One door closes and another one opens and so it goes in Blacksburg, Va.
When it was found out Virginia Tech running back and top Fantasy option Darren Evans would miss the entire 2009 season with an ACL tear, owners and fans alike were thrown for a loop. The backup options being just freshmen, where oh where will the Hokies turn?
After a convincing win over Marshall in Week 2, it seems coach Frank Beamer has his answer.
Virginia Tech is a storied program and never before in its over 115 years of football had two players rushed for over 160 yards in the same game. Until now, that is.
That is exactly what redshirt freshman Ryan Williams and true freshman David Wilson accomplished against the Thundering Herd on Saturday. Williams carried 16 times for 164 yards before giving way to Wilson, who took the ball 12 times for 165.
While the Hokies are excited about their exciting new tailback duo, this creates a conundrum for Fantasy owners. Will the tandem by fighting each other for carries? Wilson certainly looked up to the task on Saturday and it would benefit each to lighten their respective loads.
Being a running back at Virginia Tech is more than just carrying the football, however, and both backs allowed sacks as blockers against the Herd. That said, when it comes to experience and blocking ability, the hands down leader is Williams for the moment.
And while Wilson totaled more yards on less carries in Week 2, Williams found the end zone four times compared to Wilson's once. Plus, Williams carried the ball 13 times in a Week 1 loss to Alabama and played well against a tough SEC defense as he totaled 71 yards and two touchdowns, as well as catching a long pass. Wilson did not get any snaps and was only involved in two plays in that game.
"It got to me," Wilson told the Richmond Times Dispatch after the Week 2 win. "But I decided I wasn't going to let it get to me."
While that quote makes little grammatical sense, it also shows Wilson's resolve and running backs coach Billy Hite promised to turn his true freshman loose against Marshall. Wilson saw his first carry of the game on the first play of the second quarter and broke free for a 14-yard gain. He didn't get another carry until midway through the third, however, as he came on once the game got out of hand.
The Hokies hope to have the next great duo the likes of Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones back in 2002 but realize these two freshmen have a long way to go before they reach that level. The defenses only get tougher the rest of the way beginning with Nebraska in Week 3 in Blacksburg.
"The thing I like about them is their feet don't stop," Hite said, in his 30th season as running backs coach. "They constantly run their feet on contact, and if you keep doing that, that's when you're gonna break tackles."
Beamer loves his new tandem and Fantasy owners should begin to familiarize themselves with both options. Still, for now, Williams should be the man picked up in most Fantasy leagues. He is owned in just 23 percent of leagues and that number is too small considering his first two games. He is the team's starter and the plan remains for Wilson to get secondary carries. In close games, expect Tech to stick with Williams, making him the much better Fantasy option for the time being.
Wilson is a sleeper the rest of the way, especially if he sees more carries. He's one injury to Williams away from being a must-start Fantasy option as a true freshman.
So don't feel sorry for Virginia Tech. They may have lost their No. 1 running back option but in this case, one fallen star has created the birth of two new ones.
Quarterback
Ricky Dobbs, Navy
Owned: 11 percent of leagues
Analysis:
Watching Dobbs play, you won't see the pure cannon for an arm like
Houston's Case Keenum. You won't see
the fullback-like quality that makes Tim Tebow
a threat to score on the ground, either. What you will see is a system
quarterback running a successful system to perfection. That is why,
after two weeks, Dobbs is currently the 15th-best Fantasy producer among
QBs around the nation. Dobbs has thrown just 21 passes in two games but
has completed 14 of them for 259 yards and two touchdowns. While that
doesn't sound like much, consider Navy's triple-option offense and the
fact that Dobbs has carried 43 times for 130 yards and four rushing
touchdowns. And the junior will only see more and more of the offensive
workload as the games get tougher. Dobbs and Navy play at Pittsburgh in
Week 3 and while that is a tough matchup you might want to bench him
for, you'll want to be using him in Week 4 against one of the worst
defenses in the nation in Western Kentucky. Dobbs will continue to put
up superb rushing stats and solid passing numbers all season as the
Mids' QB and deserves more looks than he's currently getting.
Wide Receiver
Terrance Toliver, LSU
Owned: 48 percent of leagues
Analysis:
In yet another example of Fantasy owners' penchant for rushing out and
grabbing talent from schools regularly featured in the rankings, owners
have made LSU's Toliver the most widely signed receiver off the walk-on
list as his ownership went from 4 to 48 percent in one week's time after
his Week 1 effort. Toliver hauled in four catches for 117 yards,
including touchdown receptions of 45 and 39 yards during the win against
hapless Washington. After spending his first two seasons at LSU
struggling mightily to learn the offense and ultimately being a major
disappointment, it appeared he had finally figured things out. And that
may still be the case, except with Brandon LaFell
and a host of other solid receiving options for a team quarterbacked by
a largely unproven talent in sophomore Jordan Jefferson, Toliver will never be a consistent option this
season. That was evidenced in a Week 2 win over SEC rival Vanderbilt.
Against a tough defense, Toliver only managed three catches for 21
yards. Life won't get any easier once the bulk of SEC play begins and we
don't expect Toliver to be worth owning in all but the deepest of
leagues.
Tight End
Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh
Owned: 1 percent of
leagues
Analysis: The one-week fluke is always a risk when
considering Fantasy options off the walk-on list. A guy goes off in a
given game and all of a sudden he's getting Fantasy looks he doesn't
really deserve. After Dickerson led the Panthers in a Week 2 win at
Buffalo with eight catches for 71 yards and three touchdowns, it is easy
to believe the senior might fall into the category. People around
Pittsburgh, including quarterback Bill Stull,
disagree. "You look at him and the athletic ability," Stull told the Pittsburgh
Tribune of Dickerson. "It's remarkable." Dickerson is blessed with
sprinter speed and creates a very tough matchup for defenders. While he
put up huge numbers in Week 2, the Week 1 win over FCS Youngstown State
proves he'll be a big part of the offense each week. He caught four
passes for 26 yards and a touchdown in that game. His 12 catches and 97
yards with four touchdowns on the season nearly doubles his career
totals. He's becoming the go-to offensive option for the Panthers and
could be a solid option all season long. He deserves some more looks in
Fantasy, especially with a game against Navy coming up in Week 3.
Defense/Special Teams
Southern Miss DST
Owned: 1 percent of leagues
Analysis:
There really isn't much not to like about the Southern Miss
Golden Eagles after two weeks of the college season. Owned in 1 percent
of Fantasy leagues, owners need to realize they are for real and are
well worth owning in the majority of Fantasy leagues. Tabbed a top 40
DST unit heading into the season, they've been all that and more in two
games. In wins over FCS Alcorn State and UCF -- alright, not exactly
juggernauts -- the Eagles are ranked No. 6 overall in terms of Fantasy
points. Only 13 schools have allowed fewer than their 365 total yards
allowed. They shut out Alcorn State and have allowed 19 points total on
the year. Southern Miss already has two interceptions, five sacks, three
fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown to their credit and have
been a very energetic group. We're sure they'll have a few rough games
against better offenses like Kansas in Week 4 and at Houston on Oct. 31,
but for the most part against C-USA foes, the Eagles should be, well,
golden. That goes double in Week 3 as they host one of the nation's
worst BCS teams in Virginia. The Cavaliers are leading the nation in
turnovers and that should feed into another excellent performance from
the Eagles DST in Week 3.