This article is part of our Conference Preview series.
Conference USA is something of a forgotten conference. A lot of the teams are less than good, with a couple of them being relatively new to FBS football. This includes UNC Charlotte, who are in their first year at the FBS level, as well as Old Dominion, who enter their second FBS season. Meanwhile, UAB is lost in a college football purgatory after deciding, briefly, to cease having a football team.
Despite the lack of prestigious institutions in Conference USA, there are plenty of diamonds in this rough. Conference-USA has four of the nation's top fantasy backs in Devon Johnson, Kenneth Dixon, Ray Lawry, and Aaron Jones, and Western Kentucky will attempt to lead the nation in points scored after averaging 44.4 points per game in 2014.
Top-Five Fantasy Stars
1. Devon Johnson, RB, Marshall
Johnson was an absolute steal for anybody shrewd enough to pick him up for their fantasy team last year. This was largely because he was listed as a tight end heading into the fall even though he was the Thundering Herd's starting running back. This year, he doesn't get that tight end designation, but that's OK, because he was a great running back who didn't need that little loophole to have fantasy value. Johnson averaged 8.6 yards per carry en route to 1,767 yards and 17 touchdowns, even though he got hurt down the stretch. With an offseason to heal, and with a couple of key pieces in Marshall's passing
Conference USA is something of a forgotten conference. A lot of the teams are less than good, with a couple of them being relatively new to FBS football. This includes UNC Charlotte, who are in their first year at the FBS level, as well as Old Dominion, who enter their second FBS season. Meanwhile, UAB is lost in a college football purgatory after deciding, briefly, to cease having a football team.
Despite the lack of prestigious institutions in Conference USA, there are plenty of diamonds in this rough. Conference-USA has four of the nation's top fantasy backs in Devon Johnson, Kenneth Dixon, Ray Lawry, and Aaron Jones, and Western Kentucky will attempt to lead the nation in points scored after averaging 44.4 points per game in 2014.
Top-Five Fantasy Stars
1. Devon Johnson, RB, Marshall
Johnson was an absolute steal for anybody shrewd enough to pick him up for their fantasy team last year. This was largely because he was listed as a tight end heading into the fall even though he was the Thundering Herd's starting running back. This year, he doesn't get that tight end designation, but that's OK, because he was a great running back who didn't need that little loophole to have fantasy value. Johnson averaged 8.6 yards per carry en route to 1,767 yards and 17 touchdowns, even though he got hurt down the stretch. With an offseason to heal, and with a couple of key pieces in Marshall's passing game graduated, Johnson could be a bellcow for what is probably the best team in the conference.
2. Kenneth Dixon, RB, Louisiana Tech
Dixon scores touchdowns. Obviously, the prevailing wisdom is that touchdowns can be tricky to predict, but that hasn't been the case for Dixon ever since he set the freshman touchdown record in his first year with the Bulldogs. Last season, he scored at least one touchdown in every single game, and scored 28 total, including six through the air. The only knock on him is that he had some injury issues his sophomore year, but as a healthy senior, Dixon should be finding the end zone plenty.
3. Brandon Doughty, QB, Western Kentucky
Doughty put up crazy numbers last season. He threw for 4,870 yards, with 49 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. He had two games with over 500 yards passing, and five games with at least five touchdowns passing. Doughty tossed eight touchdowns against Marshall! He had one terrible games, a rare blemish on what was otherwise perhaps the best fantasy season for any quarterback. It seems unlikely he will completely replicate this performance, which is why he's not topping this list, but the quality of defensive competition will remain quite low in the C-USA.
4. Jonnu Smith, TE, FIU
Tight end tends to be a fairly shallow position at top most years. If you don't get one of the few top players, it's best to wait for a sleeper. However, Smith is one of the very best fantasy tight ends this year, so he's worth grabbing, especially since Florida International's offense should take a step forward this season. Smith caught 61 passes for 710 yards and eight touchdowns last year. For a wide receiver, that'd be a solid fantasy season. For a tight end, it's a chance to get a real leg up on your opponents.
5. Austin Duke, WR, Charlotte
Remember how Albert Wilson caught 71 passes for 1,177 yards and eight touchdowns in 2013, Georgia State's first season at the FBS level? Duke can and likely will do something similar for Charlotte's FBS debut in 2015. Duke has been immensely productive for Charlotte the last two years, snagging 141 catches for 2,100 yards and 15 touchdowns over his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons. Duke's advanced production for his experience level bodes very well for his chances of staying strong as Charlotte upgrades to C-USA.
Fantasy Sleepers
1. Deon-Tay McManus, WR, Marshall
Wide receivers and tight ends both tend to produce in the Marshall offense, and McManus is a hybrid between the two positions. At 6-foot-2, 228 pounds, McManus has a build similar to that of former Marshall tight end and elite fantasy asset Gator Hoskins, yet he has the athleticism to make plays from the receiver position on the outside. McManus is a former four-star recruit and has a starting role locked up, so he'll be in position to build on his promising 2014 freshman season. He caught 26 passes for 422 yards and six touchdowns last year, and he'll see his role increase significantly this year now that WR Tommy Shuler and TE Eric Frohnapfel are gone after combining for 129 receptions last year.
2. Michael Birdsong, QB, Marshall
Rakeem Cato has been an institution for the Thundering Herd for the last four years. Marshall has been the best team in Conference USA largely on his back. Now, he is gone, and a lot of numbers have to be replaced. While Marshall isn't quite as plug-and-play as Baylor, they are pretty close. Whoever steps in for Cato is likely going to have at least a good fantasy year. Birdsong could be that guy, and that makes him a key sleeper. He likely won't be as good as Cato as a passer, but the 6-foot-5, 242-pound Birdsong could be more of a red-zone rushing factor than Cato was. He'll have a brilliant group of receivers to throw to and a dominant running game thanks to Johnson, so everything is in Birdsong's favor.
3. Zach Pascal, WR, Old Dominion
Old Dominion likes to toss the ball around. They did it when they were an FCS team, and they did it in their FBS debut last year with 38.2 pass attempts per game. With Antonio Vaughan graduating in the offseason, Pascal is in position to become the No. 1 target in the Old Dominion passing game. He has two productive years logged already, Pascal caught 100 passes for 1,277 yards and 13 touchdowns in his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons, and he'll be expected to take the next step in his age-20 season. At 6-foot-2, 214 pounds, Pascal has the size to remain Old Dominion's lead target even in the red zone.
4. Anthony Wales, RB, Western Kentucky
While Leon Allen understandably gets all the hype among Western Kentucky running backs, it would be wise to familiarize yourself with Wales, too. He was highly effective as a redshirt sophomore last year, finishing with 518 yards and five touchdowns on just 82 carries (6.3 YPC), adding 15 catches for 127 yards, and his role could increase this year after Allen had two public intoxication episodes over the offseason. Allen will almost certainly remain the clear starter, but Wales might steal more carries than he did last year.
5. Tyler Higbee, TE, Western Kentucky
Higbee's 2014 box score of 15 catches for 230 yards and four touchdowns doesn't jump off the page, but offseason changes to the WKU roster have paved the way for a major role increase in 2015. The most obvious change relative to Higbee's status is the graduation of previous starting tight end Mitchell Henry, who caught 32 passes for 489 yards and four touchdowns. Listed at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, Higbee is a huge target for Brandon Doughty in a Western Kentucky offense that will throw for many touchdowns.
Fantasy Busts
1. Austin Grammer, QB, Middle Tennessee
Grammer was quite good for Middle Tennessee last year, establishing himself as one of the conference's best quarterbacks by finishing his sophomore season with 2,557 yards and 17 touchdowns while running for 442 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. Grammer's strong season won't earn him a clear starting role for 2015, however – Middle Tennessee will rotate Grammer with Brent Stockstill...who is the son of head coach Rick Stockstill. Grammer will have to be brilliant to win favor over the coach's son.
2. Jeff Driskel, QB, Louisiana Tech
Driskel never figured out how to make it work at Florida. With no chance to start in Gainesville, he chose to head to Louisiana Tech this offseason. While the competition will be easier for Driskel, after his struggles with the Gators it's hard to have faith in him as a passer. There is definitely the potential for rushing yardage with Driskel, but inconsistency has been a constant problem for him, and you can't afford dud games from your starting quarterback.
3. Hyleck Foster, WR, Marshall
Foster looks like a standout talent for Conference-USA's level competition, and he should see a role increase with Tommy Shuler gone from Marshall. Foster even plays in the slot, the same position the heavily-targeted Shuler plays. The problem is Foster is competing with former four-star recruit Angelo Jean-Louis for slot snaps, and Jean-Louis was highly impressive as a freshman last year. Foster made some noise with 18 catches for 254 yards and three touchdowns last year, but Jean-Louis was more impressive with 21 catches for 490 yards and six touchdowns. It's possible that Jean-Louis could push Foster into a bench role.
4. Leon Allen, RB, Western Kentucky
Allen wasn't quite able to replicate what Antonio Andrews did as the Hilltoppers' lead running back, but he still had a big fantasy season. He rushed for 1,542 yards on 5.7 yards per carry and scored 13 touchdowns. Allen also was a big part of the passing game, catching 51 passes for 476 yards and three scores. The reason his value is a bit on hold is because he had two public intoxication episodes this offseason – one in March and one in May – and even ended up getting tased in one of the incidents. Western Kentucky hasn't announced any suspension with Allen, but the possibility of some early-season punishment can't be ruled out. If Allen has to sit at all, backup Anthony Wales will make his presence felt. If Allen doesn't face any missed time, though, he'll remain an elite fantasy value this year.
5. Aaron Jones, RB, UTEP
To be clear, Jones is an elite fantasy asset when he's healthy. He's a productive player with a huge workload, finishing 2014 with 252 touches for 1,614 yards and 14 touchdowns from scrimmage in 12 games. The problem is that he's only listed at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, which is a lot lighter than you'd prefer in a player who takes as much of a beating as Jones does. Plus, Jones has a recent history of injuries – he missed three games with a rib injury in 2013 and missed a 2014 contest due to a knee tweak. Jones is a must-own in almost any league he's eligible, but be leery of the price.
Team-by-Team Fantasy Stars (Overall ranking listed parenthetically)
Florida Atlantic
QB Jaquez Johnson (32), WR Jenson Stoshak (26), WR Kalib Woods (157)
Florida International
RB Anthon Samuel (106), RB Alex Gardner (137), RB Napoleon Maxwell (140), TE Jonnu Smith (2)
Louisiana Tech
QB Jeff Driskel (48), RB Kenneth Dixon (14), WR Carlos Henderson (53), WR Trent Taylor (109)
Marshall
QB Michael Birdsong (42), RB Devon Johnson (4), WR Deon-Tay McManus (41), WR Davonte Allen (42), WR Angelo Jean-Louis (94), WR Hyleck Foster (152), TE Ryan Yurachek (29)
Middle Tennessee
QB Austin Grammer (81), WR Ed'Marques Battle (77)
North Texas
RB Jeffrey Wilson (95), WR Carlos Harris (106), TE Marcus Smith (22)
Old Dominion
RB Ray Lawry (20), WR Zach Pascal (75), WR David Washington (120)
Rice
QB Driphus Jackson (49), RB Jowan Davis (92), RB Darik Dillard (104), WR Dennis Parks (117), WR Zach Wright (164), WR James Mayden (165)
Southern Mississippi
None
UNC Charlotte
QB Matt Johnson (60), RB Kalif Phillips (29), WR Austin Duke (20)
UTEP
RB Aaron Jones (23)
UTSA
None
Western Kentucky
QB Brandon Doughty (16), RB Leon Allen (24), RB Anthony Wales (98), WR Jared Dangerfield (49), WR Taywan Taylor (58), WR Nicholas Norris (107), WR Antwane Grant (123), TE Tyler Higbee (12)
