College Fantasy Football: Week 3 Transfer and Waiver Wire Targets

Two weeks into the college football season, we're starting to get a much better idea of which early performances might actually be sustainable.

That also means the transfer market is getting a lot more interesting.

Whether you're trying to fix an underperforming position, jump on a breakout player before his price gets too high, or simply find the next guy before everyone else does, here are some of our favorite CollegeFFB transfer targets heading into Week 3.

Note: CollegeFFB is a salary-cap format, not a draft format, so this isn't strictly a waiver wire article. Some of the cheaper players below also make great waiver pickups, but we'll also highlight premium players with low CollegeFFB ownership who we think are worth moving some money around to bring in.

Quarterbacks

Kamario Taylor, Mississippi State

We know. He's already taken in your draft league.

CollegeFFB works a little differently. It's a salary-cap league where everyone starts with the same budget and has access to the same player pool. So we're still calling Kamario Taylor a transfer target.

Our recommendation? Find the money to bring him in.

There hasn't been a quarterback in the country who has played better than Taylor through the first two weeks, and he's an absolute fantasy machine.

After accounting for five touchdowns and 413 total yards in Week 1, Taylor followed it up by completing 16 of 22 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns, while adding another 86 yards on 13 carries against Minnesota.

That's 726 total yards and eight touchdowns through two games, including 145 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

At this point, the question isn't whether Taylor is expensive. It's whether you can structure the rest of your CollegeFFB team to afford him.

CollegeFFB Price: $11.5M

Hauss Hejny, Colorado State

Hauss Hejny is putting together a ridiculous start to his Colorado State career.

After throwing five touchdown passes against Wyoming in Week 1, Hejny followed it up by completing 18 of 30 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns against Southern Utah.

That's nine passing touchdowns through two games.

The matchup gets substantially tougher with BYU coming to Fort Collins next week, but at the right price, Hejny's early production makes him very difficult to ignore.

CollegeFFB Price: $9.9M

Julian Lewis, Colorado

Julian Lewis just gave us one of the biggest quarterback performances of the weekend.

Lewis completed 17 of 23 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns, while adding another touchdown on the ground in Colorado's 52-21 win over Weber State.

Even more impressively, most of the damage came before halftime. Lewis became the first Colorado quarterback ever to throw four touchdowns in an opening half and spent much of the second half on the sideline with the game already decided.

Colorado travels to Northwestern next week.

CollegeFFB Price: $5.9M

Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State

This is probably the biggest "where did THAT come from?" performance of Week 2. There was a lot of hype surrounding Oklahoma State coming into the season, but most of that hope evaporated after a terrible Week 1 performance against Tulsa.

Then, yesterday, Mestemaker threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns, then added 109 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground as Oklahoma State stunned No. 6 Oregon.

That's 426 total yards and three scores against one of the best teams in the country.

The rushing production is particularly interesting for CollegeFFB. Most of it came from one giant run, but if that's going to be a regular part of Mestemaker's game, his fantasy ceiling suddenly looks a whole lot different than it did a week ago.

CollegeFFB Price: $9.8M

Running Backs

Nate Sheppard, Duke

Shepphard’s campaign to be the CFF RB1 is off to an incredible start.

Sheppard was the engine of Duke's upset win at Illinois, rushing 24 times for 147 yards and a touchdown while adding five catches for 41 yards and two more touchdowns.

That's 188 yards from scrimmage, five receptions and three scores against a solid Big Ten opponent.

The usage might be even more encouraging than the fantasy score. I don't trust Duke's passing game at all. More importantly, I'm not sure Duke trusts its own passing game.

That means one thing: Hand Nate Sheppard the ball. Hand it to him as much as you possibly can, and pray he carries both Duke and your CollegeFFB team up the rankings.

Duke hosts Stanford in Week 3.

CollegeFFB Price: $12.1M

Wayshawn Parker, Utah

Okay, it's time to take Wayshawn Parker seriously as a premium fantasy running back.

After scoring three touchdowns in Utah's opener, Parker went out and scored three more against Arkansas, totaling 129 yards from scrimmage in a 43-10 win. He scored twice on the ground and added another touchdown through the air.

That's now six touchdowns in two games, with three of them coming as a receiver.

That last part is what makes Parker particularly interesting for CollegeFFB. He's Utah's lead back, but he's also being actively used in the passing game, giving him a much higher PPR ceiling than a traditional early-down runner.

This also wasn't another early-season cupcake. Parker just did it against an SEC defense.

CollegeFFB Price: $9.1M

Wayne Knight, UCLA

At some point, six touchdowns in two games stops looking like a hot start.

Wayne Knight scored three touchdowns for the second consecutive week as UCLA beat San Diego State 28-10. All three came after halftime, on runs of 8, 7 and 36 yards.

He also scored three times against Cal in Week 1.

So through two games at UCLA, Knight has six rushing touchdowns.

There's obviously going to be some touchdown regression at some point, and if you remember from last week, I called out Anthony Woods as a RB to watch too. There’s a chance Woods eats into some of Knight’s production this year.

But as of right now, Knight's role around the goal line is becoming pretty difficult to ignore. He also entered UCLA with a proven track record after rushing for 1,373 yards and catching 40 passes at James Madison last season.

If you're looking for a running back who has both a defined role and legitimate PPR upside, Knight belongs near the top of the list.

CollegeFFB Price: $7.4M

Hollywood Smothers, Texas

If you were looking for confirmation that Hollywood Smothers is the Texas running back to own, Saturday gave us a pretty convincing argument.

Against No. 1 Ohio State, Smothers carried 21 times for 74 yards and two touchdowns, while adding three catches for 29 yards.

But the biggest takeaway was when Texas turned to him.

With the Longhorns attempting a massive fourth-quarter comeback, Smothers scored twice, including the game-winning touchdown with 25 seconds remaining.

That's 24 touches against the No. 1 team in the country, with Texas trusting him around the goal line and when the game mattered most.

The production should only get easier from here.

CollegeFFB Price: $9.6M

Fame Ijeboi, Purdue

This is exactly the type of player these transfer articles are made for.

Fame Ijeboi followed up an 87-yard Week 1 performance by exploding for 114 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Wake Forest.

More importantly, Purdue trusted him when it mattered. Ijeboi scored late in regulation and again in overtime as the Boilermakers nearly pulled off the comeback.

He now has four rushing touchdowns through two games and looks increasingly like the centerpiece of Purdue's backfield.

Purdue travels to UCLA next week.

CollegeFFB Price: $5.6M

Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State

This is closer to what everyone expected from Caleb Hawkins.

After a relatively quiet Oklahoma State debut, Hawkins carried 23 times for 110 yards and a touchdown against Oregon.

Remember, Hawkins scored an FBS freshman-record 29 total touchdowns at North Texas last season. Saturday was a reminder that the talent didn't disappear when he transferred to Stillwater.

If Oklahoma State's offense is actually functional, and it looks like it's starting to come together nicely, Hawkins immediately becomes much more interesting.

CollegeFFB Price: $14.0M

Gi'Bran Payne, Cincinnati

Gi'Bran Payne is officially a transfer target.

Payne rushed 12 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns in Cincinnati's 62-10 win over Western Carolina, including touchdown runs of 40 and 17 yards.

More importantly, it's now two straight 100-yard games.

Payne rushed for 108 yards on 14 carries in the opener, giving him 210 rushing yards on just 26 carries through two games. That's better than eight yards per carry.

The competition gets tougher from here, but the former Notre Dame back looks like he's found exactly what he needed at Cincinnati: opportunity.

And he's making the most of it.

CollegeFFB Price: $4.9M

Wide Receivers

Jesse Legree, Oregon State

We're officially past "interesting freshman" territory with Jesse Legree.

After opening his college career with five catches for 136 yards and a touchdown, Legree somehow got even better against No. 13 Texas Tech.

He caught eight passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns, including scoring plays of 75 and 37 yards.

That's 376 receiving yards and three touchdowns through his first two college games.

At this point, Legree looks like one of the early breakout stars of the entire college football season. His price hasn't fully caught up to the production yet, and he's exactly the type of player you want to get into your team early.

CollegeFFB Price: $7.0M

Anthony Evans III, Mississippi State

If you're buying into Kamario Taylor, Anthony Evans III gives you another way into this Mississippi State offense.

Evans was targeted 10 times against Minnesota, catching seven passes for 121 yards and a touchdown in Mississippi State's 38-13 road win.

That's exactly what you want to see when looking for a potential breakout receiver: volume plus production, and this time it came against a Big Ten opponent rather than an early-season cupcake.

Taylor and the Mississippi State offense have looked excellent through two weeks, and Evans appears to be Taylor’s primary target.

CollegeFFB Price: $8.2M

Collin Dixon, Illinois

There might not have been a better first-half fantasy performance Saturday than Collin Dixon's.

Dixon repeatedly torched Duke, catching three first-half touchdowns and finishing with 135 receiving yards.

And this isn't coming completely out of nowhere. Dixon had already scored twice in Illinois' opener, giving him five touchdowns through two weeks.

Illinois gets Southern Illinois at home in Week 3, making Dixon one of the more appealing short-term transfer targets on the board.

CollegeFFB Price: $6.2M

Reed Harris, Arizona State

Arizona State had a rough afternoon against Texas A&M, but Reed Harris continues to give us reasons to pay attention.

Harris scored two touchdowns against the Aggies after producing 137 receiving yards and two scores in the opener.

That's now four touchdowns through two games, and he's doing it at 6-foot-5 with legitimate big-play ability.

Even in a game Arizona State lost 48-20, Harris found a way to deliver fantasy production. That's a pretty encouraging trait to have in your lineup.

CollegeFFB Price: $7.7M

Wyatt Young, Oklahoma State

Wyatt Young might be about to take off.

This goes hand-in-hand with our Caleb Hawkins and Drew Mestemaker takes, but we think Oklahoma State shook off the Week 1 rust and jitters. After what the Cowboys just did to Oregon, this offense might be ready to skyrocket.

Young led Oklahoma State with 121 receiving yards against Oregon after posting 84 yards in the opener. That's 205 receiving yards through two games, and he's quickly establishing himself as Mestemaker's top option once again.

And "once again" is important here. If you weren't aware, Young was Mestemaker's top target at North Texas last season. That connection already existed before they both arrived in Stillwater, and it looks like it's picking up right where it left off.

If we're right about this Oklahoma State offense, Young could be one of the biggest beneficiaries.

CollegeFFB Price: $11.1M

Jordan Faison, Notre Dame

Jordan Faison didn't need much volume to make an impact Saturday.

He caught a 25-yard touchdown as Notre Dame rolled past Rice 52-0, with the blowout limiting how much the Irish needed from their starters.

Week 3 should tell us a little more. Notre Dame hosts Michigan State, and a more competitive game could create more opportunities for Faison and the Irish passing attack.

Our bet is that Faison pulls away as the clearcut WR1 in this offense, and at $6.6M that’s a bargain.

CollegeFFB Price: $6.6M

Tight Ends

Hunter Tipton, Memphis

Yeah, 229 receiving yards from a tight end will get you onto this list.

Hunter Tipton caught nine passes for 229 yards and a touchdown against Boise State, including an 87-yard score.

And this wasn't a case of one giant play making the stat line look better than it was. Take away the 87-yarder and Tipton still had eight catches for 142 yards.

He was targeted 10 times and accounted for nearly 60% of Marcus Stokes' 384 passing yards.

Tipton had already shown some promise through Memphis' first two games, but this was something entirely different. At a position where consistent fantasy production can be difficult to find, a tight end capable of putting up legitimate WR1 numbers immediately gets our attention.

If you're spending a transfer at tight end this week, Tipton should be one of the first names you look at.

CollegeFFB Price: $7.3M

Luke Reynolds, Virginia Tech

If you were waiting for a true breakout from Luke Reynolds, you got it Saturday.

Reynolds caught eight passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns against Old Dominion while being targeted 10 times.

That target number might be the most encouraging part. This wasn't a tight end surviving on one busted coverage or goal-line touchdown. Reynolds was consistently involved in the Virginia Tech passing game.

Through two games, he now has three receiving touchdowns, and Saturday gave us the first real glimpse of his fantasy ceiling.

Virginia Tech travels to Maryland in Week 3.

CollegeFFB Price: $6.3M

Kari Ashley, TCU

Kari Ashley went from a relatively quiet Week 1 to one of the biggest tight end performances of Week 2.

Ashley caught seven of nine targets for 119 yards and two touchdowns in TCU's 63-7 win over Grambling State.

The opponent obviously needs to be considered, but nine targets are difficult to ignore at tight end. This wasn't just a random touchdown in a blowout.

TCU gets another favorable matchup against Arkansas State next week, making Ashley particularly interesting if you're looking for an inexpensive upgrade at TE.

CollegeFFB Price: $5.0M

Mark Bowman, USC

Mark Bowman had his breakout game Saturday, catching six passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns.

But honestly, that's not even why he's on this list.

If you haven't seen it yet, go find the clip of Bowman hurdling two defenders at the same time.

Not one. TWO.

It's the type of play that would've made Saquon Barkley jealous, and a pretty good reminder that Bowman isn't a normal tight end. He's an absolute freak athlete who is already starting to turn that talent into production in USC's offense.

Oh, and he's only 19 years old.

There will probably be some ups and downs with a player this young, but the scary part is that Bowman should only get better as the season goes on. If Saturday was the beginning of him becoming a bigger part of USC's offense, we'd rather get him into our CollegeFFB team now than wait to find out.

CollegeFFB Price: $5.8M

Jelani Thurman, North Carolina

Jelani Thurman is quickly becoming difficult to ignore.

After posting 94 receiving yards in North Carolina's opener, Thurman followed it up with four catches for 71 yards and a touchdown against ETSU.

He now has 165 receiving yards through two games, and Saturday added the touchdown we'd been waiting for.

Week 3 brings a much tougher test at Clemson, but Thurman's combination of size, downfield usage and early production makes him an interesting target beyond just next Saturday, especially if you can’t afford to transfer into Reynolds or Tipton.

CollegeFFB Price: $4.6M

Final Thoughts

Week 2 gave us everything from one-game explosions to players who are starting to establish legitimate trends.

The trick now is figuring out which is which.

Players like Nate Sheppard, Jesse Legree and Luke Reynolds aren't interesting simply because they put up huge fantasy scores this week. The volume underneath those performances makes them particularly appealing.

Then there are performances like Hunter Tipton's 229 receiving yards or Drew Mestemaker putting up 426 total yards against Oregon that are big enough to make us reconsider what we thought about those players entirely.

And then there's Kamario Taylor.

If you can find the money for him, we're not sure there's a player we'd rather have in a CollegeFFB lineup right now.

Remember, you get three free transfers every week on CollegeFFB. You don't need to chase every player who had a big Saturday.

But two weeks in, we're starting to have enough information that some of these breakouts don't look like flukes anymore.

Now comes the fun part: figuring out which ones you want in your team before everyone gets more expensive.