Before we get started with the rest of the SEC units – namely, the TE/D-ST/K conundrum of replaceability – a quick note; Knile Davis’ broken ankle knocks him out for the season. Nobody in the Arkansas backfield has shown much of anything aside from Davis, and even 2009 Jovorski Lane impersonator extraordinaire Broderick Green (443 yards, 11 TDs) is out for the season. That leaves Ronnie Wingo and Dennis Johnson as the two primary RBs there, and neither has shown much of anything so far. Wingo’s more likely to excel based on what’s happened so far in their respective college careers, but they’re both in the “avoid until they show something” category.

The only silver lining here is an entirely personal one; the timing of Davis’ injury (which, let’s be honest, sucks for Arkansas, sucks for fantasy, and sucks for fans of wildly competitive divisions and conference cannibalism) means that I don’t have to preface any of the TE, D/ST units, or K in the SEC, which are all about as interesting as lead paint. Prepare accordingly.

SEC Tight Ends (or, the other dude)

1. Brandon Barden, Vanderbilt

Yeah, that’s how quick the tight end positions thins out this year. Barden had the unfortunate distinction of being Vanderbilt’s leading receiver last year, which …well, if you could sum up a season in a sentence, that would describe the Vanderbilt 2010 campaign. 500 yards and 5 TDs seem possible, but again, it’s Vanderbilt. Read the rest of this entry →

I'm here to declare myself the #1 fantasy WR in the SEC (Icon SMI)

I don’t want to mince words, so let’s just have it out: the SEC’s wide receivers kind of suck as a fantasy unit. There’s a steep dropoff from the top to the mid-tier right now; some of this will shake out over the course of the season, but it’s equally likely that it’ll just be slow chaos all around. It doesn’t help matters that so many of the top WRs from last year – AJ Green, Julio Jones, Denarius Moore – have bolted for the NFL. That leaves question marks all around.

First Tier: As Good As It Gets Here – Draft-Worthy

Yes, it’s gotten so bad here that we have to call out the guys that are actually worth drafting. I’m just glad there’s enough rain that there won’t be clouds of dust.

1. Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina Read the rest of this entry →

QB Tyler Wilson looks to step in as the new gunslinger at Arkansas (Icon SMI)

It’s a little strange to see a conference so historically run-heavy emerge with multiple viable fantasy QBs in nearly all formats, but that’s where we stand now. The unleashing of Bobby Petrino and Gus Malzahn’s on the SEC (and, let’s be honest, Cam Newton destroying everything) served as a nice reminder that hey, the guy under center not only doesn’t have to be under center, but he can also run or pass more than 25 times a game. This season, with the departure of Newton and Ryan Mallett, it easily looks like there’s a potential QB void in the SEC – again. That’s not the case.

First Tier – Draftable and Startable

1. Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

Wilson saw limited action last year (mostly when Mallett was injured) and served as a capable replacement, going toe-to-toe against the Auburn juggernaut. Granted, he didn’t exactly keep that game close, but it’s tough to notch a win when your defense looks like fresh baby food. With the emergence of Knile Davis and the return of nearly everyone who caught a pass among the receiver corps, Wilson has plenty of quality targets. He’s as plug-and-play as it gets for Petrino, and should approximate Mallett’s performance. Read the rest of this entry →

It’s a little-known secret among the FCB crew, but I’m a bit fanatical about this Oregon team. One of the projects I’ve been taking on over the last few years has been learning more about certain offenses.  The problem is that in the SEC, it’s been mostly spread option, a little bit of Bobby Petrino, whatever on earth it is that Gary Crowton does (I still have no clue, and it’s been years), and a bunch of pro-style offenses. Back during last year’s offseason, I decided I was going to learn about Oregon and Auburn’s offense. I’ve had time to rhapsodize about Oregon’s offense before, although not here, but I haven’t had a chance to really deploy the Auburn knowledge. Fortunately, there’s a game on Monday involving both these teams. Let’s party.

As it happens, Oregon isn’t the only offense that wants to emphasize tempo. Gus Malzahn has two main focuses on offense – formations and tempo. The total play set isn’t terribly complex, but how they get there looks like it to most defenses. For one, it’s easy for his offense to run the same play out of 12 formations.  It’s much more difficult for the defense to recognize that it’s the same play (except possibly after the fact, which isn’t of much use). Now, best-laid plans certainly applies here as Auburn didn’t get to 80 plays in a single game this year (compared to twice in 2009).  They did notably slow it down against their two most overmatched opponents of the season, which gives their seasonal per-game play averages a bit of a tweak below what they effectively were.
Read the rest of this entry →