I did not get fired up for the past two spring football leagues: AAF and XFL. Yet. The return of the USFL ignited a long-lost passion. Therefore, I decided to provide readers with player rankings and advice to set up a fantasy league over the next two weeks.
The USFL Returns to the Gridiron
In the Spring of 1984, I will never forget going to the New Jersey Generals for the first time to see RB Herschel Walker and QB Brian Sipe in the Meadowlands. My two best friends, Steve and Brett, joined me in the journey south from Connecticut to New Jersey on the Saw Mill Parkway and across the George Washington Bridge. A dream come true for a 17-year-old in the Northeast to watch professional football live.
At least 15 other times, I made the trip to New Jersey to see Generals games. I even attended the final game in league history: The 1985 Championship Game in Giants Stadium. I sat on the 50-yard line as the Baltimore Stars beat the Oakland Invaders, 28-24.
Looking back, it is amazing that the USFL played three full seasons from 1983-85 and expanded to 18 teams in 1984. The league showcased many future stars who would go onto NFL fame in the late Eighties and early Nineties. I saw firsthand many of the great players: DE Reggie White (Showboats), WR Anthony Carter (Panthers), LB Sam Mills (Stars), QB Steve Young (Express), and QB Jim Kelly (Gamblers).
Those memorable competitors, and days, are long gone. This week, I studied the USFL rosters. Without a bidding war with the NFL like 40-years ago, limited talent adorns rosters across the league. Depth charts are loaded with former Power 5 performers still chasing their NFL dreams. And players from Group of 5 programs or lower levels of college competition.
While ranking players, it clearly helped to love college fantasy football and know many of the names: Jordan Ta’amu, Clayton Thorson, Kyle Lauretta, Stevie Scott, Larry Rose, CJ Marable, Tre Walker, Taywan Taylor, and Jonathan Adams, etc… I look forward to the competition and the season kicking off on April 16.
Pumped for the reincarnation of the USFL, any interest by other football fans? I posted a Twitter poll and enough followers seemed fascinated by a possible USFL fantasy league so I decided to rank the players with height, weight, and college statistics. I also brainstormed how to commission and organize a fantasy league. Listed below is the baseline format for a 2022 USFL Fantasy Football League…Enjoy my fellow diehards.
Suggested Rules for 6-Team Leagues:
- 10 Player Rosters: 2 QBs, 2 RBs, 4 WRs, 1 TE & 1 Flex
- 6 Starters: 1 QB, 1 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE & 1 Flex
- 60 Players Selected in Draft
- 1-point ppr-scoring
- Standings: Total Points Scored from starting lineup
- 9-week regular season
- Week 10 Championship: Top 2 teams
- Weekly Waiver Wire with $100 Free Agent Budget ($100)
2022 USFL Rankings
| Rnk | Player | USFL Team | College | HT | WT | Passing | TDs | Rushing | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan Ta'amu | Bandits | Mississippi | 6'3" | 221 | 5,600 | 30 | 507 | 10 |
| 2 | Kyle Sloter | Breakers | N. Colorado | 6'5" | 218 | 2,656 | 29 | 31 | 3 |
| 3 | Clayton Thorson | Gamblers | Northwestern | 6'4" | 225 | 10,731 | 45 | 408 | 27 |
| 4 | Bryan Scott | Stars | Occidental | 6'2" | 220 | 9,073 | 77 | 402 | 13 |
| 5 | Alex McGough | Stallions | FIU | 6'3" | 214 | 9,091 | 65 | 535 | 16 |
| 6 | Kyle Lauletta | Maulers | Richmond | 6'3" | 222 | 10,465 | 73 | 186 | 12 |
| 7 | Shea Patterson | Panthers | Michigan | 6'1" | 210 | 8,800 | 68 | 476 | 8 |
| 8 | De'Andre Johnson | Generals | Texas Southern | 6'2" | 188 | 1,575 | 9 | 54 | 2 |
| 9 | Josh Love | Maulers | San Jose State | 6'2" | 205 | 7,206 | 43 | -281 | 3 |
| 10 | J'Mar Davis-Smith | Stallions | Louisiana Tech | 6'1" | 218 | 9,523 | 51 | 856 | 15 |
| 11 | Luis Perez | Generals | TXA&M-Commerce | 6'3" | 220 | 8,325 | 78 | -87 | 1 |
| 12 | Zach Smith | Breakers | Tulsa | 6'2" | 227 | 8,223 | 53 | -263 | 1 |
| 13 | Paxton Lynch | Panthers | Memphis | 6'7" | 245 | 8,863 | 59 | 687 | 17 |
| 14 | Brady White | Bandits | Memphis | 6'1" | 215 | 10,949 | 92 | -23 | 7 |
| 15 | Kenji Bahar | Gamblers | Monmouth | 6'3" | 200 | 9,642 | 70 | 333 | 11 |
| 16 | Case Cookus | Stars | N. Arizona | 6'4" | 205 | 12,082 | 105 | 232 | 6 |
| Rnk | Player | USFL Team | College | HT | WT | Rushing | Rec. | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stevie Scott III | Panthers | Indiana | 6'1" | 225 | 2,543 | 55 | 32 |
| 2 | BJ Emmons | Bandits | FUA | 5'11" | 215 | 526 | 7 | 8 |
| 3 | Mike Weber | Generals | Ohio State | 5'10" | 211 | 2,676 | 54 | 25 |
| 4 | Dalyn Dawkins | Gamblers | Colorado St. | 5'7" | 183 | 3,330 | 79 | 17 |
| 5 | Darnell Holland | Stars | Kennesaw St. | 5'10" | 200 | 2,431 | 35 | 29 |
| 6 | Madre London | Maulers | Tennessee | 6'1" | 218 | 1,130 | 15 | 12 |
| 7 | T.J. Logan | Breakers | North Caroina | 5'11" | 195 | 2,165 | 76 | 23 |
| 8 | Jordan Chunn | Stallions | Troy | 6'0" | 230 | 3,124 | 84 | 47 |
| 9 | Mark Thompson | Gamblers | Florida | 6'2" | 235 | 596 | 16 | 6 |
| 10 | Garret Groshek | Maulers | Wisconsin | 5'11" | 220 | 1,216 | 79 | 8 |
| 11 | CJ Marable | Stallions | Coastal Carolina | 5'10" | 194 | 2,691 | 84 | 41 |
| 12 | Larry Rose, III | Breakers | New Mexico St. | 5'10" | 192 | 4,558 | 133 | 42 |
| 13 | Jordan Ellis | Breakers | Virginia | 5'10" | 220 | 1,997 | 29 | 20 |
| 14 | Juwan Washington | Bandits | San Diego St. | 5'6" | 190 | 2,669 | 33 | 28 |
| 15 | Tony Brooks-James | Stallions | Oregon | 5'9" | 190 | 1,863 | 40 | 20 |
| 16 | Matt Colbrun II | Stars | Wake Forest | 5'10" | 201 | 2,550 | 34 | 15 |
| 17 | Cameron Scarlett | Panthers | Stanford | 6'0" | 219 | 1,676 | 41 | 25 |
| 18 | Trey Williams | Generals | Texas A&M | 5'11" | 230 | 1,343 | 38 | 19 |
| 19 | Regginald Corbin | Panthers | Illinois | 5'9" | 205 | 2,361 | 38 | 18 |
| Rnk | Player | USFL Team | College | HT | WT | Receiving | Rec. | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shawn Poindexter | Breakers | Arizona | 6'4" | 210 | 1,135 | 67 | 12 |
| 2 | Isaiah Zuber | Gamblers | Kansas St. | 6'0" | 190 | 1,532 | 141 | 13 |
| 3 | KaVontae Turpin | Generals | TCU | 5'9" | 155 | 1,748 | 145 | 15 |
| 4 | Victor Bolden | Stallions | Oregon St. | 5'9" | 175 | 1,863 | 170 | 10 |
| 5 | Devin Gray | Stars | Cincinnati | 5'11" | 183 | 1,304 | 86 | 8 |
| 6 | Johnnie Dixon | Breakers | Ohio State | 5'11" | 200 | 1,146 | 67 | 17 |
| 7 | Quincy Adeboyejo | Panthers | Mississippi | 6'3" | 185 | 1,454 | 106 | 11 |
| 8 | Jeffrey Thomas | Maulers | Miami | 5'9" | 175 | 1,316 | 83 | 8 |
| 9 | Jordan Suell | Stars | S. Oregon | 6'6" | 205 | 2,184 | 112 | 27 |
| 10 | J'Mon Moore | Generals | Missouri | 6'2" | 226 | 2,477 | 158 | 22 |
| 11 | Taywan Taylor | Breakers | WKU | 5'11" | 203 | 4,234 | 253 | 41 |
| 12 | Derrick Willies | Bandits | Texas Tech | 6'4" | 210 | 663 | 40 | 6 |
| 13 | Bailey Gaither | Maulers | San Jose St. | 6'0" | 188 | 2,227 | 135 | 18 |
| 14 | Lance Lenoir | Panthers | Western Illinois | 6'0" | 207 | 3,796 | 273 | 28 |
| 15 | Jonathan Adams | Breakers | Arkansas St. | 6'3" | 220 | 2,306 | 166 | 21 |
| 16 | Emanuel Hall | Stallions | MIssouri | 6'1" | 201 | 2,016 | 97 | 16 |
| 17 | Tre Walker | Maulers | San Jose St. | 5'11" | 180 | 2,790 | 189 | 12 |
| 18 | Jordan Lasley | Bandits | UCLA | 6'2" | 206 | 1,901 | 113 | 14 |
| 19 | JoJo Ward | Gamblers | Hawaii | 5'9" | 175 | 1,999 | 116 | 20 |
| 20 | Osirus Mitchell | Stallions | Mississippi St. | 6'5" | 210 | 1,413 | 107 | 14 |
| 21 | Brennan Eagles | Stars | Texas | 6'3" | 225 | 1,026 | 61 | 11 |
| 22 | A. Ratliff-Williams | Gamblers | North Carolina | 6'1" | 205 | 1,340 | 80 | 9 |
| 23 | Branden Mack | Maulers | Temple | 6'5" | 220 | 1,819 | 131 | 15 |
| 24 | Darrius Shepherd | Generals | NDSU | 5'10" | 185 | 2,841 | 188 | 20 |
| 25 | Derrick Dillon | Bandits | LSU | 5'11" | 179 | 634 | 51 | 4 |
| 26 | Chad Williams | Breakers | Grambling | 6'1" | 205 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 27 | Jeff Badget | Panthers | Oklahoma | 5'11" | 183 | 1,785 | 108 | 10 |
| 28 | Randy Satterfield | Generals | Lyon College | 6'4" | 210 | 867 | 47 | 11 |
| 29 | Rashard Davis | Bandits | James Madison | 5'9" | 175 | 1,549 | 114 | 11 |
| 30 | Diondre Overton | Stars | Clemson | 6'5" | 210 | 777 | 52 | 7 |
| 31 | Peyton Ramzy | Stallions | Tuskegee | 6'1" | 173 | 156 | 8 | 1 |
| 32 | Teo Redding | Gamblers | Bowling Green | 6'1" | 176 | 1,328 | 94 | 14 |
| 33 | Chris Rowland | Stars | Tennessee St. | 5'7" | 185 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 34 | Keith Mumphrey | Bandits | Michigan State | 6'0" | 215 | 1,348 | 88 | 8 |
| 35 | Tyler Simmons | Gamblers | Georgia | 6'2" | 201 | 438 | 35 | 5 |
| Rnk | Player | USFL Team | College | HT | WT | Receiving | Rec. | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sage Surratt | Stallions | Wake Forest | 6'2" | 215 | 1,582 | 107 | 15 |
| 2 | Bug Howard | Stars | North Carolina | 6'5" | 240 | 1,770 | 124 | 14 |
| 3 | Cheyenne O'Grady | Bandits | Arkansas | 6'4" | 245 | 967 | 87 | 12 |
| 4 | Matt Seybert | Maulers | Michigan St. | 6'4" | 250 | 284 | 26 | 3 |
| 5 | Cary Angeline | Stallions | North Carolina St. | 6'7" | 250 | 960 | 61 | 12 |
| 6 | La'Michael Pettway | Panthers | Iowa State | 6'2" | 219 | 1,277 | 92 | 11 |
| 7 | Brandon Barnes | Gamblers | Alabama State | 6'4" | 255 | 436 | 29 | 6 |
| 8 | Nick Truesdell | Generals | Grand Rapids (CC) | 6'6" | 252 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 9 | Marcus Baugh | Panthers | Ohio State | 6'4" | 240 | 607 | 55 | 8 |
| 10 | Sal Cannella | Breakers | Auburn | 6'5" | 230 | 330 | 25 | 5 |
| 11 | Braedon Bowman | Generals | South Alabama | 6'4" | 235 | 381 | 29 | 0 |
| 12 | Joseph Magnifico | Panthers | Memphis | 6'4" | 245 | 1,063 | 71 | 12 |
USFL Mock Draft Results
if Fantrax hosts USFL leagues next season i will definitely be in. i so hope it succeeds because i for one have grown weary of the overblown NFL with their delusions of grandeur, plans for global expansion, and just their chickensh*t in general
TE Braedon Bowman at 11? I’m gonna assume you went by the limited stats available. Dude is probably the best pass catching and route running TE in the USFL. Aside from possibly Bug Howard. Played at a small D3 school in Arizona before transferring to South Alabama. Moved from WR to TE there. Injuries cost him his spot with the Jets after signing as a UDFA. Played for the Birmingham Iron in AAF. Showed great athleticism and RAC ability in limited playing time due to nagging knee soreness. Luis Perez was his QB and was one of his favorite targets. They are together again with the Generals. If he can stay healthy, look for that to be a solid connection with high % RedZone targets.
Will you guys be providing a platform for USFL fantasy football?
I do believe our programmers are exploring the idea. It takes a huge amount of time and resources to build a game from the ground up though. We won’t have anything for this season, but if the USFL looks like it will have some staying power, you know we’ll be all over it.