K Jimmy Stevens is ready to stare down the #1 fantasy kicker spot.
They are the butt of jokes, the last ones chosen on your team and the guys that are one step ahead of the water boy. But to own a solid fantasy kicker is like owning gold. The problem is you have to find the right one. Although a juggernaut offense may provide a bunch of chances to score for kickers, please remember something. Field Goals count as 3, point afters go for just 1. The key is to find the kicker who does both, with regularity, with a secure job, that wont be replaced. Here are the top 20 kickers as we enter 2011.
No position in college fantasy football relies more on weekly matchups than starting a defense.
Ladies and gentlemen, your USC Trojan Defense (Icon SMI)
While there are teams that are traditionally solid year after year such as Alabama or Virginia Tech or TCU on the defensive end, many weeks you need to find the Major school playing a lesser school. Week 1 is the perfect example, as lets say you have drafted Oklahoma but they face a high flying Tulsa team led by GJ Kinne.
Would you rather play the Sooners defense or maybe even LSU’s who goes against Oregon or lets say UCONN’s. Just so happens the Huskies are playing Fordham…yes Fordham. Or maybe take a flyer on the powerhouse (saying that with a giggle) of the Michigan State defense when they play Youngstown State.
The bottom line is never draft a defense early, but be early when hitting the waiver wire to expose matchups every week. But we all still need rankings, so here are the top 25 fantasy defenses for 2011.
TE Michael Egnew is our preseason #1 TE...can he bring the stats?
A swiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing and a miss. That was pretty much everyone’s strategy at the Tight End position in 2010. You thought you were going to get a stud when you drafted Kyle Rudolph, right? He gets hurt and his season is over. You took a tip on Virgil Green and go giddy as he explodes in the season opener. Then he does nothing the rest of the year…thanks for playing Virgil! Well, you are in for more of the same in 2011. The players you expect to contribute may struggle, and those you couldn’t see from a thousand miles away (that’s you Ted Bolser and Jordan Reed), will prosper. As we always preach when it comes to this position: don’t draft a TE early, play matchups, and don’t be afraid to pick a guy off the waiver wire when he sees consistent targets.
Might be the "other" WR from the state of Oklahoma.
Who's the real #1 WR in fantasy college football?
What is the old saying? Smoke em if you got em? Well if you are looking for a sure-fire, no doubt, #1, stud wide receiver that you can depend on week in and week out…this year there are a grand total of….2.
Unlike last year, which saw plenty of talent that was sure to score boatloads of points every week, this year I can firmly say there are two tiers. Blackmon/Broyles and everyone else. While there is not a skill position with less star power then at wideout, there sure is depth with plenty of guys capable of putting up double digits every week. It is your job to read summer reports and pounce on those top free agents once the season starts.
1. Justin Blackmon (pictured right, courtesy of Icon SMI), Oklahoma State
1A. Ryan Broyles (also pictured right), Oklahoma
3. Lance Lewis, East Carolina (check academic record before draft day)
Will RB LaMichael James lead you to the fantasy title?
When targeting running backs in 2011, it is more about prognostication then going on what you have seen over previous years. In the case of many potential top fantasy backs, they are picking up the reigns of a superstar who leaves with them a legacy for big numbers, big plays and wins for their fantasy owner. David Wilson, Marcus Coker, Trent Richardson and Antwon Bailey are just four examples of guys who we believe will take that next stud tailback step. While mid-conference studs such as Bobby Rainey, Lance Dunbar and Ronnie Hillman are among those top backs who may not be seen on ESPN every weekend, but win you the ring at the end of the year.
1. LaMichael James (pictured right, Icon SMI), Oregon
