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College Fantasy Football: Five Big Ten tips for your draft

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The college football season is right around the corner, which means it’s almost time to play college fantasy football. In some ways, that takes a different perspective when drafting teams and considering who to put on your squad. Here are five thoughts on the Big Ten with weeks to go before the season.

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

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JONATHAN TAYLOR IS WORTH A HIGH, HIGH PICK

Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor (Dan Sanger)

One preseason magazine described Wisconsin’s offense as “explosive” and “lethal” and one doesn’t offer hear that about the Badgers. That should pay off big-time for running back Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for 1,977 yards and 13 touchdowns on 299 carries.

There are a lot of reasons to love Taylor in a fantasy setting. The entire Wisconsin offensive line returns, so Taylor should have massive holes to run through - and we all know the Badgers love to run the ball a whole lot. Wisconsin also has legitimate threats at receiver so defenses can’t just load the box to try to take away the run.

Taylor is going to get the ball a lot, the early-season schedule (leading up to the Michigan showdown in mid-October) sets up really well, Wisconsin’s offensive line is going to be fantastic and there are other weapons on offense.

Yahoo Sports rated Taylor as the third-best fantasy running back available behind Stanford’s Bryce Love and Washington’s Myles Gaskin but Taylor should be second at worst on that list. He could be that special this season - after rushing for 700 plus more yards than Saquon Barkley last year.

GET MCSORLEY UP ON YOUR DRAFT BOARD

Penn State tied Ohio State at the top with 41.1 points per game last season, quarterback Trace McSorley led the conference in total offense and passing yards per game and he’s the returning leader in touchdown passes with 28.

Maybe Arizona QB Khalil Tate is the No. 1 player at his position on fantasy draft boards but McSorley could have another huge season because he’s such an important part of Penn State’s offense - especially with Barkley gone.

The Nittany Lions have McSorley running the show, a running-back-by-committee approach led by Miles Sanders, some really talented receivers led by Juwan Johnson and DeAndre Thompkins (even though freshman Justin Shorter could be special early on) and an offensive line that could be the best in coach James Franklin’s tenure.

Appalachian State, Pitt, Kent State and Illinois are on the early schedule before the Ohio State matchup. That all leads to a lot of fantasy points coming McSorley’s way.

RIDE THE MICHIGAN 'D' EARLY

Rashan Gary
Rashan Gary (Lon Horwedel)

Have guarded optimism about Michigan’s offense but completely believe in the Wolverines’ defense. It could be one of the best in the nation on all three levels. The defensive line is phenomenal with Rashan Gary, possibly a top-five pick in next year’s NFL Draft, leading the way along with senior Chase Winovich. Former five-star Aubrey Solomon could have a breakout season.

The linebackers will be great and will fly all over the field. There might be no better secondary in the country as the group returns and they’re all very talented. Defensive coordinator Don Brown is one of the best in the business and his unit will be rock solid.

An opening test against Notre Dame will be important to watch because I suspect Michigan to bring the heat and give the Irish offense all kinds of problems. After that, Western Michigan, SMU, Nebraska, Northwestern and Maryland could be in for a world of hurt. The schedule gets dicey after that with Wisconsin, Michigan State and Penn State but ride the Wolverines defense early and it should work out well.

MORGAN SHOULD THRIVE FOR HUSKERS

Stanley Morgan Jr. had 986 receiving yards last season and probably would have led the Big Ten in that category if he played in all 12 games. He also led the conference in touchdown catches and receiving yards per game in an offense that averaged only 25.8 points per game.

Sure, there are questions about who will play quarterback - whether it’s going to be Adrian Martinez or Tristan Gebbia - but Morgan should thrive in coach Scott Frost’s offense and the Huskers should feed their best player all season long.

The schedule gets tough in late September and early October with Michigan and Wisconsin but there are definitely spots when Morgan could put up huge numbers - like when Frost wants to make an early statement in the season-opener against Akron, even if the Zips have a solid defense.

OHIO STATE OFFENSE, OHIO STATE DEFENSE

J.K. Dobbins
J.K. Dobbins (Scott Stuart)

This one is easy. Maybe too easy but in a fantasy setting Ohio State’s stars on offense and the Buckeyes defense should be stellar.

First on the list should be running back J.K. Dobbins, who was second in the conference last year with 1,403 rushing yards and seven rushing TDs. He and Mike Weber could both see the ball a lot, so Weber would also be a top candidate in any backfield, but Dobbins would probably be first priority.

K.J. Hill and Parris Campbell are the top two pass-catchers returning, but from a fantasy perspective, Terry McLaurin (six TDs last season) or Binjimen Victor (seven TDs) would also be nice additions. Whoever wins the quarterback job - and it’s expected to be Dwayne Haskins - will have to make up a lot in the loss of J.T. Barrett, but he has tremendous weapons in both the run and pass game. Opening against Oregon State and Rutgers should mean Ohio State puts up huge numbers in preparation for a big matchup against TCU in Week 3.

Plus, the defense should be outstanding - except at linebacker. The front four is one of the best nationally led by Joey Bosa and Dre’Mont Jones. The secondary has some holes to fill but should be just fine. With a schedule that’s very welcoming leading into November - except for tests against TCU and Penn State - picking up a lot of Ohio State players should be a priority.

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