CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 2

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:

Damon Ward, WR, North Texas (50.0 points)
John Mateer, QB, Washington State (48.6 points)
Nick Nash, WR, San Jose State (47.0 points)
Josh Hoover, QB, TCU (29.8 points)
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State (25.0 points)
Ja'Corey Brooks, WR, Louisville (21.3 points)
Jerjuan Newton, WR, Toledo (19.7 points)
Tennessee D/ST (17.5 points)
Terrance Ferguson, TE, Oregon (15.7 points)
Marshall D/ST (13.0 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.

62.5 points - USF at Alabama
61.5 points - Boise State at Oregon
60.5 points - UTSA at Texas State
60.5 points - Tulsa at Arkansas State
60.5 points - Colorado at Nebraska
60.5 points - Texas Tech at Washington State

*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

Owen McCown, QB, UTSA (8 Percent Rostered)

UTSA's starting QB racked up 34.6 fantasy points on four total touchdowns against Kennesaw State. One of those scores was of the rushing variety, something he's done three times in 11 games. With an upcoming matchup against Texas State (part of the 70+ Club), McCown should be scooped up in a lot more leagues. The Roadrunners are going to contend in this conference, so he will be a play most weeks.

Alex Tecza, RB, Navy (1 Percent Rostered)

Some may wonder why I'm not going with teammate RB Eli Heidenreich, who flashed with 24.1 fantasy points compared to Tecza's 12.0 fantasy points in the season opener. For me, it's more about the volume as Tecza led the way with 13 opportunities compared to Heidenreich's extremely efficient six touches. Both should have productive weeks against a Temple squad that just recently gave up 51 points and 220 yards rushing to Oklahoma.

Week 1 Rewind: North Texas WR Damon Ward (50.0 points - 12/15 TAR, 230 YDS, 2 TDS) & East Carolina RB Rahjai Harris (4.0 points - 6 ATT, 24 YDS, 1/1 TAR, 6 YDS)

ACC Waiver Wire Pickups

Anthony Colandrea, QB, Virginia (20 Percent Rostered)

A match-up between Virginia and Wake Forest has my intrigue for next week because it's a battle of two below-average defenses with capable offenses. It also opened up as a 1.5-point spread meaning the game should be competitive. With that in mind, give me Colandrea, who has proven to be a dual-threat QB with double-digit rushing attempts in five of his nine appearances. He looked good against FCS competition in Week 1 with 30.8 fantasy points. 

Desmond Reid, RB, Pittsburgh (6 Percent Rostered)

Reid should be picked up in all leagues for a couple of reasons. The first is that teammate Rodney Hammond (16 percent rostered) has been ruled ineligible for the 2024 season. More importantly, Reid was fantastic against Kent State with 27.6 fantasy points. He averaged 10.4 yards per carry and is a proven playmaker from his two seasons at Western Carolina. He can be a plug-and-play option right away this week at Cincinnati.

Week 1 Rewind: Louisville WR Ja'Corey Brooks (21.3 points - 7/8 TAR, 83 YDS, 1 TD) & North Carolina TE Bryson Nesbit (3.5 points - 2/2 TAR, 15 YDS)

BIG 12 Waiver Wire Pickups

Jack Bech, TE/WR, TCU (10 Percent Rostered)

Bech was active with a productive performance at Stanford with six grabs on nine targets for 139 yards and a touchdown. It was his first 100-yard receiving performance of his career. I bet it won't be his last. The dual designation for TE and WR is a luxury in most fantasy leagues, and it also looks like QB Josh Hoover (38 percent rostered) is the real deal. I like this TCU offense quite a bit and they should have no problems moving the ball every week.

Behren Morton, QB, Texas Tech (24 Percent Rostered)

The 42 passing attempts in the regular season opener were a welcoming sign. The shoulder issue that plagued him a year ago should no longer be an issue, making him a play most weeks for fantasy. He was awesome in the Red Raiders' opening win with 378 yards and five touchdowns while completing 71.4 percent of those high-volume attempts. It will be a lot of fun watching him and the high-flying Texas Tech offense play on the road at Washington State this week.

Week 1 Rewind: TCU QB Josh Hoover (29.8 points - 28/42, 353 YDS, 2 TD, 5 ATT, -3 YDS, 1 TD, 1 FL) & Houston WR Joseph Manjack IV (9.7 points - 3/5 TAR, 7 YDS, 1 TD)

Big Ten Waiver Wire Pickups

Dylan Raiola, QB, Nebraska (42 Percent Rostered)

I saw just enough from the true freshman phenom in his debut against UTEP to get on the hype train for the rest of the 2024 season. Yes, he scored only 16.9 fantasy points, but it was clear he can likely do a lot more with his impressive arm talent. He was zipping it around and why wouldn't you want to go out and roster a fantasy player that models his game after Patrick Mahomes? With an upcoming matchup against Colorado's defense, this could be the week everyone gets to know who this guy is.

Harrison Wallace, WR, Penn State (8 Percent Rostered)

Wallace appears to be Drew Allar's (36 percent rostered) favorite target with nine targets in the impressive opening win at West Virginia. That's even more impressive when you consider Allar threw the ball just 17 times. Wallace took full advantage of those nine targets with five catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Penn State is going to be one of the best teams in the nation, so getting a significant target in the passing game may be worth the investment.

Week 1 Rewind: Penn State QB Drew Allar (25.0 points - 11/17, 216 YDS, 3 TD, 6 ATT, 44 YDS) & Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson (15.7 points - 7/9 TAR, 87 YDS)

C-USA Waiver Wire Pickups

TJ Finley, QB, Western Kentucky (42 Percent Rostered)

It's not often I'm going to recommend a QB coming off a performance with 3.7 fantasy points. The Hilltoppers were never going to be able to move the ball versus a hyped-up Alabama team with a new head coach making his debut. I'm willing to throw the game away because Finley should be one of the best quarterbacks in the conference. He should bounce right back and have a productive outing against Eastern Kentucky. At Texas State in 2023, he averaged 21.0 fantasy points per game.

Kam Thomas, RB/WR, UTEP (1 Percent Rostered)

The dynamic slot receiver had a nice FBS debut with 20.3 fantasy points at Nebraska. He led the team with 11 targets and recorded seven catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. The transfer followed his coach from Austin Peay and it looks like he will be featured in the offense this year. The Miners should have an easier time with Southern Utah this week. Looking beyond that matchup, UTEP has Liberty and Colorado State, so Thomas could be in play if you need a flex player.

Week 1 Rewind: Jacksonville State RB Ron Wiggins (DNP - Serious Injury) & New Mexico State WR Kordell David (4.3 points - 3/10 TAR, 13 YDS)

MAC Waiver Wire Pickups

Anthony Tyus III, RB, Ohio (5 Percent Rostered)

Tyus ran wild at Syracuse with 16 carries for 203 yards and two touchdowns. That's an eye-popping 12.7 yards per carry on his way to 37.6 fantasy points. Teammate Rickey Hunt Jr. (60 percent rostered) had just six carries for 20 yards. I would ride the hot hand with Tyus. There's no way you rush for over 200 yards and not receive a healthy dose of touches the next week. Ohio has South Alabama at home this week.

Joe Labas, QB, Central Michigan (1 Percent Rostered)

The Iowa transfer had a nice start to the year with 28.8 fantasy points against Central Connecticut. Labas threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns. If he can have similar results at FIU in Week 2, which is entirely possible, he'll be worth rostering during the MAC portion of the schedule. 

Week 1 Rewind: Bowling Green QB Connor Bazelak (15.4 points - 15/22, 168 YDS, 2 ATT, 27 YDS, 1 TD) & Toledo WR Jerjuan Newton (19.7 points - 5/5 TAR, 87 YDS, 1 TD)

Mountain West Waiver Wire Pickups

Nick Nash, WR, San Jose State (32 Percent Rostered)

Nash did a little bit of everything in the season opener as he also had a passing touchdown to go along with his 10 catches for 170 yards and two scoring receptions. He was one of the top receivers in the country with 15 targets. He had just three games with double-digit targets during the 2023 regular season, so this could be a breakout year for the senior receiver.

Brendon Lewis, QB, Nevada (6 Percent Rostered)

The Wolfpack will go up against Georgia Southern who just gave up 56 points and 651 total yards to Boise State. Lewis has been okay in his first two games with 19.4 fantasy points per game. The part that is catching my eye is that he has 26 rushing attempts with 111 yards. If he gets some room to run versus Georgia Southern, this could be a great spot for sneaky fantasy points. He's available in nearly all leagues.

Week 1 Rewind: UNLV RB Jai'Den Thomas (1.5 points - 8 ATT, 15 YDS) & San Jose State WR Nick Nash (47.0 points - 10/15 TAR, 170 YDS, 2 TD, PASSING TD!)

SEC Waiver Wire Pickups

Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt (24 Percent Rostered)

Pavia was awesome at New Mexico State last season, but I wasn't sure how that play would translate to power conference play. It turns out that it translates well because the dual-threat QB carved up Virginia Tech in a thrilling overtime win. He racked up 35.0 fantasy points on two touchdown passes and 26 rushing attempts for 104 yards and another score. He absolutely should be rostered in more leagues. He plays Alcorn State and Georgia State over the next two weeks.

Bauer Sharp, TE, Oklahoma (4 Percent Rostered)

Sharp was a popular target for new quarterback Jackson Arnold (95 percent rostered) in their impressive opening win against Temple. Sharp converted all five of his targets for 47 yards and a touchdown. Oklahoma has historically taken advantage of the tight end position. The Southeastern Louisiana transfer appears to be next in line for a productive season. With Arnold's talent at QB, Oklahoma should be throwing the ball a lot this year.

Week 1 Rewind: Florida QB Graham Mertz (2.9 points - 11/20, 91 YDS, 1 INT, 6 ATT, 3 YDS - Left with Concussion) & Georgia WR Dillon Bell (9.9 points - 4/5 TAR, 32 YDS, 1 ATT, 27 YDS - Left with Cramps)

Sun Belt Waiver Wire Pickups

Gio Lopez, QB, South Alabama (39 Percent Rostered)

The game between North Texas and South Alabama was offensive fireworks as we expected. Lopez did not disappoint with 44.5 fantasy points, including 432 passing yards and four total touchdowns. He probably won't be as productive at Ohio in Week 2 but should still be good enough to be inserted into starting lineups. It's also a bonus he's had at least seven rushing attempts in each of his last three games.

Corey Rucker, WR, Arkansas State (12 Percent Rostered)

Arkansas State's defense had all kinds of trouble with Central Arkansas as they eeked out a close 34-31 win over the FCS foe. What that means is that both Rucker and Courtney Jackson (5 percent rostered) should be fantasy viable if this team needs to throw the ball early and often in most weeks. Rucker was the most productive in Week 1 with nine catches (on 13 targets) for 179 yards and a touchdown. I like both Rucker and Jackson against Tulsa this week.

Week 1 Rewind: South Alabama WR Devin Voisin (11.0 points - 5/8 TAR, 60 YDS) & James Madison RB Ayo Adeyi (10.1 points - 17 ATT, 41 YDS, 1 TD)

INDEPENDENTS & PAC-12 Waiver Wire Pickups

John Mateer, QB, Washington State (49 Percent Rostered)

Mateer was one of the best players on the entire slate as Washington State exploded for 70 points against Portland State. Mateer has another golden opportunity against Texas Tech as we anticipate it to be one of the highest-scoring games. Expect Mateer to have more rushing opportunities, which should keep his fantasy floor relatively high this week. I wouldn't expect him to be available in more than 50 percent of leagues for the rest of the season.

Week 1 Rewind: Washington State QB John Mateer (48.6 points - 11/17, 352 YDS, 5 TD, 2 ATT, 55 YDS, 1 TD)

DEFENSE & KICKER RECOMMENDATIONS

Defense

Louisville (vs. Jacksonville State) - Available in 94 percent of leagues. The Cardinals were a dominant unit in Week 1 with seven sacks and a D/ST touchdown. On the flip side, Jacksonville State struggled on the offensive end with just 10 points in the first three quarters against Coastal Carolina.

Missouri (vs. Buffalo) - The Tigers look legit and are available in 77 percent of leagues. They had 24.0 fantasy points, including a pair of turnovers and a touchdown, in their season-opening shutout.

UNLV (vs. Utah Tech) - UNLV's defense on the road was a pleasant surprise in Week 1 while holding Houston to just seven points. They're available in 99 percent of leagues and go up against a lower-echelon opponent, so they should dominate once again.

Week 1 Rewind: Navy vs. Bucknell (4 points - 21 PA, 4 SK, 2 TA), Tennessee vs. Chattanooga (17.5 points - 3 PA, 1 SK, 1 TA, 1 TD) & Marshall vs. Stony Brook (13.0 points - 3 PA, 4 SK, 1 TA)

Kicker

Caden Davis, Ole Miss - I would be shocked if the Rebels are not threatening in the red zone in pretty much all of their possessions. Davis was the highest-performing kicker of Week 1 with 16.0 fantasy points. He's available in 66 percent of leagues.

Logan Ward, Oklahoma State - Rostered in just nine percent of leagues, Ward converted all three of his field goal attempts in the first week, including a 52-yard bomb. He should be scooped in more leagues.

Blake Craig, Missouri - The freshman kicker connected on all three of his field goal attempts on his way to 15 fantasy points. Missouri is going to be great this year and this youngster is available in 81 percent of leagues.

Week 1 Rewind: Utah K Cole Becker (7.0 points - 7/7 XP), Minnesota K Dragan Kesich (5.0 points - 2/2 XP, 1/3 FG), & Florida K Trey Smack (5.0 points - 2/2 XP, 1/1 FG)

SUMMARY & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

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

QB: USA Gio Lopez, WSU John Mateer, VANDY Diego Pavia

RB: PITT Desmond Reid, OHIO Anthony Tyus III, NAVY Alex Tecza

WR: SJUS Nick Nash, PENNST Harrison Wallace, ARKST Corey Rucker

TE: TCU Jack Bech, OU Bauer Sharp

D/ST: UNLV (vs. Utah Tech), Missouri (vs. Buffalo), Louisville (vs. Jacksonville State)

K: OKST Logan Ward, MISS Caden Davis, MIZZ Blake Craig

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.