I'm Just An Extreme Example Of What A Working Man Can Achieve.
- Tommy Shelby, Peaky Blinders
Hello all, and welcome in. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m having an absolute blast this weekend. We’ve got cooler weather around my way currently and things are starting to feel right again.
On a personal note, and I wasn’t sure if I should share this but I think I will, I’ve been dealing with a spinal issue all year, and the tole of this on my mental was very difficult; the vibes have definitely been off for me this year, however, miraculously in the last week or so, I feel very good physically. Given that, I already considered myself a winner coming into this weekend, but the games were a cherry on top.
Ironically, it may be all the swimming I’ve been doing, which has been a stand-in activity for me since I haven’t been able to run for exercise. I go swimming and biking several times a week but walking, running and standing are problematic, go figure.
There are and likely will be many more ups and downs in this process so I try not to let myself get too high or low, but I think it’s important to recognize the wins and celebrate them; and by sharing this in the article I will have this memory to look back on when the downs inevitably come.
I’m not going to lie, I was concerned earlier this offseason whether I was going to be able to keep this up and uphold my obligations to the subscribers as we approached the beginning of a new CFF campaign. The most encouraging thing in my mind was that if I could get through this offseason the way I did even with this going on, then I am unstoppable.
And as I write this, there is pleasant sensation through the left side of my body that I am experiencing right now indicating to me that I am returning to the peak of my powers, and as a result, the vibes on my end have been positive lately. I hope things went well for ya’ll this weekend too, but of course, I recognize that many of you are in desperate need of some assistance with your CFF rosters.
So with that said, let’s ROLL.
RB
*Generally speaking, if I’ve written about a player, specifically in the last few months, I assume you’re already familiar with said player and won’t include them here.
**Remember, it’s a long season and we are operating with a small sample of information here. Those of you in FAAB leagues, I recommend caution when deciding how much you want to throw down. There are a lot of good looking options this week with not a lot to discern between them. Just a thought to keep in mind…
***If there’s a really obvious name missing it’s probably because I assumed they are known/rostered already. Paid subs feel free to inquire in the chat when I start this week’s thread.
****The names are not in any ordering in the list. Runners denoted with a (*) are for leagues with bestball scoring, they’d be Fool’s Gold in standard formats.
There are several intriguing options this week at RB but not one that really stands out as a MUST HAVE player. Now, some may turn out to be those types of players (that’s the fun part), but based on the information currently available, I see more B/B+/A- type guys rather than A/A+ profiles. That being said, here are some names to consider:
Kewan Lacy (Miss) — Ole Miss’ top rusher on the day was Lacy, who scored a tantalizing three times on 16 carries. Of the RB group, he’s the one I like the most this week and if he’s available in your league, is a no-brainer to put a waiver in. The production is cool, the usage and role is what we’re looking for. Lacy is a former high ranked recruit who transferred from Missouri. If we’re grading options, he’s the only ‘A’ grade one I see.
Dominic Richardson (TSA) — The volume and the role of the player is what is encouraging. You have to take production against an FCS opponent with a grain of salt, especially from the QB and RBs in my opinion, but usage is real. DR is worth a shot but just temper your expectations. Tulsa’s schedule isn’t as easy as last year but it’s still pretty good all things considered. How Tulsa’s run game performs next week vs. New Mexico State will be telling for how DR’s season will go.
Tae Meadows (Troy) — Just like the above, it’s the usage here that caught my eye—186 yards and a score is cool and all but can we expect that to repeat? I mean, let’s hope so, but at the very least, Meadows looks like the answer to the question of who’s going to replace Damien Taylor at Troy. They get Clemson next week so… you’ll be waiting at least one game for returns here, but then they play Memphis and Buffalo, which are expected to be two of the better G5 defences before a BYE week. So you could potentially be waiting until OCTOBER for some lucrative returns. Oof.
Miles “Jazz Hands” Davis (UTST) — I could have done such a cool offseason article on this player with that name… gosh darn it, missed my chance. Davis was pointed out by the coach in… I want to say August? For being a camp standout, but I just couldn’t justify saving a roster spot for him in the one league where I had the chance. Davis was used frequently as a receiver which caught my eye and that could be a harbinger of usage to come in 2025. They played UTEP so the performance feels a lot more real than the two above, but the usage wasn’t quite as gnarly on the ground. He’ll always compete for red zone scores with Barnes, but I’m starting to come around to the idea that a running QB is actually a good thing for RBs(??), it keeps defenders guessing at the very least. There is a negative in the red zone as mentioned but I don’t know if that superseded the positive effects you get throughout the rest of the field. Hard to say… either way, I’m in on Davis but they do play A&M next so you’ll have to wait for returns.
(*) Rayshon Luke (Fresno) — I don’t know if Fresno will be running the ball as effectively as they did vs. GaSo (keep in mind this was a program that saw Jeanty and Sire Gaines combine for like 8 scores against them last year in the opener), but Luke looks like a nice little bestball scoring option behind Donelson if you play in a league with that scoring that runs waivers. It may be hard to predict the bigger games as he’ll be very TD dependent. When he scores three times on 10 carries, it’s great. How often is that going to happen? Probably not much… But we knew ahead of time Fresno wanted to run the football and that there could be a second runner of value—well, here he is.
Quinton Jackson (RICE) — Rice looks like another version of Fresno (or at least they did this weekend), with their run heavy approach. The lead runner, QJ, had a tidy 22 carries while the next runner, Daelen Alexander, had 15 for himself. The good news is virtually all of the rushing attempts were consolidated through these three players including the QB. QJ was able to be effective vs. another G5 program, which is promising for his future. The workload is what is key here. I don’t know if Rice was just running with the hot hand, or if this will be how the split looks going forward. Would you believe me if I told you Jackson is 5’7, 160 pounds?! I don’t know how many 20+ touch games are in his future but it’s worth investigating. I would approach with caution, but approach nonetheless if you’re in need of RB help.
Braylon McReynolds (ULM) — Hahaha! Hahaha! You got us again Bryant Vincent! (you pussy). That reads a lot more aggressively than it’s meant to but I’m leaving it here nonetheless. I joked with well-known CFF analyst Mike Bainbridge on X that the worst thing that can happen to a RB is being listed as Vincent’s RB1 OR RB2 on his August depth chart. And this bastardo got us again—D’Shaun Ford, listed starter, did fuck all and McReynolds, the South Alabama transfer, emerged from the pack. BUT, I do have to say there was not a clear bellcow guy from the usage (11 carries to the next two’s seven and six). McReynolds led the pack, and ULM was in control so maybe they just didn’t want to run him out, but this isn’t a name I’m unloading the brinks truck for on waivers. In fact, he’s teetering on the edge of Fool’s Gold for me.
Xavier Williams (Iowa) — The injury bug appears to have made its way around this weekend. Wake Forest’s Demond Claiborne leaves the game after a few carries and then the same happens with Iowa RB Kamari Moulton who exited after only three carries. Williams didn’t really take over as the bellcow in Moulton’s absence, but did show enough promise to warrant consideration if Moulton misses more time. He vastly outperformed his top competition Terrell Washington on a YPC basis.
Sutton Smith (MEM) —