Anyone looking for an edge in their College Fantasy Football contests? Here are Matt De Lima's suggested plays at Fantasy Feud.
QUARTERBACKS
ELITE
Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (vs Sam Houston St.) - $200,000
Given one half of football and Johnny Football still managed to score 17.66 points in a blowout. He may be making just as many headlines off the field as on the field, but that doesn’t change his upper echelon status in CFFB.
Tajh Boyd, Clemson (vs South Carolina St.) - $193, 869
The nation is on notice and maybe the ACC finally has a legit title contender in their ranks after Tajh Boyd nearly single-handedly stuck it to Georgia. He can produce both on the ground and via the pass with playmakers abound.
MID-TIER
Bryce Petty, Marshall (vs Buffalo) - $130,600
What Bryce Petty may be lacking in experience, his offensive scheme and running back can protect him. Baylor will lean on Lache Seastrunk and Petty will happily oblige to clean up any table scraps left behind.
Garrett Gilbert, Southern Methodist (vs Montana St.) - $133,322
You can count on SMU to throw the ball a lot thanks to their head coach June Jones. Garrett Gilbert completed 41 of his 62 passes last week for 388 yards, yet somehow managed to not throw a single TD pass. Look for that to change against Montana St.
BARGAIN
J.W. Walsh, Oklahoma St. (at Texas-San Antonio) - $118,807
There’s a new starting quarterback in Stillwater, Oklahoma and his name is J.W. Walsh. After just two series, head coach Mike Gundy pulled the plug on senior Clint Chelf. Walsh is now at the helm of one of the better and more productive offenses in all of college football.
Jared Goff, California (vs Portland St.) - $89,478
There will be highs and lows for this true freshman signal-caller. Jared Goff threw for 445 yards, two TDs and three INTs to open the season against Northwestern. The quality of competition drops significantly in Week 2 against Portland St.
RUNNING BACKS
ELITE
Lache Seastrunk, Baylor (vs Buffalo) - $137,000
The bad news is that Lache Seastrunk only rushed for 111 yards against Wofford. The good news is that he only needed 11 carries to get all those yards and he still found the end zone twice. If you’re going to spend the big bucks, spend it on the best back in the nation.
De’Anthony Thomas, Oregon (at Virginia) - $126,761
Don’t expect much defensive resistance from UVA. They’re a step up from Oregon’s opponent last week, Nicholls State, in name only. De’Anthony Thomas should see at least 20 touches as the Ducks win in a rout.
MID-TIER
James White, Wisconsin (vs Tennessee Tech) - $108,865
FantasyFeud seems unsure what to do about pricing the Wisconsin runners. Both James White and Melvin Gordon are underpriced. White ran all over UMass last week, gaining 143 yards on just 11 carries while adding one TD. TN Tech isn’t much better so look for the Badgers to run hard once again.
Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (vs Tennessee Tech) - $101,408
This redshirt sophomore is next in line of the many great Wisconsin running backs and he showed that last week by rushing for 144 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries. He’s a steep discount here.
BARGAIN
Paul James, Rutgers (vs Norfolk St.) - $97,432
Rutgers has another workhorse back on their hands with Paul James. He toted the rock 22 times for 182 yards. The Scarlet Knights are playing a cupcake, Norfolk State, making James an excellent bargain under $100K.
Byron Marshall, Oregon (at Virginia) - $97,929
Once again, the Oregon Ducks are simply too potent on offense which is why you should once target Byron Marshall. He ran for an absurd 124 yards on just eight carries (15.5 yards per carry) and added a score.
WIDE RECEIVERS
ELITE
Marqise Lee, Southern Cal (vs Washington St.) - $169,590
You know the expectations are high when eight catches for 104 yards and no TDs is considered a bad day. Marqise Lee remains one of the best receivers in the FBS so don’t be afraid to spend money on him.
Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt (vs Austin Peay) - $143,165
Proving himself to be one of the best WRs in the SEC, Jordan Matthews broke out in a big way with 10 receptions for 178 yards and a TD. There were concerns that he sustained a concussion in Week 1, but he has already been cleared to practice and play.
MID-TIER
Sammy Watkins, Clemson (vs South Carolina St.) - $108,865
Without Sammy Watkins, the media might not be talking about Tajh Boyd as a possible Heisman candidate. The junior wideout is a big play waiting to happen or a grenade without his pin. He can go off at any moment.
Eric Ward, Texas Tech (vs Stephen F. Austin) - $106,877
He could have added his name to the list for the 2013 NFL Draft, but instead Eric Ward decided to come back to Texas Tech for one more season. The senior already showed in Week 1 that his best may still be to come by snagging 13 receptions for 150 yards against SMU.
BARGAIN
Jeremy Johnson, Southern Methodist (vs Montana St.) - $96,946
Speaking of SMU, their top receiver, Jeremy Johnson is a speedy, shifty playmaker who can line up just about anywhere. A big year is in play if he can increase his touchdown production (only three last year). He caught 12 balls for 131 yards against a decent Texas Tech defense a week ago.
Deontay Greenberry, Houston (at Temple) - $79,536
Houston is so proficient at throwing the ball that even their second-best receiver can make a nice value play. Deontay Greenberry is only a sophomore and he can challenge No. 1 WR Daniel Spencer as the team’s most productive pass-catcher
TIGHT ENDS
ELITE
Ted Bolser, Indiana (vs Navy) - $113,339
If you want to significantly outscore your fellow opponents in this game, you’ll have to spend liberally at the tight end position. Ted Bolser is a huge player that was tailor-made for red zone work. He caught six passes for 78 yards and two TDs. Look for him to dominate all year long on a thin Hoosiers team.
MID-TIER
Jace Amaro, Texas Tech (vs Stephen F. Austin) - $48,330
Don’t be discouraged by Jace Amaro’s weak opening game. He was suspended for the first half. Amaro is projected to have a huge year and this is a great time to take advantage of a very low asking price.
BARGAIN
Devin Funchess, Michigan (vs Notre Dame) - $28,335
Once again, Devin Funchess cracks my tight end list given his athleticism and the underappreciation of what this Wolverines’ offense can contribute. He only caught two passes for 47 yards last week. Funchess will need to excel considering he will be matchup against Notre Dame.
Matt De Lima contributes his fantasy insights at FFToolbox.com, 4for4.com, and FantasyFeud.com. He is a diehard Virginia Tech and San Francisco 49ers fan living in Maryland. Follow him on Twitter @mattkdelima