CFB Waiver Wire: Players to Pick Up Week 2

AMERICAN ATHLETIC

Matt Davis, QB, SMU - If Davis is still floating around on your waiver wire and you had the misfortune of having a quarterback go down this weekend, you'd better scoop him up before anyone else notices he's available. New head coach Chad Morris' up-tempo scheme fits Davis' skillset perfectly, and he put up some serious production against a Baylor defense that is better than any other unit he'll face this year outside of TCU. Don't let Davis' two interceptions Friday dissuade you, he'll cut down on those mistakes as the season wears on.

Jahad Thomas, RB, Temple - Thomas had one of the best games of his career in Saturday's upset of Penn State as he ran over the Nittany Lions for 135 yards and two scores on 29 carries. What makes it even more impressive is that Penn State boasted one of the best run defenses in the nation last season. Thomas has some favorable matchups this season, starting with Cincinnati this weekend. If you're in the market for a running back, Thomas' solidified role in Temple's offense makes him a quality pickup who should produce every week.

ACC

Qadree Ollison, RB, Pitt - Pitt's workhorse back, James Conner, was lost for the season after suffering an MCL injury in Saturday's win over Youngstown State. While this is a crushing blow for the Panthers, it opens the door for Ollison to carry the load. He had 207 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries Saturday, averaging a remarkable 12.9 yards-per-carry. That clip is obviously not sustainable, but his role in the offense for the rest of the season significantly raises his floor. He's already listed as the starting running back for this week's game and should provide an immediate payoff for attentive owners.

Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville - Saturday's debut wasn't exactly pretty for Jackson, who completed nine of his 20 passes for 100 yards and an interception. That said, most true freshmen would struggle against a Will Muschamp-coached defense with the elite level of talent Auburn boasts on that side of the ball. While it might take some time for Jackson's passing numbers to improve, his running ability already makes him a legit fantasy option. He scampered for 106 yards and a score against Auburn and has a favorable matchup this week against Houston. Jackson has already been named the starter for this week and should be a nice pickup for those looking for a second quarterback.

Others: Bug Howard, WR, North Carolina

BIG 12

Ke'aun Kinner, RB, Kansas - Kansas suffered an embarrassing upset loss at home Saturday to South Dakota State, but Kinner provided a silver lining for the Rock Chalk Jayhawk faithful. Kinner, a junior-college transfer, racked up 157 yards and two scores on 27 carries in his Kansas debut. Look for him to carry the load as Kansas' clear-cut workhorse. There is some concern that Kansas will play from behind a lot this season, but Kinner's ability makes it unlikely that coach Clint Bowen would go away from arguably his best offensive option.

Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma - This may be a bit of an obvious pick, but Mayfield was only started in 10 percent of Fantrax lineups this week and owned in just 24 percent of those leagues. That'll change quickly, and if you had some quarterback attrition this weekend, go ahead and scoop him up before he's in your buddy's lineup posting big numbers against you. Mayfield, a Texas Tech transfer, lit up Akron's overmatched defense for 388 yards and three touchdowns Saturday and completed nearly 70 percent of his passes against the Zips. He has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal with Sterling Shepard, Dede Westbrook, Durron Neal and others making up an explosive Sooner receiving corps. There was a reason why he beat out Trevor Knight for the starting gig, and it showed Saturday. Look for Mayfield to keep putting up big numbers in Lincoln Riley's air raid offense.

BIG TEN

Amara Darboh, Grant Perry, WR, Michigan - Michigan didn't necessarily put on an air show Thursday against Utah, and it's still working out the kinks with its quarterback situation, but Darboh and Perry looked pretty solid for the Wolverines. Darboh paced the Wolverines with eight grabs for 101 yards and a score while Perry, a freshman, hauled in three passes for 41 yards. Perry had some route running issues that led to some Jake Rudock interceptions, but once he gets those issues ironed out, he could be a steal. Rudock isn't necessarily going to light it up week-in and week-out, but he looked comfortable with Darboh, Jake Butt and Perry in his first game at Michigan. Darboh should continue to be Rudock's favorite target on the outside and has the size and speed to be a solid waiver-wire addition.

Ricky Jones, WR, Indiana - Jones' six-catch, 186-yard performance Saturday deserves some praise, even if it came against the vaunted Salukis of Southern Illinois. There was some question as to who would be Indiana's top wideout after Shane Wynn's departure, and Jones established himself Saturday as the leading candidate to be quarterback Nate Sudfeld's favorite target. If Indiana is giving up 47 points to the likes of SIU, it stands to reason the Hooisers will need to throw a lot this year once they get into the tougher part of their schedule. That bodes well for Jones, who had all of four receptions for 60 yards in his Indiana career before Saturday's explosive performance.

Others: Braxton Miller, WR/RB, Ohio State

CONFERENCE USA

Greg Howell, RB, FAU - Howell was hindered by injury down the stretch last season but still put together a strong effort in Saturday's season opener against Tulsa, going for 138 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. He appears to have a hold on FAU's starting running back gig and has the size/speed combo at 6-foot-1, 205, to scare Conference USA opponents down the line.

Jeff Driskel, QB, Louisiana Tech - A year ago, I would've shuttered to include Driskel in any sort of fantasy advice column, but it appears that a change in scenery has done wonders for the ex-Florida Gator. He was dominant in Saturday's trouncing of Southern University, going 12-for-15 for 274 yards and four touchdowns. Driskel should benefit from not having to face SEC defenses every week, and his ability should afford him some big performances against softer competition.

MAC

Brendan Cope, WR, Ohio Idaho's Dezmon Epps may have stolen the show in Thursday's game, but Cope turned in a strong effort in Ohio's 45-28 victory over the Vandals. Cope pulled down four receptions for 129 yards and a score Thursday, nearly twice as many receiving yards as Ohio's second-highest receiver. The 32.2 YPR will certainly diminish, but Cope should be an interesting option on your waiver wire who could establish himself as Ohio's top receiver.

Gehrig Dieter, WR, Bowling Green - Dieter went to work Saturday against the Vols with seven receptions for 133 yards and touchdown. Bowling Green has a deep receiving corps, so it could become a game of musical chairs every week in terms of the team's leading receiver, but Dieter's strong showing Saturday against tough competition should solidify him as one of quarterback Matt Johnson's favorite targets. Ronnie Moore and Chris Gallon are other potential waiver-wire steals in Bowling Green's offense.

MOUNTAIN WEST

Nick Stevens, QB, Colorado State - There was a sense that Stevens would become a productive quarterback in his first year as Colorado State's starter, but it wasn't obvious that he'd be putting up big numbers this early. Yes, he was playing against Savannah State as massive favorites, but five touchdowns in 20 completions is impressive no matter how you slice it. Stevens has one of the best receivers in the nation in Rashard Higgins and a coach in Mike Bobo who can get the most out of his signal callers. He's going to be snatched up quickly in plenty of leagues, so act quickly and stash him soon if you're looking to add depth at quarterback.

Don Jackson, RB, Nevada - Jackson led the Wolfpack with 124 yards and two scores in Saturday's win over UC Davis, and he did so on just 13 carries. The senior tailback should see an increased workload as Nevada's schedule gets markedly tougher. Nevada has a first-year starter at quarterback in Tyler Stewart, so Jackson will likely be counted on to take off some of the pressure on Stewart. Jackson has some bad matchups the next couple weeks (Arizona, Texas A&M), but stashing him now should pay off once Nevada enters conference play.

PAC-12

Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA - The Rosen One silenced his doubters Saturday and showed why he won the starting job as a true freshman, completing 28 of 35 attempts for 351 yards, three touchdowns and no picks against a respectable Virginia defense. He showed surgical precision on most of his passes, fitting the ball into tight windows and looking like a seasoned signal caller in the process. Rosen should only get better as the season progresses and has some favorable matchups on the schedule that he can certainly exploit. If Rosen is still available in your league, he won't be for long so now's the time to nab him.

Seth Collins, QB, Oregon State - Collins and Marcus McMaryion were expected to split time in Saturday's season opener, which would have been problematic for both of their fantasy values if that was how it actually played out. Instead, McMaryion attempted all of four passes while Collins keyed the Beavers to victory. Collins finished with 92 yards and two touchdowns through the air and 152 yards on the ground, leading new coach Gary Anderson to announce Monday that he's prepping Collins to get the majority of the snaps against Michigan this week. Michigan isn't an overly favorable matchup for a young quarterback, but with the QB controversy seemingly settled for now, Collins has the makings of a nice waiver-wire snag.

SEC

Peyton Barber, RB, Auburn - Barber filled in more than ably Saturday for the injured Roc Thomas, punishing Louisville's defense to the tune of 115 yards on 24 carries. Now, Thomas' injury is believed to be minor, but Barber performed well enough Saturday to warrant a solid workload in Auburn's offense. Barber is a physical back at 5-11, 225, which should bode well for him getting the call in short-yardage situations. Auburn's backfield situation is somewhat in the air now that Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant are gone, so maybe Barber can gain some separation from Thomas and Jovon Robinson, especially if they are held out of Auburn's next game. It's a bit of a risky proposition to pick up Barber, but it could end up paying off if things fall into place for the big back.

Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M - Kirk led the Aggies in receiving in his first collegiate game Saturday, racking up 106 yards and a score on six grabs. Texas A&M has an extremely deep and talented receiving corps, but Kirk's immediate impact is going to make him hard to ignore in that explosive offense. Oh, and did I mention he ran a punt back for a touchdown? The former 5-star recruit looks like he's going to live up to the hype and is only going to get better.

SUN BELT

Rashon Ceaser, WR, Louisiana-Monroe - The Sun Belt had a pretty tough non-conference slate across the board Last week, and ULM's matchup with Georgia was a rough one for the Warhawks, but Ceaser was a big performer in Week 1 despite the talent disparity between the teams. The 6-1 senior reeled in 13 passes for 153 yards and two scores against the Bulldogs' defense, all of which were easily led the team. He's clearly Garrett Smith's favorite target and should dominate the competition once ULM enters conference play.

Matt Linehan, QB, Idaho - Despite rumblings that backup Jake Luton could vulture some playing time in Thursday's season opener, Linehan was under center the whole game against Ohio. He threw for 300 yards and a touchdown on 36-of-48 passing. That staggering number of attempts should entice owners looking for a quarterback, and it looks like Linehan will continue to starter, so his role is seemingly secure. Linehan also has the highly talented Dezmon Epps on the outside, and he looked his way often on Thursday, completing 15 passes for 163 yards. Idaho's system should lead to big numbers from its quarterback, making Linehan an intriguing pickup off the waiver wire this week.