7 Best Universities At Producing Fantasy Football Studs
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - Fantasy football veterans know that you don't have to be an elite team to have an elite fantasy football player (have you seen the Vikings' record with Adrian Peterson on the roster?). As it turns out, the same is true of fantasy stars coming out of college, the best NFL players don't always come from the elite schools. Here are the best schools at producing dependable fantasy football scorers. Note, lineups include active players only, school affiliation info courtesy of ESPN.
#7 Stanford
If you actually started Stanford's lineup, you wouldn't be getting many points outside of the QB spot, but some of these guys are young and could produce in the future, and there are worse places to start a fantasy team than with Andrew Luck.
QB: Andrew Luck - Colts
RB 1: Toby Gerhart - Jaguars
RB 2: Stepfan Taylor - Cardinals
WR: Doug Baldwin - Seahawks
TE: Zach Ertz- Eagles
Flex: Colby Fleener - Colts
#6 Central Florida
Not going to match the other programs on the list for name recognition, but these guys can field most of a team, which is more than most D1 schools can say.
QB: Blake Bortles - Jaguars
RB: Latavius Murray - Raiders
FB: Bruce Miller - 49ers
WR 1: Brandon Marshall - Bears
WR 2: Kamar Aiken - Ravens
PK: Matt Prater - Lions
# 5 USC
This program is overloaded with over-hyped QBs, but they do also churn out pros at just about every other position in the NFL. Here's the current lineup they could throw out there.
QB: Carson Palmer - Cardinals
RB 1: Reggie Bush - Lions
RB 2: Joe McKnight - Chiefs
WR 1: Marquise Lee - Jags
WR 2: Robert Woods - Bills
TE: Jordan Cameron - Browns
Bench: Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley
#4 Tennessee
Any good fantasy team starts with a solid QB. Peyton Manning has been pretty darn solid for a while now. Hopefully he can raise the level of play for the guys around him on the ultimate Vols fantasy team like he does for the Broncos.
QB: Peyton Manning - Broncos
RB 1: Arian Foster - Texans
WR 1: Justin Hunter - Titans
WR 2: Cordarrelle Patterson - Vikings
Flex: Denarius Moore Raiders
TE: Jason Witten - Cowboys
Bench: Mychal Rivera - Raiders
#3 Miami
"The U" turns out as many pros as anyone. They have depth at offense and defense, everywhere but quarterback. If they had a stud signal caller, they 'd be tops on this list.
QB: Um, Vinney Testaverde is still probably playing somewhere, right?
WR 1: Frank Gore - 49ers
WR 2: Lamar Miller -Dolphins
RB 1: Andre Johnson - Texans
RB 2: Reggie Wayne - Colts
Flex: Greg Olson - Panthers
TE: Jimmy Graham - Saints
Bench: Santana Moss, Devin Hester, Allen Hurns
#2 LSU
No surprise here, one of the best recruiting programs in the country also sees a lot of players leave to star on Sundays. Some of their most elite talent is on the defensive side of the ball, but they can still field a really strong fantasy team, other than at QB (pending that JaMarcus Russell comeback).
QB: Zach Mettenberger - Titans
RB 1: Stevan Ridley - Patriots
RB 2: Alfred Blue - Texans
WR 1: Odell Beckham Jr. - Giants
WR 2: Dwayne Bowe -Chiefs
Flex: Jarvis Landry - Dolphins
#1 Cal Golden Bears
Cal's college season is over, but fans of the program still have plenty of players to follow, many of them among the biggest names in the league. The team is just a year removed from a one-win season (against Portland State no less), but nobody can match the roster they could put on the field. Check it out:
QB Aaron Rodgers - Packers
RB 1: Marshawn Lynch - Seahawks
RB 2: Justin Forsett - Ravens
WR 1: DeSean Jackson - Washington
WR 2: Keenan Allen - Chargers
TE: Richard Rodgers - Packers (not a big name, but the guy has two TDs)
Flex: C.J. Anderson - Broncos
Bench: Shane Vareen