College Fantasy Football: Examining the Top Players in the ACC for 2013

College fantasy football drafts will be heating up over the next few months and Athlon Sports has teamed with the college fantasy football site to provide in-depth coverage for 2013. 

Here's a look at the best of the best for ACC in terms of fantasy options for 2013:

All draft values are based on a 12-team, 20-round draft using the following scoring system:

Passing—25 pass yds = 1 point, Passing TD = 4 points, INTs = -1 point

Rushing—10 rushing yards = 1 point, Rushing TDs = 6 points

Receiving—.5 points per reception, 10 receiving yards = 1 point, Receiving TDs = 6 points

Kicking—Extra Point = 1 point, FG 0-39 yards = 3 points, 40-49 yards = 4 points, 50+ = 5 points

Defense/ST—Defense, KR, and PR TDs = 6 points, Safety = 2 points, Fumbles and INTs = 3 points, Sack = 1 point, Points allowed (0 = 15 points, 2-6 = 10 points, 7-10 = 7 points, 11-13 = 5 points, 14-21 = 4 points, 22-28 = 2 points, 29-24 = 0 points, 35+ = -2 points)
 

Starters

QB—Tajh Boyd, Sr. (Clemson)

Last season:  Passing—3,896 yards, 36 TD-13 INT; Rushing—514 yards, 10 TDs

Schedule Sweet Spot:  Weeks 2-3-4-5; So.Carolina St, BYE, @ NCSt, Wake Forest

Fantasy Draft Value:  The return of four O-linemen and playmaker Sammy Watkins should ensure a first-round selection.

QB—Logan Thomas, Sr. (Virginia Tech)

Last season:  Passing—2,976 yards, 18 TD-16 INT; Rushing—524 yards, 9 TDs

Schedule Sweet Spot:   Weeks 2-3-4; Western Carolina @ ECU, Marshall

Fantasy Draft Value:  In his third season as the starter, we’re hopeful that Thomas will show improvement in his decision-making and accuracy, which would justify a seventh- or eighth-round selection.

RB—Duke Johnson, So. (Miami)

Last season:  Rushing—947 yards, 10 TDs; Receiving—27 rec., 221 yards, Kick Returns—892 yards, 2TDs

Schedule Sweet Spot:   Weeks 12-13-14; @ Duke, Virginia, @ Pitt

Fantasy Draft Value:  Johnson should put up big numbers as his workload increases, especially with the return of five starters on the O-line.  The sophomore running back will likely be among the first 20 overall players drafted.

RB—Isaac Bennett, Jr. (Pitt)

Last season:  Bennett rushed for 141 yards and 3 TDs behind Ray Graham and Rushel Shell.

Schedule Sweet Spot:  Weeks 8-9-10; Old Dominion, @ Navy, @ Ga. Tech

Fantasy Draft Value:  Except for Pitt’s season-opener against Florida State, the first two months of their schedule is rather inviting to select Bennett in rounds 6-8.

RB—A.J. Blue, Sr. (North Carolina)

Last season:  Blue rushed for 433 yards and 9 TDs behind starter Gio Bernard.

Schedule Sweet Spot:  Weeks 2-3-4-5; Mid Tennessee, BYE, @ Ga. Tech, ECU

Fantasy Draft Value:  Blue may lose a few carries to sophomore Romar Morris, but the senior running back should get most of the carries in short-yardage and goal line situations.  Blue is projected as a RB3 or FLEX in most formats and should be considered after round 6.

WR—Sammy Watkins, Jr. (Clemson)

Last season:  57 receptions for 708 yards, 3 TDs; 257 return yards; rushing TD

Schedule Sweet Spot:  Weeks 2-3-4-5; So.Carolina St, BYE, @ NCSt, Wake Forest

Fantasy Draft Value:  Watkins is a legitimate game-breaker and should be one of the top receivers in the country this season.  Top-tier receivers are hard to come by on draft day, which makes Watkins a possible first-round selection.

WR—Quinshad Davis, So. (North Carolina)

Last season:  61 receptions for 776 yards, 5 TDs

Schedule Sweet Spot:  Weeks 2-3-4-5; Mid Tennessee, BYE, @ Ga. Tech, ECU

Fantasy Draft Value:  Davis ended 2012 on a high note, catching 38 passes for 484 yards and three touchdowns in the final four games of the season.  We believe that four-game stretch was a preview of things to come in 2013, which makes the sophomore receiver worthy of a fifth- or sixth-round selection.

WR—Jamison Crowder, Jr. (Duke)

Last season:  76 receptions for 1,074 yards, 8 TDs

Schedule Sweet Spot:  Weeks 3-4-5; NC Central, Memphis, @ Wake Forest

Fantasy Draft Value:  Quarterback Anthony Boone’s mobility may end up extending plays for the Duke offense, which will create downfield opportunities for his main receiving threat.  The Blue Devils may end up in quite a few shootouts, so expect Crowder to start disappearing off draft boards in round seven.

WR—Stefon Diggs, So. (Maryland)

Last season:  54 receptions for 848 yards and 6 TDs; 713 KR yards, 2 TDs

Schedule Sweet Spot:  Weeks 1-2-3; FIU, Old Dominion, @ Connecticut

Fantasy Draft Value:  Diggs has a ton of potential, but consistent play from the quarterback position may be a bigger challenge than opposing DBs.  In league formats that include return yards, Diggs may go as early as round six, but in standard PPR leagues expect Diggs to still be available in round seven.

FLEX—Michael Campanaro, Sr. (Wake Forest)

Last season:  79 receptions for 763 yards, 6 TDs

Schedule Sweet Spot:  Weeks 4-5-6; Army, Duke, @ Maryland

Fantasy Draft Value:  Campanaro could very well be in line for an 80-plus catch season, but his 2012 yards per catch average is the reason we believe drafting him before round seven is a stretch.

K—Chandler Catanzaro, Sr. (Clemson)

Last season:  18-19 FGs; 111 points scored

DEF—Clemson Tigers

Schedule Sweet Spot:  Weeks 2-3-4-5; So.Carolina St, BYE, @ NCSt, Wake Forest

Fantasy Draft Value:  The Tigers are always a threat in the return game, but their high-powered offense will put a lot of pressure on opposing teams to score, which will create plenty of opportunities for their experienced defense. 

Follow Joe DiSalvo on twitter (@theCFFsite) (TheCFFSite.com)

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