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There is a lot of uncertainty in the American Athletic Conference due to three of the highest profile teams in the division heading to the Big 12 after this season. Losing Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF will hurt this division overall. Adding Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, North Texas, UTSA, Rice, and UAB will help, but as one of the stronger G5 divisions, it’s a bit of a step down initially.
The best team in this second part of the series is clearly UCF; they have been contenders at the top of the division for several years. They have won more than nine games in four of the last five years and even have a “National Championship” in 2017, if you listen to their fan base.
Beyond UCF, there is some talent in the division, and this article will outline some players to target or avoid.
- Fantasy Relevant
- Roster Fillers
- Stashes
- Players to Avoid at Cost
All teams are listed in alphabetical order.
SMU Mustangs
Fantasy Relevant
The Mustangs have a trio of fantasy-relevant players; all should be targets in CFF particularly. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai was QB9 last year and threw for over 3,600 yards, 39 TDs, and 12 INTs. He rushed for 202 yards and a pair of scores, adding in a little with his legs. Mordecai has talent behind him but should hold on as a starter, barring injury.
Camar Wheaton, a former five-star Alabama RB, comes in and will likely have a huge season. He’s a big play waiting to happen with top-end track speed and is best as a one-cut north and south runner. Wheaton has had limited pass-catching opportunities, but SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee likes to get backs the ball out of the backfield, a la former starter Ulysses Bentley IV – now an Ole Miss back.
The WR1 for Lashlee offenses is typically a lucrative position in fantasy, and senior Rashee Rice is next in line. He has caught 137 passes for 1,756 yards and 15 scores in his career, with most of the production in the last two seasons. Rice could get 75% of that production this season and is now getting drafted at the end of the third round of CFF drafts.
Roster Fillers
The WR2 in Lashlee’s offenses can typically be productive, as Rice has been the past two years. North Carolina transfer Beau Corrales is the best bet and is someone I am targeting later in CFF drafts. Sophomore Dylan Goffney, a former track guy, may also figure in. He has a rapport with Mordecai – catching 14 passes for 131 yards as a freshman.
If Wheaton doesn’t work out, super senior Tre Siggers will step in and filled in admirably when Bentley was out last season. He rushed for 727 yards, scored nine TDs, and also caught nine passes.
Tight end Nolan Matthews-Harris should be the leader in the TE room and caught eight passes for 84 yards and a pair of scores last season. He has excellent size at 6’6” and 258 pounds and looks like a natural receiver.
Stashes
If Mordecai falters, sophomore Preston Stone is going to be the man. He’s a player I am aggressively targeting in the mid-rounds of C2C drafts and has a ton of college upside for next year. Stone was a four-star recruit and has a lot of tools to succeed. He’s got a great arm and can make a lot of the throws a QB needs to make – SMU’s offense will allow him to put up some great numbers, at the least. I think Stone could even end up being an NFL prospect; his development will tell us what we need to know there.
Players to Avoid at Cost
As much as I love Rice, I am a bit hesitant to take him in the third round of CFF drafts. There is a lot of competition, but everything is lined up right for him to succeed. At the cost, I am avoiding Rice. I feel better drafting him there if he falls to the fifth round.
South Florida Bulls
Fantasy Relevant
The QB room got an instant upgrade by grabbing Gerry Bohanon from Baylor. He should be a fantasy-relevant QB, but I don’t expect monstrous numbers. He’s got some good weapons to throw, too, and head coach Jeff Scott with new OC Travis Trickett, will push the ball downfield. The team only averaged 23.2 points a game with 192.4 passing yards averaged; expect that passing number to be around 300 this season. Bohanon is a good QB3 for your CFF teams with the ability for some big weeks.
Roster Fillers
The RB is Jaren Mangham, and he scored 15 TDs on only 160 rushes for 671 yards. We can’t expect that to duplicate, and he’s mired in a committee.
The WRs are exciting, and either of these guys can be targeted later in your CFF drafts. Xavier Weaver leads the way and, despite an anemic passing attack in 2021, caught 41 passes for 715 yards but only scored twice. Sophomore Jimmy Horn Jr. caught 30 balls for 408 yards and a score. Both players stand to see their targets double and could be solid WR3s for your college squads.
Stashes
Redshirt WR Khafre Brown is someone I am targeting to stash. He was a four-star recruit and initially attended North Carolina but transferred to USF. Brown may be rostered already in most leagues, but he may be forgotten until much later in a start-up. He’s got great speed and is a legit deep threat. Brown may figure in more next season; keep the name on your radar.
Players to Avoid at Cost
None.
Temple Owls
Fantasy Relevant
I don’t have anyone as fantasy relevant for the Owls. QB D’Wan Mathis is an interesting name to keep an eye on; a four-star Georgia commit initially. He’s got some tools and can make plays, but the offense around him is bleak.
Roster Fillers
None.
Stashes
None.
Players to Avoid at Cost
None.
Tulane Green Wave
Fantasy Relevant
The Green Wave has a new OC, Jim Svoboda, who coached one of the top offenses in Division II as head coach at the University of Central Missouri. What he does with the offense will determine fantasy relevance.
Roster Fillers
Tulane has a few players I wouldn’t mind on my CFF rosters, but guys I don’t want to rely on weekly. QB Michael Pratt, no relation to Star-Lord, was the QB46 on the season in 2021 and threw for 2,381 yards, 21 TDs, and only eight INTs. He rushed for five scores as well. Pratt is a steady QB that won’t light up the stat sheet but won’t kill your team if he’s your QB4 and you are in dire need of a start.
RB Tyjae Spears is in the same boat. His 863 yards rushing with nine scores and 19 receptions were good for RB54, but he’s not an every-week start either.
Svoboda brought his top WR with him to Tulane, Shae Wyatt, and he’s a name to monitor if the Green Wave offense takes off. The new OC also likes to feature TEs, and Tyrick James is gaining traction in CFF drafts – another name to keep in your back pocket for later in drafts.
Stashes
A name I can’t give up, Tulane was able to secure former four-star Colorado RB Ashaad Clayton from the portal. I liked Clayton a lot coming into college. He’s got great size and build and has good power with quick feet. Clayton likely won’t unseat Spears but keep an eye on him.
Players to Avoid at Cost
None.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Fantasy Relevant
None.
Roster Fillers
I’m not inspired by any of the options here. QB Davis Brin threw for over 3,200 yards but had 16 INTs and was not very consistent. Receiver JuanCarlos Santana will be the beneficiary of Josh Johnson’s departure. Santana will likely be boom or bust just like Johnson was and best in best ball formats only.
Stashes
None.
Players to Avoid at Cost
None.
UCF Golden Knights
Fantasy Relevant
I want two players from the Golden Knights, their starting RB and WR. Back Isaiah Bowser was fed heavily down the stretch and finished with 703 yards, nine TDs, and also caught nine passes. He eclipsed 100 yards in three of his eight games, including 172 versus Boise State and 155 versus Florida in the bowl game.
Receiver Ryan O’Keefe was used in many ways and was a solid fantasy producer. He caught 84 balls for 812 yards and also rushed the ball 16 times for 274 yards. He reached the end zone eight times and eclipsed 1,000 total yards. The UCF offense will feature O’Keefe again, and he’s a great grab in the mid-rounds of CFF drafts.
Roster Fillers
The QB for UCF has been a consistently fantasy lucrative position, and Ole Miss transfer John Rhys Plumlee is likely the next in line. It’s not locked in, incumbent Mikey Keene is still in the loop, but he was uninspiring last season.
Another WR could emerge if the QB position improves. Amari Johnson, Auburn transfer Kobe Hudson, and Alabama transfer Javon Baker are guys to keep an eye on.
Stashes
Freshman QB Thomas Castellanos is a name to stash away. He’s a dual-threat QB, a bit raw as a QB, but has immense upside and could follow a Dillon Gabriel-like trajectory as a starter.
Players to Avoid at Cost
Rhys Plumlee’s ADP is currently 85.2 based on July’s ADP at our site. I can’t buy into him at that price. Watching Corral over the past few years, I saw many times Ole Miss threw Rhys Plumlee in for some plays, and he’s a good athlete but less than impressive throwing. The UCF system may give him decent numbers, but that’s too high of a price to pay for me.
