Does anybody have any clue what Hawaii, Texas Tech and New Mexico State have in common?
Hmm...maybe great fantasy system quarterbacks?
As you embark on your college fantasy journey, it's important to always keep in mind the offensive systems that each team will use. Hawaii, Texas Tech and NMSU are going to throw the ball a ton and it's a big reason why their quarterbacks should be top ones in the draft.
However, there is a second tier forming and should provide options this season - particularly Houston, BYU, Baylor and North Texas.
For Houston, Kevin Kolb is gone and the Cougars are starting over. Head coach Art Briles isn't going to let his graduation slow down his offense and while it may take some time for the new quarterback to get going - it's a gamble fantasy owners should be willing to take. Blake Joseph is currently the favorite to win the job, but Case Keenum and Al Pena will get a shot to contend for snaps in fall practice.
The same goes at BYU. John Beck may be taking snaps for the Dolphins, but new starter Max Hall has a lot of potential. The former Arizona State quarterback won the job in the spring and looked poised to lead the Cougars into Mountain West title contention once again.
North Texas might be the most intriguing, as successful high school coach Todd Dodge will pump some life into an offense that was incredibly dreadful last year. Dodge was known for his wide-open offense at the high school level and he intends to bring that into the mix this year. Dodge may not have the quarterback he wants yet, but you have to watch current starter Daniel Meager. Meager could be throwing 40 times a game and if he racks up 300 yards and three touchdowns each week - that's solid fantasy points.
At Baylor, former Kent State quarterback Michael Machen has an edge over John David Weed for the starting job and considering the spread offense they run, you have to slot him in your top 50 quarterback rankings. Additionally, the Bears aren't going to be very good this year and they could be playing from behind a lot - giving him plenty of times to throw and adding yardage to his total.
When the early fantasy rankings come out each year, unproven quarterbacks like Machen, Meager, Joseph and Hall should be taken seriously. Machen and Meager would probably rank in the 40-50s in a Division One QB Ranking, while Hall and Joseph should be in the top 25. Don't value them too high, but also realize these system quarterbacks could turn out to be real fantasy stars and help you win your league.
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