The Campus2Canton writing staff has now covered all of the conferences. To view previous conferences, click one of the links below:
- Independents
- Sun Belt – East West
- Mountain West – Mountain West
- MAC – East West
- AAC – Part 1 Part 2
- C-USA – East West
- Pac-12 – North South
- SEC – East West
- Big Ten – Part 1 Part 2
- ACC – Atlantic
Generally viewed as the weaker of the two ACC divisions, the Coastal has still produced a decent amount of talent over the past few years, and 2022 shouldn’t be an exception.
DUKE
Fantasy Relevant
It’s difficult to project many players on Duke as fantasy relevant with the spotty QB play they’ve had since Daniel Jones exited in 2019. The only player that fits in this category is running back Jordan Waters. Waters takes the reigns from Mataeo Durant, who totaled roughly 1,500 scrimmage yards last year and scored 11 touchdowns. I’m unsure if I’m penciling in a repeat of that performance, but he should be startable in five of Duke’s first six games – Temple, Northwestern, NC A&T, Kansas, and Georgia Tech. The schedule gets much tougher down the homestretch, with strong defenses or the high likelihood of a negative game script.
Roster Fillers
Wide receiver Jalon Calhoun is the only other player I’d consider on this team, and even then, I’d only do it in extremely deep formats. Calhoun finished last season with a line of 56/718/3, and with the departure of Jake Bobo, he could see an uptick in targets. His viability largely depends on how successful the QB play is, but I’m not hopeful at this point.
Stashes
None
Avoid At Cost
No Duke players have any ADP with us. Waters and Calhoun are both cheap.
GEORGIA TECH
Fantasy Relevant
I’ve left this section blank for Georgia Tech, but they have some intriguing deeper options, as explained below.
Roster Fillers
I’ve had difficulty discerning how the running back room will shake out. Buffalo transfer back Dylan McDuffie brings experience to the room and could have decent success if he wins the job outright. He’ll compete with Louisville transfer Hassan Hall and incumbent Dontae Smith. Jahmyr Gibbs was barely startable in this offense, so I’m not necessarily betting on any of these guys, but one could be a bench option if the job is theirs.
I need to list Jeff Sims here because the upside is tantalizing. Sims is a top-tier rusher as a QB and sometimes flashes enough to make you think he can develop as a passer. Unfortunately, he also makes a lot of bad mistakes and hasn’t improved much since he stepped foot on campus. I’m not personally rostering Sims anywhere, especially with how many QBs they’ve added to the roster this off-season. There could be a quick hook if he struggles early.
Stashes
True freshman back Antonio Martin is probably the only guy I’m stashing on this roster. Martin is a 4-star recruit and has the size to be an every-down back. As mentioned earlier, Georgia Tech’s offense has not been great for fantasy as of late, but Martin has some talent, and the depth chart isn’t that strong. You could do a lot worse with your final bench spots.
Avoid At Cost
There isn’t anyone on this roster valuable enough that needs to be avoided.
MIAMI
Fantasy Relevant
Tyler Van Dyke is probably the biggest name on this Miami team, and for a good reason. “TVD” took the starting job after an injury to D’Eriq King, and he immediately made the job his. Van Dyke was more inconsistent than his fans want to admit. He had four games with a completion percentage under 60, but three over 70% (and one more that could be rounded up to 70%). Van Dyke doesn’t offer much as a rusher or hasn’t so far, which probably limits his immediate fantasy upside. If he can be more consistent, he could be more than just a Devy asset moving forward.
TreVonte’ Citizen is the other big name that should be rostered in every league. Citizen was our recruiting team’s fourth-ranked running back in the 2022 class, and there’s been little news thus far to change our minds.
Tyler Van Dyke thinks freshman RB TreVonte’ Citizen will play early https://t.co/IvjrfdfOEd
— Christopher Stock (@InsideTheU) July 21, 2022
It sounds like Citizen suffered some injury that will keep him out for most of the year, if not the entire thing. Without a big-time recruit in the 2023 class, Citizen should return to his rightful place atop this room once healthy.
Roster Fillers
I almost put both Miami TEs as “fantasy relevant,” but there’s a chance neither Will Mallory nor Elijah Arroyo separate themselves to be a startable fantasy asset. Mallory has seemingly been around forever and has never really taken the big developmental step we all expected. Arroyo was one of the top TEs in last year’s class and reportedly looks ready for the big time. I’d much rather have Arroyo if I had to pick one. There’s also tFR TE Jaleel Skinner, but he’s undersized at the moment, and there’s little chance he passes Arroyo or Mallory this year.
You’ll notice I haven’t mentioned the receiver room yet, and it’s mostly because there’s no established talent here. Slot guy Xavier Restrepo has received the most hype this offseason, partially because no one else has stepped up and because he’s roommates with Van Dyke (muh narrative!).
Our Year 1 Zero Analysis has highlighted Brashard Smith as a potential breakout player in his second year, but reports have not been overly positive this offseason. A bunch of other receivers could be relevant on this team (Keyshawn Smith, Romello Brinson, and Clemson transfer Frank Ladson), but no one is likely to be a superstar this season.
Likewise, there are a bunch of running backs beyond Citizen. Jaylan Knighton is the leading returning rusher, but he profiles more as a change-of-pace guy moving forward. I could see Day 3 draft capital for him in the future, but I’m not expecting another big fantasy season. Henry Parrish and Don Chaney are also intriguing prospects, and they’ll get touches but are unspectacular prospects at this point in time. A big season could change that, but I’m skeptical they’ll get there.
Stashes
The aforementioned Skinner is the best stash on this team. The rest of the squad is thin on young, unproven talent at this stage. Next year’s class looks strong, though, and it should push out some of these fringe players. Guys like Jake Garcia should look to transfer in the next year as a result.
Avoid At Cost
Tyler Van Dyke teeters on the edge of “too costly for me,” but I understand the argument for his third-round ADP. If he has another strong season, he could hear his name called on the opening night of the NFL Draft.
The more egregious situation is that of Jaleel Skinner. Skinner goes as the fifth TE off the board in our ADP, which is ridiculous. Even if you believe he has the upside of Kyle Pitts (I don’t), drafters will need to wait at least one year, probably two, to see him in action. That’s a tough stash.
NORTH CAROLINA
Fantasy Relevant
This North Carolina team will only go as far as their quarterback takes them. For now, it sounds like that’ll be Drake Maye. Maye was a highly-regarded recruit in the 2021 class and has battled with Jacolby Criswell and Conner Harrell for the starting gig. All three looked good in the spring game, and the staff has even hinted that they may rotate QBs early. I’m operating under the assumption that this does not happen, but it’s something to monitor.
Reports out of Chapel Hill early this offseason suggested British Brooks would be the back that replaces Ty Chandler, who moved onto the NFL this offseason. However, Brooks suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for the season, which makes things a bit more interesting in this backfield. I’ll outline his replacements below.
Last season, Chandler operated as a pure bellcow, receiving 60% of the carries and over 120 more than the next closest back on the roster. Most of that was probably because no other backs stepped up, although some of that volume was absorbed by Sam Howell, who got beat up as the season went on.
The year prior, Javonte Williams and Michael Carter split carries evenly and had differing skill sets. I am working under the assumption that the coaching staff would like to revert to 2020 and would prefer not to run their quarterback 180+ times again. That leaves a sizeable role for a more dynamic back, and my money is on true freshman back George Pettaway. He’s a carbon copy of Michael Carter and made waves this spring.
Last, but certainly not least, is All-American receiver, Josh Downs. This is likely Downs’ last year on campus because the NFL will come calling. Downs finished last season with a line of 101/1,335/8, and I suspect he’ll also finish around there this year.
Roster Fillers
The only true “roster filler” on this team currently is Criswell. I’m assuming he transfers after losing out on the job, and he could be a good starter at another school.
Stashes
I’m placing Omarion Hampton in this category because I don’t know if/when he’ll take the job that Brooks vacated, but he’s more than just a “roster filler.” Hampton profiles similarly to Javonte Williams, although I’m not sure he’s quite that level of athlete. Regardless, the opportunity is there for him to get on the field quicker than originally anticipated.
Andre Greene Jr. could finally fill the spot across from Downs, but who knows if he’ll be ready in year one. I wish he would’ve early enrolled, as North Carolina needs more capable pass catchers. Tychaun Chapman profiles similarly to Downs and will likely step into his role as a second-year player.
The only other guy worth mentioning here is TE Bryson Nesbit. Nesbit is a great athlete who is 6’5″ and 230 pounds. He’ll share time this year with Komari Morales (who is not rosterable) but is worth a stash based on his athletic profile alone.
I’m also happy to stash Harrell. Again, even if he never wins the job at UNC, he’s a good player and could make noise elsewhere or wait his turn and run this offense in a couple of years.
Avoid At Cost
Most of the players on this squad are reasonably priced, and there’s no one I’m truly avoiding at the current cost.
PITTSBURGH
Fantasy Relevant
Pitt’s offense was one of the best in the country last year, but they’ve lost their two best players this offseason. Without Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison, the Panthers will rely on two transfers: QB Kedon Slovis and WR Konata Mumpfield. Slovis hasn’t taken the next step in his development and was forced out of USC first by Jaxson Dart, then the duo of Lincoln Riley/Caleb Williams. He reportedly was terrible this spring, but he’ll have a very strong offensive line and a deep receiver room that can hopefully help.
As for Mumpfield, he plays similarly to Jordan Addison, but we can’t expect a Biletnikoff Award-winning season out of him. Besides, Pitt’s missing two of the architects of their 2022 offense: OC Mark Whipple and WR coach Brennan Marion.
New OC Frank Cignetti has a history of running the ball more than his predecessor, which could spell success for Israel Abanikanda. Izzy has bell cow size and has been a solid receiver in the past, but Pitt has been hesitant to give him more touches. With one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country, I’m predicting a breakout for Izzy (the third time is the charm).
Roster Fillers
Pitt had a formidable TE duo last year but lost half that duo with Lucas Krull’s NFL departure. Second-year TE Gavin Bartholomew should inherit a larger target share as a result. Even with their split last season, Bartholomew caught 28 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns. He also has true NFL size at 6’5” and 255 pounds. Cignetti’s history at Boston College suggests that he likes to get the TE involved. In his two seasons there, he produced the highlighted seasons:
Stashes
There aren’t any players with stash potential currently on the roster.
Avoid At Cost
The only player I’m tempted to avoid at current ADP is Mumpfield. While Pitt needs someone to step into Addison’s former role, Addison himself is a unique player. Mumpfield is no slouch, but I don’t expect a WR1 season or anything close to that.
VIRGINIA
Fantasy Relevant
Last year was exciting for Virginia fans. The passing offense was one of the most explosive in college football, led by third-team All-ACC quarterback Brennan Armstrong. Armstrong was a true dual-threat, passing for almost 4,500 yards and rushing for another 476. It speaks to the strength of the QB play in the ACC last season that he could only secure a third-team spot. Virginia lost their HC and OC this offseason and replaced them with two men with less exciting resumes. I’m skeptical they’ll allow Armstrong to air it out as often as last season, but he should still be a weekly fantasy option.
Who was on the opposite end of Armstrong’s passes in 2021? Dontayvion Wicks was the leading man. Wicks finished the year with 57 catches, 1,203 yards, and nine touchdowns. It was an excellent season, and he was rewarded with a place on the All-ACC First Team. Part of his breakout was the absence of Lavel Davis, who tore his ACL last offseason and missed the entire year. Davis broke out down the stretch in 2020. He’s 6’7” and will be a big red zone target in 2022. I’m not sure how relevant he will be every week, but he has some value in best ball leagues, as does RB/WR hybrid Keytaon Thompson. Thompson had about 1,250 total yards from scrimmage last year. I want to like him as a devy asset, but 2022 will be his sixth year in college.
Roster Fillers
The only other guy that is interesting in a standard league is Billy Kemp, a smaller receiver who generally operates in the short and intermediate areas of the field while Wicks and Davis work deep. He’s not a priority, but if you want a piece of this offense late, he could be an intriguing player.
Stashes
There aren’t any players I’m stashing on this roster.
Avoid At Cost
Some are concerned about Wicks this year with the likely decrease in passing volume and the number of weapons at UVA’s disposal. However, he’s currently WR45 in our ADP, which is more than fair for him (and actually could be considered cheap).
VIRGINIA TECH
Fantasy Relevant
Someone could emerge this season, but as we enter the regular season, I don’t see anyone on the roster who I would consider a strong devy asset or a player I would want to start weekly for college fantasy purposes.
Roster Fillers
After the outgoing transfer of Braxton Burmeister, Virginia Tech poached Grant Wells from Marshall. Wells has been inconsistent throughout his career, but he’s mobile enough and has a solid arm. Although I’m skeptical, he could be a guy that surprises this year.
Virginia Tech also loses their top two receivers from last year, and it’s unclear exactly what the hierarchy will be in that group. Kaleb Smith, Da’Wain Lofton, or former Temple WR Jadan Blue could all figure in at some point this year. One of these guys will probably outperform their (nonexistent) ADP, but it’s anyone’s guess.
Stashes
I was a big fan of Malachi Thomas last year. Thomas grabbed a significant role in the Tech backfield as a true freshman. If he can continue consolidating the workload, he could be an intriguing player as the year progresses.
