Assessing Value to Position for Your 2016 Fantasy College Football Draft
What's a teammate double up? Pretty simple. That's when you pair your quarterback with a reciever from the same team. Obviously, this is an attempt to maximize points and it doesn't work for all QBs, nor all of their WRs.
Here is what it does do: It takes a mid-level QB who has a favorite WR (or even just a stand-alone WR) and the combination goes from decent to very good and a very good set of players to unbeatable. That is, owning both of these players gets you paid twice for the same plays. A TD pass from the QB to that WR profits you 12 points for the TD plus yardage for one single play. I've seen 70 yard TD passes (thinking back to my Geno Smith/Tavon Austin teammate double up) score me 23.5 points on a single play.
Of course there is risk. If the offense has a bad day, you can get yourself into a hole very quickly. But, hey, that's fantasy football.
What are we looking for? A couple of things. The first are pass-first systems. Take Baylor (before the current mess), for instance. If you have the Baylor QB, you can use virtually any starting WR and be assured that chances are high to get at least some solid yardage. A single TD between the two can elevate your score significantly. In this case, a second tier WR that doesn't even lead his own team becomes incredibly valuable despite not having any initial value.
What about a QB with a favorite target? Take Shane Carden and Justin Hardy. Both of these guys were worth owning on their own. Carden threw for 4,700 yards and 30 TDs. Of those, 1,500 and 10 TDs went to Hardy. The two were an unstoppable combo.
In the case of TEs, there are only a few that are worth owning, much less drafting. But, pairing one of these TEs with a good or great QB gives you a massive score differential on your opponet.
Let's take a look at some of this year's potential Teammate Double-Ups
Zach Terrell/Corey Davis (Western Michigan)- These two will rival any set of duos out there. In 2015, they weren't even the best set on the field. Daniel Braverman took his talents to the NFL and left Davis ready to take over the lead role. There are two sophomores on the offensive line but three upperclassmen. Outside of a week one matchup against Northwestern, the Broncos should sail through. But, keep an eye on the shift from a passing first attack to a strong game. The Broncos have some gifted backs and a lot of depth.
Skylar Howard/Shelton Gibson (WVU)- I love Dana Holgerson a lot, especially early in the season. West Virginia is one of my favorite plays in the double-up game. These two hooked up for 9 TDs last year. Howard would have been an elite QB if not for the 14 INTs. That was far and away the most in the top 30 QBs. Can he cut those out in his senior season? WVU had the Big 12s leading rusher last year who decided to transfer after the season. So, the pass-first mentality will most likely be back. Additionally, the interior offensive line are all upperclassmen. Owners need to beware that WVU does have a fairly formidable schedule. While they might not win many games, you can still expect a lot of points.
Luke Falk/Gabe Marks-Despite being in the Air-raid offense that spreads the ball around, Marks came down with over 100 balls for 15 TDs and 1,300 yards. Falk went on to post ridiculous numbers. 4,500 yards and 38 TDs on 8 INTs? Wow. This one is an easy, easy pick.
Dane Evans/Josh Atkinson- Evans has been the poor mans lottery pick the last few years. He is dangerously close to setting new records at Tulsa. He just hasn't had the elite TD production (25) that others above him see. But, it is hard to beat his pure volume. This guy could explode this year and be the best passer in fantasy. Though Atkinson wasn't the number one guy last year, he still had 1,000 yards and 5 TDs. That isn't great production. But, he had 76 catches, which makes him valuable. However, keep in mind that just because he is the leading man back doesn't mean he is an elite threat. Many times these guys thrive with another star WR across the field. Just be careful, here.
Sleepers
Tommy Armstrong Jr/Jordan Westerkamp(Nebraska)- Armstrong has a ton of value because of his running ability. His 400 yards and 4 TDs helped lift him from a mid-30s QB to a top 15. There is no way this guy throws for another 16 INTs this year. Just no way. He has a big arm. Westerkamp is a deep threat. He is rated as one of the better NFL prospects this year and I think these two have a huge year. The INTs will go down and the TD grabs will go up.
DeShaun Watson/Jordan Leggett (Clemson)- Watson isn't going to sleep on anyone, nor is Artavious Scott. However, Leggett is one of only five or so draftable TEs. It would behove a Watson owner to take Leggett early and make sure they are teamed together. TE production is sporadic at best, but teaming these two up creates a massive point differential between you and the rest of the league at the TE position. It's kind of like this: in the 9th round, why take a flyer on a RB or a WR when you can have this guy and get 16 TDs for the price of 8?
Greg Ward Jr.\Chance Allen (Houston) - Don't expect as big a year from the Cougars. They lost Demarcus Ayers and Kenneth Farrow, their leading reciever and rusher (outside of Ward). Obviously Ward has a lot of value by himself, but Allen will have some. As the second leading reciever, he caught 56 balls for 750 yards and 6 TDs. Is that elite production? Of course not. But he will benefit from Ward Jrs ability outside of the pocket. That's particularly important as the Cougars will have a very young line. Ward's fantasy production may drop, but the combination of these two may make up for it.
Are there others? Absolutely. I have two or three more in mind, but I keep those to myself.
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