CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 0

Welcome to this year's first installment of the waiver wire watch. Throughout the college football season, I'll pick two guys from every active conference who either caught my eye in the previous week or who have a favorable match-up in the near future. As always, I'll get to any questions or comments you have in the comments section below.

Slate Background: This will be a bit of an unorthodox article because Week 0 does not count in most fantasy leagues as only 18 FBS schools are taking part. Don't worry, I'll be locked in on Nebraska vs. Northwestern in Ireland, Wyoming at Illinois and Vanderbilt at Hawaii for the joy of college football starting. Instead of focusing on those match-ups for fantasy, we'll be looking ahead to the season for players who may have just recently won a starting job or have an attractive week one match-up and may be available in your league.

*Fantasy Points referenced in article are DK format.
**To qualify for recommendations, players must be rostered in less than 50 percent of Fantrax Leagues

AAC

Jake Bailey, WR, SMU (14 percent rostered)

Bailey isn't a well-known commodity as he served as one of Rice's top playmakers during the 2020 season. In his last five games with the Owls, he averaged 18.4 fantasy points per contest. He now joins a new-look SMU squad that is looking for a dependable pass-catcher to pair with Rashee Rice (100 percent rostered). Bailey has generated some buzz in fall camp and appears to have some early chemistry with quarterback Tanner Mordecai (100 percent rostered). SMU's week one game against North Texas should have all kinds of points too.

Gerry Bohanon, QB, USF (41 percent rostered)

Bohanon was recently named the starter for week one against BYU and should be considered for fantasy purposes. While at Baylor in 2021, he compiled 27 total touchdowns, including nine rushing scores over 12 games. Against Big 12 competition, Bohanon averaged 21.6 fantasy points per game. While the Bulls are nowhere near as talented as his old team, that just means that the upside is higher for the dynamic signal-caller. 

ACC

Tyler Hudson, WR, Louisville (43 percent rostered)

Anyone who has followed my musings this off-season knows that I absolutely love the Louisville offense. With Hudson, you're getting their top-projected receiver, a transfer from Central Arkansas who put up 62 catches for 1,242 yards and eight touchdowns a season ago. With a stud quarterback in Malik Cunningham (100 percent rostered), this is a no-brainer pick-up. Not to mention their dream schedule to start the season with Syracuse, UCF and Florida State which can all be competitive match-ups.

Justice Ellison, RB, Wake Forest (27 percent rostered)

With quarterback Sam Hartman's (100 percent rostered) unfortunate non-football-related medical condition which will have him out indefinitely, it's possible the Demon Deacons will have to rely much more heavily on the run game. Ellison and Christian Turner (zero percent rostered) will have to pick up the slack and are capable of doing so. Both backs were comparable to Christian Beal-Smith during the 2021 season and with more opportunity, could flourish.

BIG 12

SaRodorick Thompson, RB, Texas Tech (39 percent rostered)

Presumed starter, Tahj Brooks, is dealing with a knee injury sustained in fall camp. The Red Raiders are going to attempt to experiment with their new offense against Murray State in Week One before difficult matchups versus Houston and NC State. If you're in need of a running back for the first week alone, this could be a potential plug and play before Brooks comes back fully healthy. I would stay updated on Brooks' status leading into that matchup.

Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR, West Virginia (49 percent rostered)

Ford-Wheaton has shown improvement in each of his three years at West Virginia and should be on pace for a huge year with quarterback JT Daniels (98 percent) transferring from Georgia to give the team an upgrade at the quarterback position. More importantly, the team also welcomes in offensive coordinator Graham Harrell who will install a pass-friendly offense right away. There's a great chance that Ford-Wheaton surpasses the 42 catches for 575 yards and three touchdowns on 68 targets that he posted a year ago. His 8.5 yards per target suggests that he could be in for a huge year of production with higher volume and better quarterback play behind one of the conference's best offensive lines.

BIG TEN

Corey Dyches, WR/TE, Maryland (27 percent rostered)

Dyches comes in with the Fantrax bonus of having both the WR and TE designation currently. He's also a member of the trendy Terrapins squad with talented quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa (98 percent rostered). With the fantasy community saturated on the Maryland passing game with Rakim Jarrett (98 percent rostered) and Dontay Demus (98 percent rostered), go out and get the next best thing in Dyches. The Big Ten is known for its dynamic tight ends.

Cornelius Johnson, WR, Michigan (33 percent rostered)

With the uncertainty on who wins the starting quarterback job between Cade McNamara (10 percent rostered) or J.J. McCarthy (82 percent rostered) paired with top wideout Ronnie Bell's (65 percent rostered) return from an ACL injury, I like the potential upside with Johnson. Michigan has a soft starting schedule with Colorado State, Hawaii and Connecticut, so this investment could pay off early for fantasy managers.

C-USA

Oscar Adaway, RB, North Texas (31 percent rostered)

There appears to be some hesitation with Adaway as he did miss the entire 2021 season with a torn ACL. North Texas has one of the most experienced teams in the country and the expectation is that Adaway could be one of the best running backs in C-USA. Isaiah Johnson (four percent rostered) is also being picked up in leagues, but I think Adaway could run away with a workhorse role. We'll find out right away with the Mean Green playing in Week 0 against UTEP. As long as the roster percentage stays below 50 percent, he'll likely be on this list next week too!

Trea Shropshire, WR, UAB (20 percent rostered)

Shropshire flirted with the transfer portal at the beginning of the year but ended up staying with the Blazers. He's a legit deep-play threat as he led the team with 27 grabs for 704 yards and seven touchdowns on 53 targets during the 2021 season. I don't see UAB's top receiver as a fantasy play each and every week, but he's worth a start when UAB plays tougher competition or if you're playing in a deeper league.

MAC

Christian Sims, TE, Bowling Green (41 percent rostered)

It's not often that I'm going to recommend Bowling Green players; however, Sims is likely the best tight end prospect in the MAC Conference. In his junior season with the Falcons, he averaged 6.2 targets per game which is plenty for fantasy purposes. He converted his 68 targets to 41 catches for 418 yards and two touchdowns across 11 games and even added a rushing score in Week 7 at Northern Illinois.

Quian Williams, WR, Buffalo (22 percent rostered)

Williams ranked sixth in the MAC Conference with 69.6 receiving yards per game during the 2021 season. During his first year with the Bulls, he tallied 64 receptions for 835 yards and two touchdowns. Williams' total receptions and receiving yards were almost double what the next best receiver. I worry about the skill level at quarterback, but the team does have a fun season-opener at Maryland.

MWC

Chance Bell, RB, San Diego State (29 percent rostered)

This roster percentage is far too low for the projected starter on the Aztecs. Brady Hoke's squads love to run the ball, evident from Greg Bell's 245 carries for 1,091 yards and nine touchdowns during the 2021 season. The subject Bell was second on the team with 72 carries for 341 yards and four touchdowns. San Diego State will continue to put forth a stout defense which will entice the team to run the ball early and often in games.

Hank Bachmeier, QB, Boise State (35 percent rostered)

Bachmeier has been a solid contributor with Boise State over the last three seasons. He's an accurate passer while exceeding a 60 percent completion rate in all three of those seasons and compiling 35 touchdowns against 16 interceptions. Moreover, the Broncos should return to being one of the premier teams in the Mountain West Conference. I'm excited to see what he can do at Oregon State in late-night football to open the season in Week One. 

PAC-12

Michael Penix, QB, Washington (31 percent rostered)

All signs are pointing towards Penix winning the starting job over Sam Huard (80 percent rostered) and Dylan Morris (eight percent rostered). The senior threw for 939 yards and four touchdowns in five games during his senior year at Indiana and has much more experience than the other two quarterbacks. Washington opens the season against Kent State, so it will be interesting to see who the starting quarterback is in that one.

R.J. Sneed, WR, Colorado (4 percent rostered)

Exercise some caution here as Sneed is reportedly dealing with an undisclosed injury; however, he could be busy this season as I expect the Buffaloes to be one of the worst teams in the conference. The senior transfer was a consistent contributor at Baylor with at least 39 catches and 64 targets in each of the last three seasons. He had 45 catches for 564 yards and two touchdowns on 65 targets last year. He's come to Colorado to be the number one receiver and will need to have an impact early, starting with an intriguing week one game against TCU.

SEC

Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia (49 percent rostered)

The top two running backs from last year's National Championship squad are gone, so McIntosh and Kendall Milton (94 percent rostered) will ultimately vie for carries. As can be expected with a Kirby Smart backfield, the two will likely split carries, at least to begin the season. However, Milton is dealing with a mild hamstring injury which could have an effect on how the workload is broken down. The senior McIntosh was more productive as both a runner and receiver last season, though, so it would appear that he could have the inside edge over Milton overall for touches in the interim.

Josh Vann, WR, South Carolina (24 percent rostered)

In South Carolina's first three games in 2021, Vann averaged 18.7 fantasy points per game, including two 100-yard receiving games. He would go on to have a decent season with the Gamecocks with 43 catches for 668 yards and five touchdowns on 72 targets. I'm bullish on Vann as the team's number one wideout in 2022 because Spencer Rattler (96 percent rostered) is a huge upgrade from the quarterback mess they had a year ago.

SUN BELT

Chase Brice, QB, Appalachian State (27 percent rostered)

The Mountaineers are too good of a team for Brice to not be rostered in more leagues. After disappointing stints at Clemson and Duke, Brice found his home with a single season school record 3,337 passing yards on a 62.1 completion percentage rate. For his efforts, he was named the Sun Belt's newcomer of the year. For fantasy purposes, he's worth a starting consideration against North Carolina in an underrated matchup in Week One of the season.

Jason Brownlee, WR, Southern Miss (14 percent rostered)

In the last five games of the 2021 season, Brownlee lit it up with 20.8 fantasy points per game. I'm worried about the senior being stifled by good defenses, but when the Golden Eagles hit the conference portion of their schedule, he should be rostered in far more leagues than he is right now. He reached double-digit fantasy points in seven different games last year on his way to 46 catches for 643 yards and eight touchdowns on 83 targets. That type of production deserves more roster percentage.

INDEPENDENTS

Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty (47 percent rostered)

Even though the departed Malik Willis put Liberty on the map and showed that the school can play some dynamic offense over the last couple of years, their current playmakers are still sporting relatively low roster percentages. Douglas gets to play with college journeyman Charlie Brewer (16 percent rostered) at quarterback and with a flashy running back in Dae Dae Hunter (65 percent). This team will put up some points and offensive production against Southern Miss, UAB and Wake Forest to begin the season.

DEFENSE RECOMMENDATIONS

Air Force (vs. Northern Iowa) - The Falcons return seven starters on a defense that averaged 8.75 fantasy points per game a year ago. Against an FCS opponent could be a decent spot to target for the first week.

Kansas State (vs. South Dakota) - The Wildcats project to have one of the best defenses in the Big 12 and have a soft non-conference schedule with South Dakota, Missouri and Tulane.

California (vs. UC Davis) - Opening up against UC Davis and UNLV makes Cal a strong streaming play for the first two weeks. Cal's strength is with their defense.

SUMMARY & TOP RECOMMENDATIONS

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

QB: USF Gerry Bohanon, App State Chase Brice, Washington Michael Penix

RB: UNT Oscar Adaway, SDSU Chance Bell, Georgia Kenny McIntosh

WR: Louisville Tyler Hudson, WVU Bryce Ford-Wheaton, South Carolina Josh Vann

TE: Maryland Corey Dyches, BGSU Christian Sims

D/ST: Kansas State (vs. South Dakota), Air Force (vs. Northern Iowa), Cal (vs. UC Davis)

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.