Start vs. Sit: Who to Play, Who to Bench Week 2

Start vs. Sit: Who to Play, Who to Bench Week 2

This article is part of our Start vs. Sit series.

We were spoiled with an amazing opening week slate last weekend, highlighted by massive upsets (Howard, Liberty, Maryland) and thrilling comebacks (UCLA). We've got a pretty good weekend ahead of us for Week 2, though, with ranked matchups between Georgia and Notre Dame, Clemson and Auburn, Stanford and UCLA, and of course Oklahoma and Ohio State.

AAC

Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis (vs. UCF): Part of this pick hinges on Doroland Dorceus' health, but if Dorceus is unable to go Saturday, Henderson becomes a candidate to start. Henderson would likely split carries with Patrick Taylor again, but he showed enough explosiveness last week to be trusted to produce with only a moderate workload. He torched Louisiana-Monroe for 169 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, and while ULM isn't known for its defense, those are still impressive numbers from Henderson. Again, Dorceus' health is the key here, but Henderson will be in line for plenty of touches if Dorceus sits out against the Knights.

ACC

Kelly Bryant, QB, Clemson (vs. Auburn): Saturday marks Bryant's second-career start, and it'll be coming in primetime against a legitimate National Title contender in Auburn. One can't glean too much from Bryant's performance against Kent State, but he was impressive nonetheless, completing 72 percent of his passes with a YPA north of 10.0 and adding 77 yards and a score on the ground. Auburn's defense will undoubtedly present Bryant with an entirely different challenge Saturday, but Bryant is up to the task in

We were spoiled with an amazing opening week slate last weekend, highlighted by massive upsets (Howard, Liberty, Maryland) and thrilling comebacks (UCLA). We've got a pretty good weekend ahead of us for Week 2, though, with ranked matchups between Georgia and Notre Dame, Clemson and Auburn, Stanford and UCLA, and of course Oklahoma and Ohio State.

AAC

Darrell Henderson, RB, Memphis (vs. UCF): Part of this pick hinges on Doroland Dorceus' health, but if Dorceus is unable to go Saturday, Henderson becomes a candidate to start. Henderson would likely split carries with Patrick Taylor again, but he showed enough explosiveness last week to be trusted to produce with only a moderate workload. He torched Louisiana-Monroe for 169 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, and while ULM isn't known for its defense, those are still impressive numbers from Henderson. Again, Dorceus' health is the key here, but Henderson will be in line for plenty of touches if Dorceus sits out against the Knights.

ACC

Kelly Bryant, QB, Clemson (vs. Auburn): Saturday marks Bryant's second-career start, and it'll be coming in primetime against a legitimate National Title contender in Auburn. One can't glean too much from Bryant's performance against Kent State, but he was impressive nonetheless, completing 72 percent of his passes with a YPA north of 10.0 and adding 77 yards and a score on the ground. Auburn's defense will undoubtedly present Bryant with an entirely different challenge Saturday, but Bryant is up to the task in my opinion. He has a deep and talented supporting cast headlined by Deon Cain, but the likes of Ray-Ray McCloud, Tavien Feaster, and super freshman Travis Etienne can all stress different parts of Auburn's defense. This will be as tough a matchup as Bryant will face this year, but I don't see him wilting in the spotlight.

Also: I'm of the opinion that this weekend will be Cam Akers' coming out party, so start him if you've got him. And TaQuon Marshall should be added in every league.

BIG 12

Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma (at Ohio State): Mayfield entered his final season at OU with very few known commodities around him following the departures of Dede Westbrook, Samaje Perine, and Joe Mixon. Even though he was going up against UTEP on Saturday, Mayfield didn't look like he missed a beat as he shredded the Miners for 329 yards and three scores on 19-of-20 passing...in the first half. This week he'll be on the road to face an Ohio State defense that's loaded with NFL talent once again. Ohio State was put on its heels a bit by Indiana's tempo last week until the Hoosiers ran out of gas, but I don't foresee the Sooners having trouble putting together four consecutive quarters of high octane offense. Whether OU pulls the revenge upset over the Buckeyes is a topic for a different day, but I am starting Mayfield with confidence even in a tough matchup.
Bonus picks: All of your West Virginia players against East Carolina. That one's gonna get ugly.

BIG TEN

Michigan running backs (vs. Cincinnati): Michigan is coming off a bludgeoning of Florida in its season opener while the Bearcats kind of struggled to put away Austin Peay. That's at least part of the reason why Vegas has Michigan taking care of business at home by over 30 points. This is a matchup that has the look of a classic Harbaugh beatdown (against a former Ohio State assistant coach, no less) where Michigan uses its army of running backs to invade the end zone. Whether it's Chris Evans, Ty Isaac, Karan Higdon, or even Kareem Walker, using any Michigan back will be a profitable endeavor this weekend. In fact, it would not surprise me if Michigan had five or more rushing touchdowns spread between four running backs on Saturday.

CONFERENCE USA

Dalton Sturm, QB, UTSA (at Baylor) I don't mean to pile on too much here, but when you lose to lose to Liberty at home and give up 447 yards through the air in the process, I'm going to make fun of you (cue Nelson Muntz pointing and laughing). This week, it'll be Sturm with the honor of going against the Baylor secondary. Sturm didn't have gaudy numbers last season (56.5 completion percentage, 2,170 yards), but he did throw 20 touchdowns and added four more on the ground. He also has the added bonus of getting all four of his top receivers from 2016 back in the fold. Is Sturm going to throw for 400 yards Saturday? I'm not sure UTSA's scheme will really lead to that. But Sturm should have a productive day nonetheless against a rebuilding Baylor team looking to get off the mat before the season becomes a lost cause by the time October rolls around. Also, look for UTSA running back Jalen Rhodes to have an impact in the ground game.

MAC

Scott Miller, WR, Bowling Green(vs. South Dakota): So...about last week suggesting Miller. My bad, But, there's enough reason to believe that Bowling Green was destined to struggle on the road against a Michigan State team looking to rebound. If Miller and the Bowling Green passing attack can't get it in gear against South Dakota at home, there will be legitimate reason for concern for the Falcons this season. Miller, who caught 74 passes for 968 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, has earned the benefit of the doubt to excuse a slow start out of the gate against a superior MSU squad.

MOUNTAIN WEST

Tonny Lindsey, RB, Utah State (vs. Idaho State): Utah State messed with the bull and got the horns last Friday night, opening up a 10-point lead on Wisconsin that made the Badger defense especially ornery. Lindsey had the misfortune of answering to that angry defense, and he was shut down with just six carries for 28 yards. The runway should be clear for Lindsey this week as he begins what should be one of the most productive seasons of any Mountain West back this season. Give Lindsey a mulligan for his quiet Week 1. (Bonus pick: Diocemy Saint Juste against UCLA)

PAC-12

Bryce Love, RB, Stanford (at USC): Love is a bona fide stud for the Cardinal coming off a bye week following an absurd opening week performance where he carved up Rice for 180 yards on just 13 carries. There are some reasonable arguments to be worried about him this week, however. Is Cameron Scarlett going to get the red zone work again? Is USC's run defense really as bad as what we saw last week? Those are fair gripes, but I'll side with Love here. Stanford will get him the most touches of anyone on that offense, and the Cardinal has a history of getting the ball to its best players in space (a promise that most teams make but rarely keep). Love certainly fits the bill there and his combination of speed and shiftiness will be a problem for a USC defense that was repeatedly gashed for almost 5.5 yards per carry against Western Michigan. Start Love with confidence in a game that Stanford may end up stealing on the road.

SEC

Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina (at Missouri): Really, this section could be an endorsement of using any and all of your South Carolina and Missouri players. South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley is, for my money, the best quarterback in the East and may be the best in the entire conference by the time this season's over, and that's a huge factor working in Samuel's favor. Samuel had five grabs for 83 yards and two scores Saturday against NC State and he should have little trouble replicating that success against a Mizzou defense that allowed 43 points to SW Missouri State in Week 1.

SUN BELT

Matt Linehan, QB, Idaho (vs. UNLV) Like the Dalton Sturm vs. Baylor writeup above, I have to give UNLV some flack here for losing to Howard at home last week, marking one of the biggest upsets in FBS history. Linehan has a track record of success, having thrown for over 3,000 yards last season, including 249 against UNLV. He has plenty of weapons and UNLV's beleaguered defense may not be able to offer much of a challenge come kickoff Saturday.

SIT

AAC

Dontrell Hilliard, RB, Tulane (at Navy): Hilliard had a decent bottom line in Tulane's easy Week 1 victory, but it would have been disastrous if he hadn't caught his 62-yard touchdown in the second quarter. It's fair to argue that anyone's production would look poor without their biggest plays, but Hilliard -- who averaged nearly 6.0 yards per carry last season -- mustered just 3.27 yards per carry against Grambling. That's concerning when considering he'll be facing a much stouter Navy defense that held FAU to a net of 40 yards on the ground Friday. Hilliard should see more than his 11 carries from Week 1 when he faces the Midshipmen this week, but the it'll be tough sledding for him once again.

ACC

Jester Weah, WR, Pitt (vs. Penn State): Weah's the best receiver that no one talks about in the ACC, but Penn State will certainly be keying in on stopping him this week. It's not Weah's modest (by his standards) production from Week 1 (one reception, 11 yards, one touchdown) that's concerning; it's the matchup coupled with shaky play from Pitt quarterback Max Browne against Youngstown State. Penn State will focus on taking Weah away as a deep threat and making Browne beat the Nittany Lions with other weapons. Once Browne and Weah start to develop a chemistry, Weah will be a must-start most weeks. This week will be a time to leave him on the bench, however.

BIG 12

Allen Lazard, WR, Iowa State (vs. Iowa): Lazard is a matchup problem for nearly any defense at 6-5, 222 with long speed, but Iowa's defense will be as tough an opponent as he'll face all year. Iowa just manhandled the Josh Allen-led Wyoming offense Saturday, and while Iowa State likely has more overall talent on that side of the ball than Wyoming, I still question whether Jacob Park can stand in and reliably get the ball over to Lazard this week. Lazard will be at the center of Iowa's defensive gameplan this weekend, and the Hawkeyes are adept at neutralizing their opponent's top weapons.

BIG TEN

Tanner Lee, QB, Nebraska (at Oregon): Lee looked solid in his Big Red debut Saturday, leading Nebraska to the win over a plucky Arkansas State team by completing 19-of-32 passes for 238 yards (7.4 YPA) and two scores. But, did he really look like the savior that Nebraska fans have built him up to be? You can't make a call on that one way or the other after just one game, but it is fair to question whether he'll be able to get out of Eugene with a win, let alone a competent performance. A re-tooled and reinvigorated Oregon defense will be tough for Lee to solve, and there's the worry of him having to be in catch-up mode for most of the game considering the Ducks' explosiveness on offense. This is going to be a hostile environment for Lee and he could very well start to press and make mistakes should the Cornhuskers fall behind early Saturday.

CONFERENCE USA

Teddy Veal, Louisiana Tech (vs. Mississippi State): The Tulane transfer entered the year expected to be the No.1 option in what has been an explosive Bulldog offense. While it's still too early to write him off, Veal's Louisiana Tech debut was a bit of a dud. He did score a special teams touchdown to bail out his overall stat line, but he ended the day with just three receptions for 40 yards. The issue might be partially attributable to quarterback J'Mar Smith, who completed just over 50 percent of his passes against Northwestern State. Now, Mississippi State's defense will never be confused with Bama's, but this could still be a long day for Smith, and by extension, a quiet day for Veal.

MAC

Corey Willis, WR, Central Michigan (at Kansas): Let's not pretend that Kansas is DBU, but let's also not forget that Willis turned his eight catches Thursday into just 43 yards. Against Rhode Island. Willis has shown to be a far more explosive threat than that outing would suggest, but it's fair to wonder whether Central Michigan's passing game will take some time to get off the ground after four-year starter Cooper Rush's departure. Look for Central Michigan to go with a run-heavy approach against Kansas, and while Willis might see the most targets for the Chips, it may be another week before he has his first breakthrough game of 2017.

MOUNTAIN WEST

Dru Brown, QB, Hawaii (at UCLA) Brown has gotten off to an excellent start this season, notching a 156.4 quarterback rating alongside a 9.2 YPA mark and he also has a rushing touchdown to his credit. UCLA does not have a particularly good defense, but where the Bruins struggle is against the run. With that, expect Hawaii to lean on Diocemy Saint Juste to key the offense rather than trying to have Brown beat the Bruins' athletic secondary. Brown will be worth starting again once Hawaii moves on to conference play, but he's not a viable starting option this week.

PAC-12

Sam Darnold, QB, USC (vs. Stanford): Darnold deservedly entered the season with as much hype as any player in the nation, but he looked a little shaky in Saturday's season opener (zero touchdowns, two interceptions). Not that I think that one game against Western Michigan is the end-all be-all for his season, nor do I think it sinks his Heisman campaign, but a tough matchup against a rested Stanford team is concerning. While I don't expect Darnold to be held out of the touchdown column again this week, it could be tough sledding overall against one of the best secondaries in the nation. It's tough to leave a player of Darnold's caliber on the bench, especially when considering his ability to rise to any challenge, but Stanford's defense should make you consider options at quarterback this week.

SEC

Kamryn Pettway, RB, Auburn (at Clemson): Pettway is set to make his season debut Saturday against Clemson after being held out of the season opener. Pettway was the SEC's best rusher on a per-game basis last season (122.4 YPG) and he's expected to be Auburn's bell cow this season. However, Clemson's front is at an Alabama level of dominant, and it's difficult to imagine any runner going wild against that defense this season. Pettway should see plenty of work Saturday, but Clemson -- who allowed 2.71 YPC over 44 attempts by Kent State last weekend -- will be up to the challenge.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John McKechnie
John is the 2016 and 2021 FSWA College Writer of the Year winner. He is a Maryland native and graduate of the University of Georgia. He's been writing for RotoWire since 2014.
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