Nate Sheppard has officially taken the college fantasy football world by storm, leading the P4 with an insane 374 rushing yards already this season. This dude is straight up electric, averaging 6.3 yards per carry, and get this: an eye-popping 25.4% of his carries have gone for 10 yards or more. If you’ve got him on your roster, you’re looking at a certified Week 3 fantasy RB1.
Sheppard’s Dominance Is No Fluke
This isn’t some flash-in-the-pan performance against weak teams. Duke lost their main QB, Darian Mensah, and their top two wideouts, Cooper Barkate and Que’Sean Brown. So what did OC Jonathan Brewer do? He said, “Alright, let’s feed Nate!” The offense is now running the ball a staggering 69% of the time on standard downs, putting them 20th in the FBS. And get this for pass attempts: 46.2% of the team’s passes are going to players running routes out of the backfield. That’s leading the nation, folks, and it means Sheppard is *the* focal point. He’s not just feasting on cupcakes either, already taking down a G6 stalwart Tulane (17-3) and a Big Ten opponent Illinois on the road (31-27). This week, Duke kicks off its ACC schedule against a Stanford defense that’s been leaky, allowing a 46.5% success rate and giving up 36.0 points per game through two contests. You start him in all formats. Seriously.
Freshman QBs Are Lighting It Up
While Sheppard’s been tearing it up on the ground, some true freshman signal-callers are making huge waves too. Faizon Brandon, the Tennessee true freshman, absolutely exploded in his season opener against FCS Furman. The guy dropped 226 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air, *plus* another 68 rushing yards and two rushing scores for a ridiculous 39.8 Yahoo fantasy points! Even after a 45-24 road win against Georgia Tech, where he completed 10-of-21 passes for 16.1 fantasy points (and UT leaned on 299 rushing yards), HC Josh Heupel said Brandon displayed “poise and control.” He’s been incredibly effective downfield, connecting on 7-of-11 passes of 11+ yards, with all five of his passing touchdowns coming in the mid-to-long range. Kennesaw State this week is his last tune-up before a home showdown with SEC juggernaut Texas in Week 4. Expect another 30+ fantasy point explosion.
Beyond Brandon, Rocco Becht from Penn State is a high-floor play against a Buffalo defense that’s letting up 18.7 yards per successful dropback, ranking 132nd. He’s got seven touchdowns and zero interceptions in two games, so another 3+ TD passes is a safe bet. And what about Georgia’s Gunner Stockton? The Bulldogs have scored 133 points in two games, and Stockton’s thrown eight touchdowns, cruising effortlessly before hitting the showers early. He’s expected to play his first full game against an Arkansas squad that just got clobbered 43-10 by Utah. Look for him to cross the 25-point barrier. Florida’s Jadan Baugh, by the way, is a guy I’ve been screaming about as the RB1 of the 2027 NFL Draft. Keep an eye on him too!
This weekend is set to be wild, with huge matchups and these players ready to make some noise. Don’t miss out on what these guys are cooking up!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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