One of the biggest hazards of playing in the SEC is the level of competition is often so high that typical issues overlooked in most leagues turn into a reason to end up as 3^rd-string.   That happened for a few of the guys on this list last year; they’ve returned, and they’re certainly not forgotten.  As for some of the others, graduation and injuries have left voids in potential production, and they’re more likely to step into that gap than others.

 (Really, I couldn’t think of a half-decent intro, so with that being said – now everyone can get excited about Enrique Davis.)

1: Enrique Davis, Ole Miss 

Davis was tabbed as a potential breakout player as a true freshman; since the Rebel backfield wasn’t really well known for high-level talent, Davis was in great shape to step into a RB1 role as a true freshman.  The only problem with that is he never learned how to pass block.  With a year under his belt, Davis should’ve hopefully figured out Ole Miss’s blocking schemes – if he has, the sky’s the limit.  He’s a much better option than Brandon Barden at RB2 for the Rebels, which means he should get plenty of opportunity.  It doesn’t hurt that Houston Nutt’s teams trend toward the run – even with Jevan Snead, Ole Miss ran on 60% of their plays from scrimmage last year.

2: Mario Fannin, Auburn 

He’s unquestionably talented, but whether his skill set didn’t fit into what Tommy Tuberville wanted or he simply got shuffled down to a change-of-pace RB, Fannin didn’t do much.  There’s no guarantee this year will be much better than the last two years, but with Gus Malzahn stepping on campus there will at worst be more opportunities for him to touch the ball.  He’s been a bit shoehorned into a WR/RB hybrid role in the previous regime, but it’ll be better for his fantasy prospects if he can emerge as RB2.  Remember that for all the talk about Malzahn’s high-flying offense, it’s more about playing fast – and running a lot.  Tulsa ran on about 61% of their plays from scrimmage last year.

3: Broderick Green, Arkansas

Green transferred from USC and just got cleared by the NCAA to play this season.  While he doesn’t have a shot of displacing Michael Smith as the feature back of Bobby Petrino’s offense, he does have a shot to be the goal-line RB.  Why?  He’s a beast, at least comparatively speaking.  If he can stay healthy, he has a shot to evoke the glory days of Jovorski Lane, only with a slightly less run-dependent offense.

4: Deonte Thompson, Florida

There are a couple of voids with the Gators this year: does anyone step into the Harvin WR/RB role, and who on earth makes up for the 1,200 lost receiving yards?  While Thompson likely isn’t the answer to the first question, he easily could be the answer for the second one; he was the leading receiver among the returning WRs, and his 14.9 yards per reception average is a good sign he can rack up yardage in the Gator offense.  Thompson’s biggest problem is that he’s surrounded by playmakers; if he can’t establish himself early he won’t get an opportunity to.  Even with establishing himself, Thompson may only flirt with the 800-yard mark – of course, with Florida’s offense that’ll probably come with 10 TDs.

5: Gerald Jones, Tennessee (photo right, courtesy Icon SMI)

Jones is injured through the Florida game at least, which means he’s off the radar of nearly everyone but Tennessee fans.  (Aren’t you glad I’m here?)  When he’s healthy, Jones is the Vols’ most dynamic option at WR, and should be able to serve in a RB/QB role for a few plays a game if needed; with that being said, I don’t think the G-Gun will return with the Kiffin era.  Even if he’s only lining up at WR, Tennessee will need to pass the ball sometimes, and it’ll be difficult for their QB play to be any worse than it was last year.  If Jones truly gets rolling, he may put up numbers similar to what Dexter McCluster had last season.

6: Moe Brown, South Carolina

The ‘Cocks are normally good for one viable WR each season; nearly by definition, that would fall to Moe Brown.  The other potential guys simply are either too young or not good enough.  Even with being WR1, Brown may only skirt the edges of fantasy viability, but if anyone in Columbia’s going to do it this season, it’ll be him.

7: Tim Hawthorne, Auburn

It’s kind of scary to think Auburn may have a passing offense this year; in the event that happens and we need to break some glass (because it will be an emergency), Hawthorne is the guy to chase.  He’s the only legitimate deep threat on the Tigers; barring injury, he should at least triple his reception total from last year (don’t get too excited – he only had eight catches) and chip in a fair amount of TDs.  Of course, since he’s their deep threat guy, that’s also feast/famine alert; all his production may only come in half the games, so plan accordingly.

8: Brandon Warren, Tennessee

Warren is unquestionably talented but hasn’t gotten his shot in Knoxville yet.  He’s moved from TE to WR – and at a good time, too, with Austin Rogers and Denarius Moore both out for the season and Jones out for a bit (see above).  That means Warren is the best returning WR both from a talent and production standpoint.  With talent and opportunity finally coming together, this is Warren’s best chance yet to put up solid numbers.

9: Carl Moore, Florida

Hopefully with a year to learn Florida’s offense, Moore will do better than his middling numbers last year.  He’s still a highly regarded JUCO prospect and that hasn’t gone anywhere.  Like Thompson, Moore will have some stiff competition to hurdle to become truly useful, but Moore may have legs as a deep threat option.

10: Michael Moore, Georgia

Yes, there are more WRs at Georgia beyond AJ Green.  Moore didn’t have that bad a season last year with Stafford throwing near him, and although common wisdom is that Georgia won’t pass as much this season, following that logic they won’t run as much either.  He’s absolutely WR2, but should be a decent spot start option or a guy to stash to see if Georgia gets pass-happy.  There’s certainly a yardage gap for Moore to bridge, though.

So with this list being researched and determined, watch Emmanuel Moody break out for a 1,500 yard season.  That’s how these lists work, right?

Related posts:

1. SEC Watchdog: 2010 Top Players
2. Feast or Famine: Top 5 Breakout Players of 2009
3. Catching up on SEC Wide Receivers
4. SEC Keeper Watch
5. SEC Watchdog: Week 11 Review, or, Marcus Lattimore is superhuman

Tags: SEC