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College Fantasy Football: Keep an eye on these WRs for Week 1

West Virginia's Gary Jennings
West Virginia's Gary Jennings (AP)

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

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

Week 1 of college football is finally here. Let’s get to some recommendations for who could have a huge opening week at wide receiver to help your college fantasy football team.

MORE COLLEGE FANTASY FOOTBALL: Rivals fantasy home | RBs to watch for Week 1 | QBs to watch for Week 1 | SEC advice | Pac-12 advice | ACC advice | Big 12 advice | Big Ten advice | Five risky picks | Top 20 sleepers | Potential busts | 15 players on verge of stardom | 25 freshmen worth drafting | Top offensive lines that add value to running backs | What to expect from first-year coaches | Meet the new coordinators

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Reagor led the Horned Frogs with 576 receiving yards and eight touchdowns last season and as TCU brings in quarterback Shawn Robinson he will be looking for a familiar face. He also averaged 17.5 yards per catch so a playmaker like James Washington at Oklahoma State last season could be emerging in Fort Worth. TCU opens with Southern so it will look to put points on the board and work on the offense a lot before gearing up against SMU, Ohio State and Texas in the next three games.

A lot of talk about West Virginia’s receivers centers around David Sills and rightfully so after he had an insane 18 touchdown catches last season, but Jennings led the team with 97 catches for 1,096 yards last season. Against some questionable Tennessee cornerbacks, Jennings could have a field day. And if he picks up some of Ka’raun White’s numbers from last season (61 catches for 1,004 yards and 12 scores) Jennings could have a monster year. His one TD last year is concerning but he’s going to get lots of yards and probably see the end zone more.

From a fantasy perspective, Missouri does not seem to show much mercy to weaker non-conference opponents - as the Tigers scored 72 in the season opener last year against Missouri State. UT-Martin’s defense should be a notch better, but it’s still UT-Martin, so Missouri should have plenty of opportunities to score points. And nobody caught more TD passes for the Tigers last season than Okwuegbunam, who had 11 TD receptions. The receivers and running backs should move the ball easily and Missouri’s tight end is one of the nation’s best.

South Carolina’s offensive production was bad last season but Samuel is back, now in a more uptempo offense that should suit his playing style perfectly. He finished with three touchdowns in three games last season before being lost to injury, but quarterback Jake Bentley has a connection with Samuel and the two should tear up Coastal Carolina’s offense. Getting Samuel back on the right track quickly could be a priority in Game 1.

Also consider ...

Stanley Morgan, Jr., Nebraska

The Nebraska quarterback situation is settled with Adrian Martinez earning the starting spot and that’s good news for Morgan, who had 61 catches for 986 yards and 10 scores last season. He should thrive even more in first-year coach Scott Frost’s offense (just look at what the UCF skill players did) and Morgan is one of the most-talented receivers in college football. Akron’s defense is pretty solid but the offense is not which means a lot of three-and-outs so Morgan should see the field plenty.

N’Keal Harry, Arizona State

This is a matchup nightmare for UTSA, which does not have the personnel to contend with someone like Harry on the outside. The former five-star led the Sun Devils with 82 catches for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns last season and even bigger things are expected with quarterback Manny Wilkins this year. The UTSA offense should struggle which means Harry should be on the field often to catch lots of passes.

Steven Sims, Kansas

Yes, you’re reading this right. A Kansas receiver is being recommended in fantasy leagues. Here’s the thinking: We understand quarterback play for the Jayhawks has been inconsistent but Sims had 59 catches for 839 yards and six scores last season averaging more than 14 yards per catch. Nicholls’ defense gave up 21 passing scores a year ago. As Kansas looks to build some confidence in the passing game, Sims will be a top target and could score some decent points. It could be the only Kansas recommendation all season.

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