB Nathan Carter (24.1 points)
Kansas State D/ST (24.0 points)
Louisville WR Tyler Hudson (21.2 points)
UTEP WR Tyrin Smith (15.1 points) *32 targets in first two games
California D/ST (14.0 points)
Bowling Green TE Christian Sims (13.3 points)

Slate Background: Week 2 is not as loaded as the first slate was, but it's still a great set of games. We'll kick it off with a pair of Friday games in Louisville at UCF and Boise State at New Mexico. My favorite fantasy match-ups on Saturday are Tennessee at Pittsburgh, Houston at Texas Tech, Virginia at Illinois, Kentucky at Florida and USC at Stanford. It will also be intriguing to see how many points Michigan can hang on Hawaii in a night game at The Big House. If you can stay up late, make sure to do so as Baylor at BYU, Oregon

First though, here are the guys who made me look good last week;

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

AAC Waiver Wire Pickups

Keylon Stokes, WR, Tulsa

Stokes had himself a game at Wyoming with 11 catches for 169 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets. He had a tough 2021 season with a torn quad injury which limited him to just four games where he struggled with 11 catches for 148 yards. It appears he's back and healthy and could get back to the type of production he had in 2019 with 62 catches for 1,040 yards and six touchdowns on 105 targets. If he can get anywhere near those numbers, he's a steal on the waiver wire.

Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane

For some reason, Pratt went undrafted in most fantasy drafts which was a bit of a surprise because he's a legit dual-threat quarterback. Against Massachusetts in Week 1, he totaled three touchdowns, including one on the ground. In the Green Wave's previous two seasons, he totaled 41 passing touchdowns and 13 rushing scores. That's a ton of production and he should be rostered across most formats.

Week 1 Rewind; SMU WR Jake Bailey (0 points - Shoulder Injury) & USF QB Gerry Bohanon (8.7 points - 17/30, 172 YDS, 1 INT, 4 ATT, 28 YDS)

ACC Waiver Wire Pickups

Perris Jones, RB, Virginia

The former walk-on looks like he can be workhorse for Virginia as he rumbled for 104 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries against Richmond. He was also effective in the passing game while catching both of his targets for 14 yards and another score on his way to 28.8 fantasy points. If he can have similar success at Illinois and then against Old Dominion, he'll be ready to roll for fantasy line-ups when the conference season gets underway.

George Takacs, TE, Boston College

The former Notre Dame tight end has reunited with quarterback Phil Jurkovec and it feels so good. Takacs ranks second in the nation with 12 targets behind Utah's Brant Kuithe who had 13 targets in the loss at Florida. Takacs is available in far more leagues and it looks like Boston College's defense may struggle this season. Takacs hauled in seven of those 12 targets for 84 yards on his way to 15.4 fantasy points. He's a nice second option in the passing game behind Zay Flowers.

Week 1 Rewind; Louisville WR Tyler Hudson (21.2 points - 8/9 TAR, 102 YDS) & Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei (TBD - Plays Monday Night)

BIG 12 Waiver Wire Pickups

Donovan Smith, QB, Texas Tech

It didn't take long for Tyler Shough to sustain an injury to his shoulder and Smith pounced at the chance for the starting role in the future. Against Murray State, he put forth 25.7 fantasy points by completing 14-of-16 passes for 221 yards and four touchdowns. He's historically shown some value in the run-game as well which makes him worthy of being rostered in all formats. While Texas Tech has a tough opponent in Houston, the upside is too high here for him to not be picked up.

Brayden Willis, TE, Oklahoma

Willis was one of the Sooners' top targets in their first game with new quarterback Dillon Gabriel. The senior tight end recorded three catches for 40 yards and two touchdowns on four targets which yielded 19 fantasy points. If that type of production continues, he's worth snatching up in what appears will be a prolific offense this season.

Week 1 Rewind; Texas Tech RB SaRodorick Thompson (14.8 points - 7 ATT, 48 YDS, 1/1 TAR, 30 YDS, 1 TD) & West Virginia Bryce Ford-Wheaton (30.7 points - 9 REC, 97 YDS, 2 TD, 15 TAR)

Big Ten Waiver Wire Pickups

Roman Hemby, RB, Maryland

Hemby received the starting nod against Buffalo and was fantastic with 26.4 fantasy points. He rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries which was good enough for a sparkling 16.3 yards per carry. With a couple of games against Charlotte and SMU coming up, I would have no problem taking my chances on Hemby who is available in pretty much all leagues at the moment.

Charlie Jones, WR, Purdue

Jones was all over the place in Thursday's showdown with Penn State as he had a team-high 19 targets and also handled return duties for the Boilermakers. The Iowa transfer has a special connection with quarterback Aiden O'Connell which showed in Week 1 with 36.3 fantasy points. With 12 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown, he's well on his way to a breakout year in a new uniform.

Week 1 Rewind; Michigan TE Erick All (3.2 points - 1/2 TAR, 22 YDS) & Nebraska RB Anthony Grant (34.9 points - 23 ATT, 189 YDS, 2 TD, 1/1 TAR, 0 YDS)

C-USA Waiver Wire Pickups

Tyrin Smith, WR, UTEP

Smith leads the country with 32 total targets in his first two games. While the UTEP offense hasn't been very effective on those targets with just 15 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown, that's elite-level opportunity for fantasy purposes. Moreover, the Miners are not very good, so expect Smith to continue to see that many targets each and every week as they try to hang with their opponents. This last week against Oklahoma, Smith had 15.1 points which is great when considering that's an extremely tough opponent for UTEP. He'll be just fine against New Mexico State and New Mexico the next two weeks.

De'Corian Clark, WR, UTSA

Everyone knows about Frank Harris, Zakhari Franklin and Joshua Cephus, but they also need to be talking about Clark who had 25.0 fantasy points in the team's season opener. The senior was a big part of the game-plan against Houston with six catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns on 10 targets. Although they lost in the entertaining thriller with Houston, this team is going to be a tough out for anyone including Army and Texas the next two weeks. If you're in need of an extra wide receiver for you fantasy squad, Clark can be that guy and is extremely valuable if anything happens to Franklin or Cephus.

Week 1 Rewind; UTEP WR Tyrin Smith (15.1 points - 8/15 TAR, 71 YDS) & Western Kentucky QB Austin Reed (32.1 points - 22/31, 271 YDS, 3 TD, 1 INT, 9 ATT, 43 YDS, 1 TD)

MAC Waiver Wire Pickups

Daniel Richardson, QB, Central Michigan

Either the Oklahoma State defense had given up in the second half after leading 51-15 or Richardson is a pretty good player as he accumulated 34.9 fantasy points on 73.5 percent passing with 424 yards and four touchdowns to take the final score to a respectable 44-58 loss for the Chippewas. If he can do that against the Cowboys, he should have some fantasy potential in upcoming games with South Alabama and Bucknell. He was a solid performer during the 2021 season with 24 touchdowns versus just six interceptions.

Samson Evans, RB, Eastern Michigan

I saw everything I needed to see in the Eagles' season-opener for me to believe in Evans as a workhorse back in 2022. During the 2021 season, Evans was a touchdown vulture with 83 carries for 316 yards and 13 touchdowns to go along with 19 catches for 107 yards. He's well on his way to surpassing that amount of limited touches as he had 16 total touches in the first game. He was just as productive too with 98 total yards and two touchdowns. He'll be a beast when MACtion rolls around.

Week 1 Rewind; Bowling Green TE Christian Sims (13.3 points - 4/6 TAR, 33 YDS, 1 TD) & Buffalo WR Quian Williams (5.8 points - 3/8 TAR, 28 YDS)

Mountain West Waiver Wire Pickups

Taylen Green, QB, Boise State

Green received an opportunity in Saturday's 17-34 loss to Oregon State because Hank Bachmeier committed three turnovers early in the game. In three quarters of action, Green showed some serious dual-threat ability with 30.4 fantasy points including an impressive 74-yard touchdown run. In fact, he had 11 totes for 102 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. With an upcoming game at New Mexico, it could be a perfect time for the Broncos to see if they have a quarterback controversy brewing.

Nikko Remigio, WR, Fresno State

The transfer portal has created so many wonderful opportunities for players and here's just another example as Remigio comes over from California. In Fresno State's season opener, he posted 30.6 fantasy points with nine catches on 11 targets for 100 yards to go along with 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The senior appears to have some real chemistry with quarterback Jake Haener and should be able to carve out a significant role with Jalen Cropper and Josh Kelly.

Week 1 Rewind; San Diego State RB Chance Bell (2.0 points - 8 ATT, 30 YDS, 0/1 TAR, 1 FL) & Boise State QB Hank Bachmeier (Negative 2.4 points - 4/8, 30 YDS, 2 INT, 1 FL)

PAC-12 Waiver Wire Pickups

Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford

If you can still go out and get Washington's Michael Penix, I would go there, but if you can't, I also like McKee quite a bit. Stanford will take on USC in a primetime game on national tv and I can just see this game having all kinds of points in it. McKee was sharp in his season opener with 308 yards and two touchdowns. NFL scouts are already raving about this kid and this week will be an opportunity for him to shine against a USC defense that still has some question marks.

Jaydn Ott, RB, California

Ott is one of the most promising true freshman in the country. In his first collegiate game against UC-Davis, he rushed for 104 yards on 17 carries while also grabbing two catches for 26 yards and a touchdown. Logging 24.0 fantasy points in your first-ever start isn't too shabby. He should have no problem running all over the UNLV defense in Week 2.

Week 1 Rewind; Washington QB Michael Penix (35.5 points - 26/39, 345 YDS, 4 TD, 4 ATT, 27 YDS) & Colorado WR R.J. Sneed (3.7 points - 2/2 TAR, 17 YDS)

SEC Waiver Wire Pickups

Mike Wright, QB, Vanderbilt

Through the first official week of the college football season, who knew that Wright would sport the highest average fantasy points per game in the SEC conference? Wright has been so good with six touchdowns through the air and four touchdowns on the ground versus Hawaii and Elon, he needs to be in fantasy line-ups until he shows he can't do it. Wake Forest and Northern Illinois will be tougher tests over the next two weeks, but to me it's realistic that Wright can still have satisfactory fantasy performances.

Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia

The Bulldogs absolutely dismantled Oregon which has me wanting a piece of that Georgia offense for fantasy. Most of their playmakers are rostered, but McConkey is out there in quite a bit of leagues. He was fantastic with Stetson Bennett in Week 1 with seven total touches for 89 yards and two touchdowns. It looks like he's going to easily surpass the 31 catches for 447 yards and five touchdowns he had during the 2021 season. Pick him up while you can.

Week 1 Rewind; Vanderbilt QB Mike Wright (46.2 points - 18/29, 245 YDS, 4 TD, 11 ATT, 84 YDS, 2 TD) & South Carolina WR Josh Vann (1.9 points - 1 REC, 9 YDS)

Sun Belt Waiver Wire Pickups

Todd Centeio, QB, James Madison

The Dukes were an excellent addition to the Sun Belt Conference as they have come ready to perform right away and that's exactly what they did in a rout of Middle Tennessee. Centeio exploded with over 50 fantasy points including six touchdown passes and a team-leading 110 rushing yards. Wide receiver Kris Thornton is an absolute stud and I don't see this offense slowing down one bit against Norfolk State this upcoming week. It's worth noting that they do have a bye in Week 3 before playing Appalachian State and Texas State.

Johnny Lumpkin, TE, Louisiana-Lafayette

Lumpkin was one of the Ragin' Cajuns' top targets in their first game with five catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns. In 11 games over the last two seasons, Lumpkin had a combined 14 catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns. That's to say it appears he will be a much bigger part of their plans this year. With Eastern Michigan, Rice and Louisiana-Monroe over the next three weeks, Lumpkin should have plenty of opportunities.

Week 1 Rewind; App State QB Chase Brice (44.0 points - 25/38, 361 YDS, 6 TD, 1 INT, 8 ATT, 36 YDS) & Southern Miss WR Jason Brownlee (4.5 points - 1 REC, 35 YDS)

INDEPENDENTS

Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty

Douglas was fantastic in the season opener at Southern Miss while totaling 100 yards on six touches with two touchdowns. Liberty will likely be playing from behind against UAB and Wake Forest over the next two games, so look for them to throw the ball quite a bit with Douglas being the primary benefactor. He's available in most leagues as Liberty playmakers always seem to fly under the radar.

Week 1 Rewind; UCONN RB Nathan Carter (24.1 points - 23 ATT, 123 YDS, 1 TD, 1/2 TAR, 18 YDS)

DEFENSE RECOMMENDATIONS

Minnesota (vs. Western Illinois) - The Golden Gophers kicked off the season with a shut-out against New Mexico State. They should keep the defense rolling against a Western Illinois squad who went 2-9 during the 2021 season.

James Madison (vs. Norfolk State) - The Dukes are fun and the defense put up 15 fantasy points in their season opener against Middle Tennessee. They get Norfolk State this week who mustered just three points at Marshall last week.

Miami (vs. Southern Miss) - The Hurricanes have some dudes on their defensive unit. They flashed in week one with a combined five turnovers/sacks and a touchdown. I expect them to do much of the same against a lowly Southern Miss team this week.

Week 1 Rewind; Auburn vs. Mercer (5.5 points - 16 PA, 1 SK), Kansas State vs. South Dakota (24 points - 0 PA, 4 SK, 1 TA, 1 TD) & California vs. UC Davis (14 points - 13 PA, 2 SK, 2 TA, 1 TD)

SUMMARY & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

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

QB: JMU Todd Centeio, Texas Tech Donovan Smith, Tulane Michael Pratt

RB: EMU Samson Evans, Cal Jaydn Ott, Virginia Perris Jones

WR: Purdue Charlie Jones, UTEP Tyrin Smith, Tulsa Keylon Stokes

TE: BC George Takacs, OU Brayden Willis, ULL Johnny Lumpkin

D/ST: Miami (vs. Southern Miss), James Madison (vs. Norfolk State), & Minnesota (vs. Western Illinois)

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.