I have wanted to write a weekly column for Campus2Canton leagues for years. Combine information from college and the NFL, giving a little insight on each, and talk about strategy for the format. Procrastination festered, and excuses abounded, but this season – it’s finally coming to fruition.
Week 1 of college football is in the books, and Week 1 of the NFL is on the precipice. It seems like the perfect time to realize this crazy idea and turn it into a reality: buckle up!
The College Beat
This week is the most critical week for waivers in college, as many of the past few weeks, we’ve been scouring for depth charts and dealing with coach misdirections. Once the team takes the field, things are finally “clearer,” and we are forced to cut bait on players we had been believing in.
Hit the Waivers
Felix Sharpe wrote up a piece on Sunday highlighting players we should target. Jared Palmgren accompanied that article with an article highlighting players we should target in CFF. Both of these, in tandem, cover the players you should be targeting.
The college article is more helpful in churning out the lower half of your roster. Drop those juniors and seniors that aren’t producing and have zero NFL hope. This morning, some players I noticed hitting the waiver wires were Isaiah Neyor, Micah Bernard, Lawrence Toafili, Jaden Walley, and Rickey Hunt – ugh. Hunt was a hot commodity in our supplemental drafts.
The point, and it happens far too often in C2C leagues, is don’t hold declining assets too long. Some of these players should have been cut before supplementals, and some were taken in supplementals. Either way, they won’t be playing in the NFL, and college production makes your NCAA team much more competitive. Don’t wait too long.
What if Waivers Aren’t Running?
Many college leagues have periods in which waivers run or limited waivers – like five pickups a season or one a week. Only a few players are worth targeting in that case, and Felix’s article is more applicable. Some players will be a higher priority to target, and it may be best to monitor some situations so as not to blow critical FAAB or waiver priorities too soon.
Players I am prioritizing in these leagues are Savion Williams, Floyd Chalk, Nick Nash, Damon Ward, and Joe Royer or Jack Bech if you tight end help. I am willing to spend a small chunk of my budget on those six players. I’ve been burned in past years by not spending up for these early waiver guys. Ultimately, you end up holding a bag at the end of the season and missing out on critical players who could have helped you win all season.
On to Week 2
This week’s games are all on Friday and Saturday, giving us time to set our lineups and substitution queues. It’s one of those rare weeks; the extra time gives you more time to research and hit the wires. Work a few trades out if you have glaring holes and see a team already in wounded duck mode. Owners shouldn’t be too antsy yet, but you never know.
We’ve got Texas at Michigan this week, one of the year’s biggest games from a pure football standpoint. It’s a rare early-season SEC vs. B1G matchup, and both teams should be in the playoffs when the dust from the season settles.
Check out our Weekly CFF Rankings if you need lineup advice – it’s one of the most valuable tools we have for help with lineup setting. Or just DM Jared Palmgren, but he may just point you to the Rankings!
The NFL Beat
There isn’t much to report here this week; we’ve been on autopilot with our NFL leagues for quite some time. If you have waivers running this week, we had an article last week with low-rostered players who should be rostered – check it out and pick up some of the players Matthew Fox recommends.
What Happens in Pittsburgh?
One of the situations to monitor is the quarterback situation in Steel City. I know that Russell Wilson is the starter. But it doesn’t feel like that is the end answer, nor doesn’t feel like it will be fully resolved this season. We could end up with weeks of Wilson and weeks of Justin Fields, and it’s the reason I am avoiding Pittsburgh’s fantasy options for now.
George Pickens is the WR1, but his value has been floundering. In my redraft leagues, he was often drafted quite a bit later than an undeniable WR1 should be. Players like Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, and even Pat Freiermuth will be almost unstartable this season.
I’m even hesitating with Najee Harris. Defenses will not have to respect the passing game unless we see a resurgence with Wilson. It could be an ugly season, and I’m staying away.
The Schedule
We’ve got Baltimore opening the season in Kansas City, a matchup with many NFL fantasy stars and Taylor Swift. I typically fade Thursday night players, but not on opening night and such a big stage. The studs want to show out, and you should be firing them up – despite both teams having top-ten defenses to play against in fantasy.
We’ve got to expect slower starts, with teams like Atlanta facing a tough Pittsburgh defense and starting a retooled offense. Chicago looks to fire out of the gates against Tennessee, and Caleb Williams will be eager to prove the doubters wrong.
The other game I’m watching closely is Arizona at Buffalo. I’m eager to see how Kyler Murray looks with Marvin Harrison Jr. in the fold and how Josh Allen looks with a new receiving corps. It will be a big test for both teams, but I could also see an ugly, low-scoring matchup in the cards.
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!
That’s a wrap on my Week 1 foray into the C2C landscape. I will have longer articles as the season slogs on, and I would love to add a Matthew Berry-esque introduction, but we will see how that shapes up.
Let me know if any topic piques your interest. I can add that as we go, but I mainly want to focus on strategy and how I am handling my teams and builds. I will have teams that suck in the NCAA and NFL, and I will outline how I am handling each of them and how you should be handling them as well. Thank you for reading; best of luck this week!
