FanDuel College Football: Week 2 Main Slate

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Updated on September 10, 2021 7:53PM EST

With Week 1 in the books, we move on to another big slate of non-conference games in Week 2, headlined by Ohio State-Oregon and a battle for the Cy-Hawk trophy between to Top 10 teams in Iowa and Iowa State. The Buckeyes and Ducks come together for the highest expected scoring total on the slate by nearly a touchdown (64.0), which shouldn't arrive as a shocker given the fast-scoring nature of both teams. The Buckeyes are still favored by 14.5 points, giving them the second-highest expected total (39.25) on the week. Florida leads the way in that category at 43.5 and sports the largest spread of 28.5, with Georgia also checking in as a 23.5-point favorite over UAB and holding the third-highest expected score at 34.0.

In terms of weather for the weekend, there are a couple of games worth noting for their potentially windy conditions. Oklahoma State-Tulsa may feature wind north of 17 MPH for most of the day, which could have a slight impact on both teams' passing games. The Cy-Hawk contest may also feature windy conditions north of 17 MPH in the first half but should settle down as the game goes on.

Notable Injuries/Absences

JT Daniels, Georgia Georgia - Dealing with oblique injury and appears likely to miss the game.

Luke Doty, South Carolins South Carolina - Still dealing with some soreness and remains a question mark for Week 2.

Tiyon Evans, Tennessee - Status may be in question for Saturday's game versus Pitt.

Kearis Jackson, Georgia Georgia - Seems to be further behind than Damian Blaylock so may not play much on offense even if he's suited up.

Terrell Bynum, Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Washington - All termed week-to-week but sounds like there is still a chance for one or more of the group to return this week.

Ja'Lynn Polk, Washington - Ruled out for the season after chest surgery.

Barrett Banister, Missouri - Listed as questionable for Saturday's contest.

Mookie Cooper, Missouri - Listed as probable on same injury report.

Troy Omeire, Texas Texas - Still rehabbing his injury and seems doubtful to play.

Dominick Blaylock, Georgia Georgia - Ahead of teammate Kearis Jackson in recovery but still working on mental aspect of trusting knee.

Ronnie Bell, Michigan - Suffered a season-ending injury in the opener versus Western Michigan last weekend.

Charlie Kolar, Iowa State - Should be back in action against Iowa after sitting out opener.

Baylor Cupp, Texas A&M - Listed on Week 1 depth chart but didn't record a stat.

Jared Wiley, Texas Texas - Deemed a game-time decision for Saturday.

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Week 2 Plays

Quarterback

C.J. Stroud, Ohio State ($11,000) vs. Oregon

If I'm being honest, I don't love the quarterbacks on this slate much overall. but Stroud has the right combination of matchup, expected score and weapons in the passing attack to warrant a look even as the top salary on the slate. The redshirt freshman didn't flinch in his season opener on the road despite a halftime deficit, ultimately tossing four touchdown passes against Minnesota. This is a game that figures to be close enough to keep the starters in for most of the contest, but the Ducks are also banged up on defense, which could leave an opening for Stroud and the Buckeyes to exploit. Oregon displayed some of those deficiencies in the opener versus Fresno State, allowing Jake Haener to throw for 298 yards while completing north of 70 percent of his passes. That bodes well for Stroud with receiving talent like Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave at his disposal.

D'Eriq King, Miami ($10,200) vs. Appalachian State

King and the Miami offense certainly flopped in the opener versus Alabama, coming up with just 13 points in a blowout loss to the Crimson Time. That being said, it's Alabama. There aren't many teams who can go toe-to-toe with them at this point, and Appalachian State is a far cry from one of them. The Mountaineers did come away with a two-score victory against East Carolina in the opener, but they also allowed Holton Ahlers to throw for nearly 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns against them. King has the ability to replicate that production while also providing some ground work, having averaged around 50 rushing yards per contest while tallying four scores over 11 games. Given that the Hurricanes are coming off of an embarrassing loss, King and the offense will likely look to put a hurting on the follow-up opponent to get back on track.

Spencer Sanders, Oklahoma State ($9,000) vs. Tulsa

There is some risk of windy weather that could affect Sanders' throwing a bit Saturday, but I'll still take my chances against a Tulsa secondary that appears to be far from what it was a year ago. Coming off of a ranked campaign, the Golden Hurricane fell flat en route to a Week 1 loss to FCS UC Davis. The defense allowed opposing quarterback Hunter Rodrigues to complete 80 percent of his passes for 311 yards and a touchdown. Sanders is coming off a week on the sidelines due to COVID-19 protocols and should be rearing to go, so this should be a spot for him to get things going early. Sanders finished off the 2020 campaign with a pair of 30-point fantasy performances, suggesting he may be settling in under center.

GPP Dart: Carson Beck, Georgia ($5,300) vs. UAB

Georgia is slated for big points this week versus UAB and Beck is expected to start. This could be a major value at a quarterback position that is somewhat dry in the value department this week. Beck could be given a chance to sling it around if the coaching staff wants to see what they have in the redshirt freshman, but he's likely only scheduled for a spot start unless JT Daniels ends up missing multiple games.

Running Back

Bijan Robinson, Texas ($12,000) at Arkansas

Robinson is the clear-cut 1A on the list of candidates at the running back position this week. Sure, Arkansas may have held up well against Rice in the opener, but the Owls aren't exactly an offensive juggernaut, so that contest should be taken with a grain of salt. Robinson is the key cog that makes the Texas offense run, handling 24 touches in the opener and turning them into 173 yards and a pair of scores. He could be even more involved Saturday if the game remains within reach through the full four quarters. This seems plausible considering the Longhorns are just seven-point favorites over the Hogs. I'm not ready to call a defense that gave up nearly 200 rushing yards and more than two scores per game on the ground last year fixed after just one showing versus Rice.

Jabari Small, Tennessee ($8,300) vs Pittsburgh

Small split time with Tiyan Evans in the backfield in the Week 1 trouncing of Bowling Green, but he still led the way with 22 carries and turned in 117 yards and a touchdown. Even more of the carry share could be headed his way this week if Evans -- who coach Josh Heupel seemed to hint could be questionable for Saturday -- is held out. Pitt is certainly stiffer competition than Bowling Green, but Small would presumably handle a larger carry share in the contest and Tennessee is just a three-point underdog in the contest. If the game remains close as expected, Small and the running game should be in play throughout. I'm also not convinced the Tennessee staff wants to throw the ball too much considering Joe Milton was able to complete fewer than 50 percent of his passes in the opener. It's worth noting that Pitt was still one of the best team's in the country against the run last year, so this may still be a risky option to roll with but Small has some upside.

Malik Davis, Florida ($7,800) at South Florida

Davis' salary this week is a bit of a puzzler to me. Sure, he was ultimately outproduced by Dameon Pierce ($8,800) slightly in the opener, but Davis took nearly double Pierce's snaps in the contest (36 to 19) and also handled 14 carries to Pierce's six. That bodes well for Davis coming into a matchup with a South Florida team that was run over by both Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person last week to the tune of a combined 268 rushing yards and three scores. Davis is $1,000 less than his teammate and, to me, might be the more valuable of the two fantasy options straight up in a game with the Gators sporting the highest expected score on the slate (43.5) and the latest favorites (28.5), which suggests a run-heavy game script in the second half as long as the starters are on the field.

Miyan Williams ($7,500) and TreVeyon Henderson ($5,600), Ohio State vs. Oregon

Williams ranks the highest in terms of salary of the Ohio State backs this week and for good reason. He led the team in carries (nine) and nearly doubled Master Teague in snaps (22 to 12) en route to 125 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota. It helped his cause further that Teague wasn't particularly productive with his share of the load, racking up just 29 yards on his six totes. What is lost in the shuffle is that Minnesota kept the Buckeyes to just 48 offensive plays in the opener by running the ball all game with star back Mohamed Ibrahim. The Buckeyes averaged nearly 74 plays per game last season and will likely trend that direction again Saturday, which should mean more carries to go around. Williams should be a part of that, and Henderson made the most of his seven snaps in his collegiate debut, rushing twice for 15 yards while reeling in his lone target for a 70-yard score. That display could earn him a slightly larger piece of what should be a slightly larger pie this week.

GPP Dart: Don Chaney, Miami ($5,300) vs. Appalachian State

Chaney's production was predictably lackluster in the opener versus Alabama, but he finished the contest with a snap count just seven shy of Cam'Ron Harris (29 to Harris' 36). He now heads into a matchup versus a Mountaineers that allowed just 86 rushing yards in the contest. That being said, the 20-6 lead at halftime led to a pass-heavy approach for the Pirates, and the Mountaineers proved incapable of covering East Carolina's running backs out of the backfield. Keaton Mitchell and Rahjai Harris combined for nine catches totaling 135 yards and a touchdown receiving, while also rushing for 77 yards on 12 carries. With Miami the heavy favorite in this contest and Chaney set to continue with a large share of the workload while Jaylan Knighton is suspended, he could provide a lot of value at this salary.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Garrett Wilson, Ohio State ($8,900) vs. Oregon

Wilson's stat line in the opener didn't look quite as sexy as teammate Chris Olave, but what falls under the radar is the fact that he was the clear leader in the targets department, sporting 11 for a target share of 50 percent on the night. That is a huge number and bodes well for his chances of turning in a better night in Week 2 versus Oregon. As mentioned above, Ohio State also logged just 48 offensive snaps in the opener, which figures to increase a considerable amount Saurday. Wilson comes in $900 lower in salary than Olave and could easily be in line for a bigger night given what appears to be a connection between him and new signal-caller C.J. Stroud.

Cade Otton, Washington ($7,800) at Michigan

Rarely do tight ends make it into this section, but Otton is clearly one of the better in the country. The opener yielded 11 targets for the junior, who pulled in eight of them for 82 yards in a rough loss to FCS Montana. Michigan certainly presents an even tougher challenge for the Huskies' offense. Even so, Washington is down pass catchers galore due to injuries, leaving Otton as the likely top option in the passing attack again. At 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, Otton is also a prime scoring threat when the Huskies reach the red zone, racking up three touchdowns in four games last season. The combination of target share, unhealthy teammates and Otton's red-zone abilities make him an intriguing option even in a game that may not feature points flying up the board.

Charleston Rambo, Miami ($6,700) vs. Appalachian State

If you're looking to save some salary at the wide receiver position, look no further than Charleston Rambo to do just that. The Oklahoma transfer led all Miami players with eight targets in the opener and turned in seven grabs for 34 yards. During his time at Oklahoma, Rambo averaged a touchdown around every eight catches, so there's certainly a case to be made for his return to pay dirt this week versus the Mountaineers. As mentioned above, Appalachian State surrendered nearly 300 passing yards to the East Carolina attack last week, and the Hurricanes have far superior options like Rambo to look to in the passing attack.

GPP Dart: Daylen Baldwin, Michigan ($5,500) vs. Washington

Baldwin didn't play a ton of snaps in the opener, but that was reportedly due to the Jacksonville State transfer dealing with an injury himself and deemed a game-time decision. He entered the equation after Ronnie Bell left the game and turned in a 69-yard touchdown on his only target of the day. He's expected to play more moving forward and could provide some sneaky value at a discounted salary that could begin to rise moving forward. Baldwin turned in 540 receiving yards and seven touchdowns over six games at Jasonville State last season.

GPP Dart: Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State ($5,200) vs. Oregon

Ruckert will get lost in the shuffle in the Buckeyes' passing attack, but with the Ducks missing a number of linebackers for Saturday's festivities, that could create some mismatches for Ruckert to exploit in the middle of the defense. Rucker emerged as a threat down the stretch last season, notably turning in two catches for 55 yards and two touchdowns against Clemson in the CFP Semifinal. He finished the year with five touchdowns in six games and should be a candidate to reach pay dirt again Saturday.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Benzine plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Crispy272001, DraftKings: Crispy27.