There is talent to be found in the Big East, oh yes. Don't mistake the league's high turnover rate of many of its stars from last season for a dip in Fantasy performers. There are gads of players chomping at the bit to make their mark on the conference.
Sure, the league isn't going to be the same without NCAA rushing leader Donald Brown of Connecticut or perennial Heisman contender Pat White from West Virginia. Sure, Rutgers lost a plethora of pass-catching talent as Mike Teel, Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood are gone from Piscataway. Top NCAA rushers LeSean McCoy from Pitt and Syracuse's Curtis Brinkley are also gone. That's some of the best Fantasy talent from a season ago now no longer on college campuses.
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The fun part is in discovering the next wave of Fantasy talent, and the Big East will not have a shortage of it in 2009. But the man who should be on the top of anyone's draft board when they are talking Big East is West Virginia tailback Noel Devine.
Devine finished third in the conference in rushing as a sophomore last season and did so with Pat White behind center. White was the conference's sixth leading rusher, so he definitely stole a whole bunch of the carries. Devine still managed 1,289 yards on the ground on only 206 carries -- over 100 fewer than the backs who finished ahead of him -- for 6.3 yards per touch and just under 100 per game. Devine only scored four touchdowns on the ground but, again, White took many of those as well. There is no doubt a healthy Devine will be among the top backs in the nation and lead another deep Fantasy year in the Big East.
Top Players to Target
Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati: Pike enters his senior season as a Bearcat as the undeniable No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in the Big East. Last season he wasn't even the undeniable starter on his own team to begin the season. My, how things change when you have his kind of talent. Pike shot past Chazz Anderson and Dustin Grutza on the depth chart and finished the season as the fourth-best passer in the league with over 2,400 yards, 19 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions. And he did that while missing two games due to injury and still finished second team All-Big East. Pike got stronger as the year progressed and finished the season by throwing at least one touchdown in the final eight games. There is no doubt that Pike will be among the top 30 quarterbacks in the nation in 2009 and with the core of the offense returning, including wideout Mardy Gilyard, who totaled 1,276 receiving yards last season, Pike has the weapons to be a Fantasy stud.
Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia: If we're comparing physical stature, Big East defenses better be about three inches and 30 pounds more scared of Brown behind center for the Mountaineers than they were of Pat White. At 6-foot-4, 220-pounds, Brown, who was a member of the WVU basketball team in 2008, will tower over opposing defenses. But after White, who passed for over 1800 yards, rushed for almost 1,000 and totaled 29 touchdowns with only seven interceptions last season, it is highly unfair to compare Brown to one of the greatest players in school history just yet. One thing is certain, Brown passed the spring game test by going 21 of 28 passing for 273 yards and four touchdowns. Brown is no stranger to game duty, either, and has a solid track record as White's backup. Over the past three seasons, Brown has gone 81 of 125 passing for 839 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions and has rushed for 671 yards and seven scores. He's not as athletically gifted as White in terms of sheer speed and elusiveness -- and let's face it, few are -- but he probably has a better arm. Brown could emerge as the best QB in the Big East by season's end and is among the top options in the country.
Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: For as athletically talented as West Virginia's Noel Devine is, the Bearcats' Gilyard might be even more fleet of foot. Gilyard racked up a school-record 1,276 receiving yards on 81 receptions and scored 11 touchdowns, but that's not all he accomplished en route to being named an All-American. Gilyard was also among the best kick returners in the nation, running two back last season. He's the top returning receiver in the conference and his incredible 15.8 yards per catch makes him one of the best Fantasy options in the nation this season. With quarterback Tony Pike returning for his senior year, Cincinnati could boast one of the most dynamic pass-catch combinations in the country.
Matt Grothe, QB, South Florida: Things should be business as usual for Grothe in 2009 and that should be just fine for teammates, coaches and Fantasy owners. Grothe has been nothing but consistent if not spectacular during his three seasons as the Bulls' signal caller. His senior season should be no different. He should overtake Pat White early on this year as the conference's all-time leader in total offense as he enters with 10,242 total yards. Grothe, who threw for a career-high 2,911 yards in 2008 with 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, will be getting his third new offensive coordinator this season in Mike Canales. This should benefit Grothe, however, as Canales is expected to open up the air attack and concentrate less on the power running game. He might not have the weapons that Pike has at Cincinnati or the sheer athleticism that Brown has for the Mountaineers, but Grothe is the best football player of the bunch and should be among the best quarterbacks in the league and the nation once again this year.
Victor Anderson, RB, Louisville: We told you about Devine already. Now let us tell you about the second-best running back in the Big East. Anderson finished fifth in the conference in rushing yards per game with 87.2 as a freshman last season and was tabbed the Big East Rookie of the Year. Becoming the Cardinals' first 1,000-yard rusher since 2005, he totaled 1,047 yards and eight touchdowns on the year and added another 100 yards through the air with a score. Anderson is built for speed at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds and has great vision that will help him run all over Big East defenses as a sophomore this season. Only injury can slow him down as we expect him to top 1,000 yards once again and finish among the top 50 tailbacks in the nation.
Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse: The Orange must replace a star in Curtis Brinkley, who finished fourth in the conference in rushing last season with 1,164 yards and seven scores. Carter seems to be the perfect choice and should immediately step into Brinkley's rather large shoes. Carter has experience after being named Big East All-Freshman back in 2006 as he amassed 713 rushing yards and four touchdowns in his first season. After two injury-plagued seasons -- he played four games in 2008 with a hamstring problem after missing all of 2007 with a dislocated hip -- a 100 percent healthy Carter led all tailbacks with 53 yards on 14 carries in the spring game and has a shot to pick up where Brinkley left off and run for another 1,000 yards. Carter does come with baggage as it is uncertain how his injuries will impact him. If they do hold him back, he could finish among the top five tailbacks in the conference.
Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse: If you are wondering why you can't find Williams' name among the top returning Big East receivers, it's because Williams didn't catch a pass last season despite entering his senior season. Williams missed the entire year in 2008 as he was suspended for academic reasons, but when he takes the field this season he'll bring with him a streak of nine straight games with a touchdown catch, which still stands as the longest active streak in the nation. As a sophomore in 2007, Williams was named second team All-Big East after catching 60 passes for 837 yards and 10 touchdowns. At 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds, Williams has the size and speed to stretch the field and should make first-year quarterback Ryan Nassib's job a whole lot easier. If Williams can hit the ground running and pick up where he left off, he could end up as one of the best receiving options in the Big East by season's end.
Tim Brown, WR, Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights lost more Fantasy talent from their receiving game than any other team in the Big East as quarterback Mike Teel and his top two options, Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood, are gone. The quarterback situation is still a bit cloudy, but the Knights know who will take over as their top receiving threat. Underwood may have bettered Brown in receptions, but Brown did more with them as he finished sixth in the conference with almost 44 yards per game. Brown averaged over 20 yards per catch and finished second on the team with six touchdowns. Brown is an absolute burner who can stretch defenses with the best of them. Rutgers will need that from him if they hope to come close to the receiving numbers put up with Teel at the helm. Brown will be the man among boys for the receiving game and should finish among the top receivers in the conference once again.
Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut: If you weren't paying attention last season, a man named Donald Brown took carries for the Huskies and ended up leading the NCAA in rushing with over 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns. He's gone now, but clearly UConn's offensive line can produce some stud backs and Dixon could jump right in where Brown left off. Dixon has experience replacing Brown as he took over due to injury during the 2007 season and rushed for 828 yards and three scores while tallying 280 receiving yards and another TD to finish second team All-Big East. Word from Storrs is that Dixon has rededicated himself after losing focus last year with Brown being the main man. He's primed to pick up where he left off in 2007 and could have a huge year. He isn't a top three back in the conference just yet but he definitely has that kind of ability.
Shamar Graves, TE, Rutgers: OK so the Knights have questions. Far more questions than answers, in fact. Graves is definitely an answer. Tim Brown and Graves will be the top two returning receiving threats after Graves caught 16 passes for 227 yards and three scores last season. He wasn't a factor early on in the season but finished strong as he started six of the final seven games and scored a touchdown in three straight during that streak. Entering his senior season, Graves will be looked upon by whichever youngster wins the quarterback job as a go-to guy whenever they get into trouble. Graves will surely be the top tight end option in the conference on Draft Day. If the cloud covering the quarterback situation clears, he could finish among the best pass-catching tight ends in the nation.
Top Sleeper: Alric Arnett, WR, West Virginia
West Virginia is going through a bit of transition as Pat White is gone from campus. Jarrett Brown is a more than capable backup who might have a better arm. Arnett was a JUCO transfer in 2007 and wore a Mountaineers jersey in a game for the first time in 2008. He immediately became a starter and led the team with 466 receiving yards on 35 catches with six touchdowns. Arnett has size at 6-foot-2, 187 pounds and only got stronger at the end of the season with a career-high seven catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns in the Meineke Bowl win over North Carolina. Arnett becomes an even better Fantasy option if coach Bill Stewart decides not to reinstate suspended receiver Jock Sanders for the season. That decision isn't expected to come until just before the year begins but could make Arnett one of the best Fantasy wideouts in the conference.
Biggest Bust: Kordell Young, RB, Rutgers
Young has vast talent and nobody can question that fact. In only eight games last season, Young rushed for 554 yards and five touchdowns. The problem with the local Jersey product is a long laundry list of injuries. Stewart was hurt not once, but twice during the 2008 season. He rushed for 94 yards and a score in the opening game of the season and then missed the next four with an injury. He bounced back to have the season that he did only to re-injure the same knee he had surgically-repaired back in 2007 during the PapaJohns.com Bowl against N.C. State. That knee injury has caused him to sit out the entire spring leading up to this season. He has been rehabbing every single day and very much plans to be ready for the first game of the season. That said, he remains a huge injury risk and the Knights have smartly moved on to other potential options. Mason Robinson, Joe Martinek and fullback Jourdan Brooks all return to potentially take carries away from even a healthy Young and we just don't see too much opportunity for him to shine. He could end up being a nice story, but the chips are stacked against him being a viable Fantasy option this year despite his experience.
Top Three Newcomers
Adam Froman, QB, Louisville: We're still not 100 percent certain that Froman will be named the Cardinals' starting signal caller as coach Steve Kragthorpe is keeping mum on the issue. That said, Froman seems the best option out of a group that includes Justin Burke and Zach Stoudt after throwing for 3,876 yards and 40 touchdowns in junior college. Froman would have been the obvious choice under Bobby Petrino, but Kragthorpe's offense is less pass happy as he'll be looking for the signal caller who shows the most consistency and balance. Still, you can't argue with his JUCO numbers or the fact that he has the most talent of the three. Running back Victor Anderson will make life easier for whoever wins the job and if that man is Froman, he'll be an automatic sleeper option across the board in Fantasy.
Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: The Panthers and coach Dave Wannstedt must replace one of the best tailbacks in school history in LeSean McCoy. Lewis seems to be up to that task and is Wannstedt's choice to do so. Lewis is like a pinball on the field and has as much shake-and-bake ability as any back in the league as just a true freshman. Lewis enrolled in school early so that he could take part in spring drills and led the offense in the spring game with 34 yards on 12 carries. He averaged 14.1 yards per carry during his senior season in high school and should be one of the most exciting freshmen in the conference in 2009. He'll be seeing the bulk of the carries left behind by McCoy and if he can do even half as well he'd be worth having on Fantasy rosters in most leagues.
Greg Paulus, QB, Syracuse: Paulus comes over to Syracuse as a graduate senior after a long and successful basketball career at Duke. He's certainly not the team's starter heading into the season, as that honor is bestowed upon sophomore Ryan Nassib. Still, 'Cuse finished 3-9 last year under Cameron Dantley, who is now the backup ahead of Paulus, and is in dire need of an improvement. If Nassib comes in and fails, the Orange already know what they have with Dantley and could go to Paulus before long. Coach Doug Marrone saw Paulus work out with his former employer, the New Orleans Saints, this offseason as he attempted to get back into football shape by taking pointers from Drew Brees. There is no guarantee that Paulus even sees the field for the Orange, but he definitely brings intrigue with him into the season.
