2026 Boise State University Depth Chart
Offensive environment and where the points are most bankable
Boise State’s fantasy ecosystem still starts with the run game. In 2025 they leaned slightly run-heavy (555 rushes vs. 472 pass attempts) while controlling games with long possession stretches, and OC Nate Potter has been explicit that running the football is not changing as a foundational principle.
That’s why the backfield is the cleanest projection on the roster: Dylan Riley remains the most reliable fantasy trigger because he already proved he can handle lead-touch volume (explosive sophomore season, repeated 100-yard outputs) and the staff is openly framing touches as a point of emphasis, not a luxury.
Sire Gaines profiles as the steadier “power” complement with real weekly TD equity in a system built to create goal-line and clock-killing carries.
The portal additions (Juelz Goff and Harry Stewart III) matter mostly as insurance + committee pressure, not as a true threat to flip the top of the depth chart—Boise added them specifically behind the established 1–2, after Malik Sherrod left and other depth exited.
At QB, Maddux Madsen stays ahead on job security and baseline passing volume, but his 2025 efficiency + durability variance (missed late-season time, then returned) keeps Max Cutforth fantasy-relevant as more than a pure “clipboard” backup.
Passing-game ranking logic in a wide-open WR room
The WR order is driven by two competing truths: Boise State needs new target earners because the 2025 top three wideouts are gone, but the offense still won’t be high-volume enough to feed six receivers consistently.
Ben Ford gets the top fantasy placement on scoring profile—even in only seven games last year he led the team in TD catches (five) and was already functioning as a focal-point finisher when healthy.
The tension is availability: his recovery timeline has been treated cautiously (spring workload uncertain, with expectations leaning toward a fall return), which materially raises the early-season target ceiling for Darren Morris and Cameron Bates.
Morris is a classic “role-fit over level” portal bet—he arrives with proven vertical efficiency and enough career production to plausibly lead the team in receiving yards immediately if Ford isn’t full-go.
Bates is the safest returning bet to climb the target tree (already in the rotation and directly discussed as a likely starter), plus he’s shown multi-touchdown upside via designed touches.
Akeem Wright is the swing player: his JUCO output is massive and Boise’s own WR intel suggests a versatile deployment plan (inside/outside/returns) that can translate to fantasy if he earns full-time snaps quickly—but the jump in defensive athleticism moving into the new Pac-12 is exactly where small-school stars can stall if they don’t win early in the route.
Terrious Favors is the upside freshman to stash: he’s the top-rated WR recruit in the class by both major recruiting services’ public evals, but projecting immediate WR1/WR2 usage over older transfers is still a fragile bet until we see camp usage.
Tight end and kicker decisions
Boise’s TE room is quietly fantasy-relevant because the 2025 offense regularly played multiple tight ends—and now the depth chart funnels routes toward one clear returning producer. With Matt Lauter (and Luke Voorhees) out of eligibility, Matt Wagner steps into the cleanest “routes + snaps” projection among non-RB skill players, making him the most stable weekly TE pick even if WR volatility remains high.
Austin Terry is the logical TE2 because he’s the next veteran in line and consistently appears directly behind Wagner in spring projections, but he’s still more contingent than Wagner on how Boise chooses to replace Lauter’s vacated targets.
At kicker, Colton Boomer is the straightforward fantasy choice: he handled the job in 2025 and produced starter-level volume/accuracy (double-digit made FGs, high XP conversion, plus a 50+ yard leg that matters in college formats).