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College football is back, and it’s back with a vengeance. Week 0 brought down a top-10 team already. The Thursday slate for Week 1 saw an FCS team come up 4 yards short on a Hail Mary from upsetting an FBS team, a stadium set off a fireworks show after the home team missed a game-winning field goal, a Bobby Petrino offense score 10 touchdowns in 10 possessions, and a whole lot of points.
The Week 1 schedule is sprawling, and it’ll stretch into Monday night. Stars will take the field all over and, if the handful of opening games have taught us anything, it’s that offenses will be roaring.
Here are 3 DFS plays to consider for Saturday and beyond. Everything below can be found inside the Sleeper Fantasy app. New users who sign up with the promo code SOUTHXL will get a deposit match up to $100.
USC WR Zachariah Branch: Higher than 0.5 anytime touchdowns
On Sunday night, Zachariah Branch heads home. For the former Bishop Gorman standout, a date with LSU at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas gives Branch (and his brother, USC defensive back Zion) a chance to open his sophomore campaign with style in front of family and friends.
Branch was electric in his limited reps as a freshman for USC last season. He became USC’s first-ever true freshman to be selected as a First Team All-American when he was named as the top punt returner on the Sporting News team. He was also a second-team pick at kick returner for the FWAA and Walter Camp.
His freshman debut was magnificent. He had 58 receiving yards and a touchdown, a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and 66 punt return yards. He battled injuries throughout the year but finished the season as the first Trojan since 2016 to score on a kickoff return, a punt return, and with a reception in the same season.
USC will run plenty of 4-receiver sets in 2024. And Branch should get plenty of opportunities to make an impact in the pass game. He’s the best big-play threat among USC’s receivers and deadly in open space. The group has to replace 4 veteran receivers from last year’s rotation and youngsters will make up the bulk of the new rotation.
I’m anxious to see what Lincoln Riley does differently with the pass game this season. Last year, it felt like so much of the onus was on Caleb Williams to just create something while receivers struggled to get open. Did Riley find some counters in self-scouting?
Questions for the LSU defense rest in the secondary. Between his “lightning in a bottle” potential as a return man on special teams and the prospect of an expanded role on offense, I like Branch to find the endzone in a game that should feature plenty of points.
Stanford TE Sam Roush: Higher than 37.5 receiving yards
Georgia is rightfully excited about Stanford transfer tight end Ben Yurosek, but Stanford is feeling pretty good about its tight end situation as well. Roush started the final 6 games last season for the Cardinal and totaled at least 3 receptions in 5 of the 6. From Oct. 21 through Nov. 18, Roush averaged 4.4 receptions for 47.4 yards.
Stanford returns Ashton Daniels (the expected starting quarterback), rising running back Sedrick Irvin, each of Daniels’ top 3 targets last season, and all 5 starters from last year’s young offensive line. Against a remade TCU defense in the opener, I think the Cardinal can have an effective day throwing the football. The Horned Frogs are switching schemes and replacing key pieces at each level of the defense.
Roush, wideout Elic Ayomanor, and wideout Tiger Bachmeier are the clear top options in the pass game for Stanford. The Horned Frogs will be introducing a new pair of cornerbacks, but they are experienced transfers. Ayomanor should have the defense’s full attention all game. Bachmeier looks like a matchup problem so I expect TCU will do something to mitigate that concern.
With a 6-foot-5 frame in a pass-first offense, I think Roush can be a chain-mover for the Cardinal and for Daniels.
Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos: Higher than 0.5 rushing touchdowns
Boston College played Florida State as well as anyone last season, rallying in the fourth and nearly upending the Seminoles early on in what would be an ACC title-winning campaign. Castellanos was a problem in that game.
He threw for 305 yards and ran for another 95. He scored a touchdown through the air and on the ground.
One week after getting mauled by Georgia Tech, Florida State has some major questions facing its defensive line. The strength of the defense coming into the season was thought to be along the defensive front, but the Yellow Jackets posted a success rate of 58% in the 24-21 win over the Seminoles. They lost the field position battle (decidedly) and it just didn’t because FSU could not contain the GT ground game.
Boston College probably won’t hold up defensively the way Georgia Tech did, which means the hope for an upset rests with Bill O’Brien and the offense. With a hulking offensive line, a couple of capable running backs, and a dual-threat quarterback, a run-heavy approach makes sense for the Eagles.
Castellanos had 13 rushing scores last season. He found the endzone with his legs in 8 of the Eagles’ 13 games.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
