Mid-Major Fantasy WR Ranks

1.Chris Williams, New Mexico State (SR)
Hal Mumme’s pass-happy offense should be firing away on all cylinders in 2008. Quarterback Chase Holbrook is back under center and this senior receiver should be the main weapon once again. A collarbone injury ended Williams’ 2007 season, but he accumulated 56 catches for 772 yards and 11 touchdowns before missing the final five games. Fantasy owners should expect Williams to see a significant increase in his statistics this year. In 2006, Williams grabbed 92 passes for 1,415 yards and 12 touchdowns. As long as Holbrook stays healthy, Williams has an excellent chance to exceed those numbers in 2008.

2.Jarett Dillard, Rice (SR)
A new offensive coordinator in 2007 meant a learning curve was in store for Rice quarterback Chase Clement. The Owls struggled to a 3-9 finish last year – but there was significant progress by the end of the season. Clement eventually found his rhythm, and the offense averaged 43 points in their final four games. Due to Clement’s progress, Dillard re-emerged as a fantasy threat, catching 79 passes for 1,057 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Owls should pickup where they left off last year, and Dillard will be one of the top ten fantasy receiving options in college football.

3.Dante Love, Ball State (SR)
2007 was a record-breaking season for Love and the Ball State offense. The 5’10” receiver set a Mid-American Conference all-purpose single-season yardage record with 2,690 while finishing sixth in the country with 107.5 receiving yards per game. The Cardinals don’t expect much of an offensive drop-off in 2008, especially with the return of Love and quarterback Nate Davis. Assuming the Davis to Love connection picks up where they left off last year, both players will be among the top ten fantasy options at their position. 

4.Casey Fitzgerald, North Texas (SR)
This former walk-on receiver burst onto the scene last year. Under first-year head coach Todd Dodge, the Mean Green switched from a run-first offense to a pass-happy attack – and the results were positive for fantasy owners. Behind developing quarterback Giovanni Vizza, the Mean Green finished the year 18th in passing offense while Fitzgerald collected 111 receptions for 1,322 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Mean Green offense is expected to be even better in year two, making Fitzgerald a top ten fantasy receiver for 2008.

5.Bryan Anderson, Central Michigan (JR)
The Chippewas spent the early part of 2007 picking up new head coach Butch Jones’ offense. However, after quarterback Dan LeFevour found his rhythm within the offense – this was one of hottest offenses in the country at the close of 2007. Anderson caught 90 passes for 1,132 yards and ten touchdowns, a steady improvement from the 73 receptions for 867 yards and five touchdowns in 2006. Fantasy owners can expect consistent - and top ten fantasy receiver play - from this junior in 2008, especially with the return of LeFevour.

6.Jeff Moturi, UTEP (JR)
Thanks to the rapid development of young quarterback Trevor Vittatoe, Moturi emerged as a top 25 fantasy receiving option last year. In 12 contests, Moturi grabbed 65 receptions for 891 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 13 receiving touchdowns tied for fourth in the NCAA last year, along with earning First Team All-Conference USA honors. The Miners expect to see continued improvement from Vittatoe in his second season as a starter, making Moturi a candidate for an increase in production and fantasy value for the 2008 season.

7.Emmanuel Sanders, SMU (JR)
Outside of quarterback Justin Willis, the receivers should be the ones most excited over the hire of June Jones as head coach. Jones will look to implement a wide-open passing attack in Dallas, and with the return of Willis and Sanders, the Mustangs should have a potent pass-catch combination. Last season, the junior receiver caught 74 passes for 889 yards and nine touchdowns – building upon the nine touchdowns he caught in 2006. The Mustangs may take some time to pickup Jones’ scheme, but there’s plenty of upside with this pick.

8.Trae Johnson, Tulsa (SO)
Despite the graduation of quarterback Paul Smith, the Golden Hurricane appear to be in good shape as they head into the 2008 season. Senior David Johnson appears to be ready to takeover at quarterback and the receiving corps is one of the best in Conference USA. Johnson caught 70 passes for 1,088 yards and 13 touchdowns last season - all team highs. Even though there is a new quarterback stepping in, Johnson is a top 25 fantasy receiver option, and fantasy owners should also consider him a long-term keeper league prospect.

9.Brennan Marion, Tulsa (SR)
One of the most incredible player stat lines from 2007 college football season was Marion’s yard per catch average. The 6’1” receiver posted a ridiculous 31.9 yards per reception – which included eleven touchdowns and 1,244 receiving yards. It may be difficult for Marion to repeat 31.9 yards per reception in 2007, but the Golden Hurricane remain one of the top passing teams in the NCAA. Expect another solid season from the senior receiver, but don’t expect another season of averaging over 30 yards per reception.

10.Austin Collie, BYU (JR)
The Cougars have high expectations entering 2008, and hopes of crashing the BCS rest on a high-powered offense. Quarterback Max Hall was impressive in his first season as a starter, and Collie ended the season as the Mountain West’s top receiver in touchdown receptions with seven. The junior receiver suffered an ankle injury early in the year, forcing him to have limited work in four contests. Collie closed 2007 with five 100 receiving yard efforts in the final six games of 2007. Needless to say, if he can stay healthy throughout the entire year, 1,000 yards and ten touchdowns isn’t out of the question.

11.Antonio Brown, Central Michigan (SO)
12.Jeremy Childs, Boise State (JR)
13.Cortez Gent, FAU (JR)
14.Kevin Jurovich, San Jose State (SR)
15.Marko Mitchell, Nevada (SR)
16.Freddie Barnes, Bowling Green (JR)
17.Malcolm Lane, Hawaii (JR)
18.A.J. Harris, New Mexico State (SR)
19.DeAndre Brown, Southern Mississippi (FR)
20.Jamarko Simmons, Western Michigan (SR)
21.Carlos Singleton, Memphis (JR)
22.Stephen Williams, Toledo (JR)
23.Chris Gilbert, Houston (JR)
24.Nick Moore, Toledo (SR)
25.Duke Calhoun, Memphis (JR)
26.Aaron Bain, Hawaii (SR)
27.Aldrick Robinson, SMU (SO)
28.L.J. Castile, Houston (SO)
29.Titus Young, Boise State (SO)
30.Matt Simon, Northern Illinois (SR)
31.Ryan Wolfe, UNLV (JR)
32.Darius Passmore, Marshall (SR)
33.Ty Paffett, Air Force (SR)
34.Corey Partridge, Bowling Green (SR)
35.Austin Pettis, Boise State (SO)

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