CFF Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em – Week 1
CFF Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em – Week 1
In a College Fantasy Football move that will go down in history as nothing short of monumental, Volume Pigs and Purple Reign have combined their CFF “mega powers” to form an unstoppable team.
Each week this heavyweight duo will outline College Fantasy Football players to start and sit at each position, and answer questions submitted on X (Twitter) from our readers.
QUARTERBACKS: Start ‘Em
Purple Reign:
Kyron Drones (VaTec) at Vanderbilt: The thing I want most from my CFF QB in Week 1 is predictability. Drones has a match-up where he will not be pulled from the game early, and Vanderbilt’s defense will struggle to keep him contained through the air and on the ground. Another thing going for Drones is that last season he actually scored more fantasy points on the road than at home.
Shedeur Sanders (Colo) vs. North Dakota State: What is more predictable than Deion Sanders throwing the ball like crazy in a season opener? This game will be more competitive than some people think which makes me believe that Shedeur will keep firing off passes late into this one. Don’t be surprised if Colorado tries to make this a “big splash” game like they did for last season’s opener against TCU.
Volume Pigs:
Josh Hoover (TCU) vs. Stanford : Hoover finished last year passing over 40 times four times in his last six games, and over 50 three times in that same time span. Assuming that trend continues, I love the play vs. Stanford in what should be a high scoring game, and somewhat competitive game. This could honestly be the highest scoring game of the week, and having a piece of it via Hoover seems like a good idea.
Brenden Sorsby (CIN) vs. Towson : Last year, Cincinnati’s QB1 Emory Jones absolutely torches week one under coach Scott Satterfield. This year we could witness something similar with another dual threat QB vs. an FCS opponent. Sorsby was announced as the starter earlier this week, so there shouldn’t be any controversy there.
QUARTERBACKS: Sit ‘Em
Purple Reign:
Riley Leonard (ND) at Texas A&M: Leonard will make his first game under center for the Irish against a tough Aggie defense. Last season Leonard averaged 11 fewer PPG on the road than at home, and averaged 6.9 fewer PPG at night compared to day games. This primetime match-up will be competitive but I have a hard time seeing Leonard put up fantasy worthy numbers.
Garrett Greene (WVU) vs. Penn State: While Greene will be playing at home for this rivalry match-up, he will be facing a Nittany Lions defense that looks to be one of the toughest in the country. For West Virginia to have a chance in this game Greene will have to be dramatically better at throwing the football than he was last year. Greene will be a better passer this season but I don’t see him making the type of throws needed to consistently beat this Penn State secondary.
Volume Pigs:
Ethan Vasko (CoCar) vs. Jax State : It was intimated earlier this offseason that Vasko was the defacto starter for the Chanticleers at QB, however he is listed as an “OR” on the depth chart this week, suggesting that we could see a split in reps vs. Jax State. If we knew Vasko was playing the full 60, I’d like the play. The uncertainty kills his stock this week for me.
RUNNING BACKS: Start ‘Em
Purple Reign:
Corey Kiner (Cin) vs. Towson: With Cincinnati breaking in a new starting QB, you can expect Kiner to get an increased workload. There’s a good chance that Kiner will stay in this game longer than other well know RBs from the Power 4 will stay in their games this weekend. As long as the coaches give Kiner more than the 13 carries he got last year against Eastern Kentucky, he should be able to post a solid fantasy point line.
Dylan Carson (AF) vs. Merrimack: I mentioned earlier that I like predictability in my Week 1 picks but Carson is a new starter this season. Carson gets mentioned because he plays the feature RB position in one of the best rushing systems in the country. The option element of Air Force’s offense will also help open things for Carson against this FCS foe. I would be very surprised if Carson get less than 15 rushing attempts.
Volume Pigs:
Kaden Feagin (Ill) vs. Eastern Illinois: Feagin comes into this season as the designated workhorse under Bret Bielema and the Illini get a layup to kick things off. The only concern is that Feagin may be pulled from the game earlier than we’d like, or that they may be conservative with him. But, if Illinois scores in the first half, it feels overwhelmingly likely that Feagin will be one of the guys to do it. He could easily get 100 yards and a score (or two) in one half.
Hunter Smith (ULMon) vs. JSU: This one is more of a wildcard and for those who are looking for style points this week. The new ULM staff have a track record of leaning on one RB a lot at recent stops (NM, UAB), and Hunter Smith is the guy at the top of the depth chart with no pesky “OR” holding him back. You’ll need a steel resolve to choose Smith as one of your representatives this week, but it could pay dividends.
RUNNING BACKS: Sit ‘Em
Purple Reign:
Phil Mafah (Clem) at Georgia: Mafah will be the featured weapon against Georgia in this heavyweight bout and we know he will play through the entire game. Clemson lacks a good passing game to challenge Georgia’s secondary which will allow them to focus on stopping Mafah. I don’t think Mafah is a terrible play this week but his ceiling appears very low in part to how good the Georgia defense is.
Jalen White (GaSo) vs. Boise State: My views on White are very similar to what I mentioned above with Mafah. I believe White has a higher ceiling and floor compared to Mafah since Boise State’s defense is nowhere as good as Georgia’s. I feel like there just won’t be enough offensive scoring opportunities for White to make him a good play. If you’re really hurting for a RB option White at least gives you someone who shouldn’t be a complete bust.
Volume Pigs:
Jordan James (Oreg) vs. Idaho: James just recently came back to practice for Oregon after nursing an injury. I don’t like the uncertainty that brings, and the Ducks might look to ease him back into things to start the season. Especially given the quality of the opponent, they probably don’t even need James’ services to get an easy dub this week.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Start ‘Em
Purple Reign:
Xavier Restrepo (MiaFl) at Florida: This game has so many things I want to see in a season opening fantasy match-up. This rivalry game will be close, and the players won’t pulled out of action early. The Florida secondary will be completed out gunned in this match-up, making things easy for Restrepo and Cam Ward to connect. This game might have a grind it out feel at times but I believe that Restrepo is going to get his moments in the spotlight and make some big plays.
Elic Ayomanor (Stan) vs. TCU: This is another game that looks to be competitive throughout and Vegas is favoring TCU. This means that Stanford “should” be playing from behind in this one and feeding a healthy dose of targets Ayomanor’s way. Even though Stanford is not a passing powerhouse, TCU’s pass defense is not good enough to clamp down on Ayomanor all night.
Volume Pigs:
Jordan Moore (Duke) vs. ELON: Moore is a guy who has been highlighted by the beat writers as a player who’s going to see a lot of targets this year. While there is uncertainty with the new QB and new staff, I like Moore to have a productive day here vs. an FCS opponent.
Denzel Boston (Wash) vs. Web: Hopefully Joe appreciates this pick as I expect Boston to be WR1 for his Huskies this year. They get a nice appetizer to kick the year off with an FCS opponent, and while UW probably won’t be very good this year, this is a foe that they can probably push around. I like Boston’s upside in this one and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him score at least once.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Sit ‘Em
Purple Reign:
Noah Smith (SamHu) at Rice: I’m a big Smith fan but this game has me a bit nervous. While WR Qua’Vez Humphreys is making his debut, I still believe that Smith will remain the “fat pig” of the receiving core. My biggest concern is scoring opportunities. The talent matchup of Sam Houston’s passing game to Rice’s secondary is slightly favorable, but Vegas is calling on Sam Houston to only score 19 points. There might only be one passing touchdown opportunity in this game and if Smith isn’t that guy then his fantasy day will be ruined.
Eugene Wilson (Fla) vs Miami, FL: This match-up is a clash of the titans between the new Gator passing attack and the tough Hurricane’s secondary. This isn’t a clean cut “sit” pick, up I’m including him here because of how well the Hurricane’s secondary talent matches up in this one. This is a very soft “sit” selection.
Volume Pigs:
Josh Meredith (WaSt) vs. Portland St: Meredith looked like a guy who would lock down a starting slot role in this offence all offseason, only to find out he’s listed as an “OR” on the depth chart. Ouch. The uncertainty means he’s a no-go for me this week.
TIGHT ENDS: Start ‘Em
Purple Reign:
Tyler Warren (PSU) at West Virginia: When it comes to TE match-ups, I love a tough contest where the main stars can’t dominate. I think this rivalry game should provide that backdrop and Warren is the most experienced pass catcher within the offense. I can’t believe the coaches don’t have some play action passes designed for Warren down around the goal line.
Volume Pigs:
Mason Taylor (LSU) vs. USC: Taylor’s been mentioned as a guy who needs to get the ball more by head coach Brian Kelly. With WR Chris Hilton potentially missing this one, or at the very least being limited, Taylor could end up being the secondary option behind Lacy/Daniels, or even the primary receiving option.
TIGHT ENDS: Sit ‘Em
Purple Reign:
Donovan Green (TxAM) vs. Notre Dame: Green has been dealing with a knee injury in fall camp and we’re just not sure if it will affect him or not in the game. Stack on top of that his QB is returning from an injury and is still technically unproven. Worse yet, Notre Dame has a really good pass defense and it may be really hard for Green to get enough targets to make a fantasy impact. There’s always a chance he can get a rare one-off TD but I wouldn’t hold my breathe on that happening.
READER SUBMISSION
Tech Braudel @techbraudel
QB Niko Iamaleava (Tenn) or QB KJ Jefferson (UCF)?
RB Dylan Sampson (Tenn) or WR Elijah Sarratt (Ind) for flex in half-ppr?
Purple Reign: At QB I would go with the player to have the highest floor which I believe will be Nico. He is bound to bust several big plays in the air or the ground, but I’m not sure if Jefferson could match that. I want to see one game with this new UCF rushing attack before I can get a feel on what to expect from Jefferson. At your Flex spot I’m leaning hard on Sarratt. He should play the whole game and provide you more workload volume to build fantasy point through.
Volume Pigs: Nico Iamaleava is my pick. Young QB who’s starting for the first season, I think Tenn will look to see what they have with him. They also need to build their resume for the expanded CFP, and what better opportunity than week one vs. a cupcake opponent.
READER SUBMISSION
Brett @brett46966654
Would you start RB Phil Mafah (Clem) at Georgia or RB Jamal Haynes at home vs. Ga. State?
Purple Reign: Give me some Jamal Haynes all day long! I mentioned my concerns with Mafah earlier in the article. My only concerns for Haynes is that QB Haynes King steals all the redzone scoring opportunities. I think Haynes is a lock for 1 TD (and likely 2) while Mafah hitting one touchdown will likely be his ceiling.
Volume Pigs: I’m not opposed to either, actually. UGA’s interior DL is not as a good as it has been in the past (at least it wasn’t last year and the starters are returning), so I’m not as scared by the matchup as others. We saw RBs last year like Cody Schrader shred the run defence, and Clemson is a big boy program that should be able to throw their weight around too. However, if there’s a gun to my head, I’m picking Haynes as the scoring opportunities should be more plentiful.
READER SUBMISSION
Joe Waldbusser @JWaldTex
Pick 1: RB Mario Anderson (Mem), RB Cam Cook (TCU), LJ Martin (BYU), Jeremiyah Love (ND)
Purple Reign: I hate to say it but there’s no “safe” answer here. We have no clue what type of workload Love will get yet and he has the biggest “bust’ potential of this group. Martin’s shoulder injury worries me about his workload for the game, and Sutton Smith being listed as starter over Mario Anderson (likely committee backfield) worries me about Anderson’s workload. Cook seems like the best option for the largest workload even if his hamstring injury isn’t 100% yet. That TCU game also has a great match-up!
Volume Pigs: Give me Cam Cook vs. Stanford. I expect that game will be a high scoring affair, and by all indications Cook has locked down the starting TCU RB1 spot. The hammy is the only concern, but there’s bigger concerns with the other three.
READER SUBMISSION
Mark Holman @umassgrad92
Start 2 of these 4 (leaning the top two…)
RB Kaden Feagin (Ill), RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise), RB TreVeyon Henderson (OSU), RB Makhi Hughes (Tul)
Purple Reign: Jeanty is a lock here. Hughes is the safest pick you can make for RB2 since you know what you’ll get out of him. He’s the safest floor pick and the guy that won’t lose you your fantasy game. We just don’t know how the TDs will get divided up at Ohio State yet. Henderson can be a monster or whimper this week, its just too hard to tell. I like Feagin in his match-up and think he has the higher ceiling than Hughes. We just don’t know how many carries Feagin will get yet, but I think you could flip a coin between him and Hughes.
Volume Pigs: It’d be a tough pill to swallow to not start Jeanty here, so lock that one in. Give me Feagin as the other. I mentioned him in my start’em section above, so feel free to consult that for further explanation.
READER SUBMISSION
Benjamin Jacob @SicEveryone2027
So, I’m lost at WR. Pretty sure I’m going to play Jordan Moore and Eugene Wilson, but I have one more WR spot. Who would ya’ll play out of this group?
Kaedin Robinson (App), Amare Thomas (UAB), Kamdyn Benjamin (Tuls), Chrishon McCray (Kent)
Purple Reign: I’m not a fan of McCray’s match-up and you’re praying on high volume garbage time play out of him. Tulsa is going to be playing multiple QBs in the game and that scares me off Benjamin for this week. I mentioned I have a “soft” sit selection with Wilson but he is the only guy in a tight competitive game this week. Both Robinson and Thomas provide safer floors, and I give the App State passing game a slight edge over UAB’s. I would go with the safest play and pair Robinson and Thomas with Moore and sit Wilson.
Volume Pigs: I agree with Joe, it’s a toss up between Robinson and Thomas, I’d probably roll with Robinson as he feels safer for week one.
READER SUBMISSION
Shaun Bradley @Shizy_Mac
Start 4: WR Noah Rogers (NCSt), WR Elijah Sarratt (Ind), RB Mario Anderson (Mem), WR Roc Taylor (Mem), RB Jeremiyah Love (ND), RB Donovan Edwards Mich)
Purple Reign: I’ve mentioned Anderson and Love in an earlier question, and due to their workload uncertainty I would sit them. That leaves you with your 4 starters in Rogers, Sarratt, Taylor, and Edwards.
Volume Pigs: Can’t argue with what Joe said, just not sure what to expect with Memphis’ backfield now, and same deal with ND. Though I’d probably still roll the dice with Anderson over Rogers. The other three I agree on.
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