After several weeks of working, Justin Heisey finally reveals his top fifty CFF wide receivers for the 2018 season. Heisey looks into the reception numbers, receiving yards, touchdowns, and all-purpose yards to determine the top guys.
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Top 50 Wide Receivers for College Fantasy Football
The following receivers are given in a Standard .5 PPR format.
50. Tyler Vaughns, USC
49. Justin Hall, Ball State
48. Collin Johnson, Texas
47. Marcus Green, Louisiana-Monroe
46. Ahmmon Richards, Miami FL
45. Anthony Ratliff-Williams, North Carolina
44. Felton Davis, Michigan State
43. AJ Richardson, Boise State
42. Nykeim Johnson, Syracuse
41. Jalen Guyton, North Texas
40. John Ursua, Hawaii
39. Marquise Brown, Oklahoma
38. Emanuel Hall, Missouri
37. Quez Watkins, Southern Mississippi
36. Dredrick Snelson, UCF
35. Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty
34. Dillon Stoner, Oklahoma State
33. Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
32. Penny Hart, Georgia State
31. Tee Higgins, Clemson
30. Scott Miller, Bowling Green
29. McLane Mannix, Nevada
28. Olamide Zaccheus, Virginia
27. Hakeem Butler, Iowa State
26. Kyle Sweet, Washington State
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25. Juwan Johnson, Penn State
Given the amount of firepower that Penn State lost last season in Saquon Barkley, Mike Geisiki, and DaeSean Hamilton, it should come as no surprise that Juwan Johnson comes in at 25 on this list. Johnson is the number one receiving target for the Nittany Lions in 2018 and Heisman hopeful Trace McSorley should have no problem getting him the ball. The Penn State schedule isn’t too demanding this season with the 55th toughest schedule in football. My concerns for Johnson include his reception numbers as Penn State receivers rarely top 60 receptions and McSorley’s ability to run may cut into his touchdowns.
24. Greg Dortch, Wake Forest
Fantasy owners were living their best lives with Greg Dortch in 2018 until an abdominal Injury ended his season early. John Wolford graduated but I remain optimistic for Dortch’s based on what I’ve seen from new starting quarterback Kendall Hinton. Hinton’s early season suspension could make way for backup Jamie Newman who has the better arm talent of the two, making Dortch an even hotter commodity. Dortch avoids playing Virginia Tech and Miami while playing weaker defenses all throughout the Championship weeks. The only competition with Dortch is Scottie Montgomery who averaged 15.8 yards per reception last season with 711 yards.
23. Damonte Coxie, Memphis
The kid that just needed someone to give him a shot. After Committing to LSU and holding offers to Alabama and Florida, Damonte Coxie’s eligibility went under question due to his grades and LSU pulled his offer. Mike Norvell took a shot on the kid and 2018 is the payoff year. Coxie looks to fill the void left by one of Memphis’ all-time greatest receivers in Anthony Miller. Coxie has a larger stature at 6-3 and moves incredibly well for a target of this size. The Memphis offense is built to produce a great fantasy receiver and I have no reason to believe that Coxie isn’t next in line for this role in the Tigers offense.
22. Teddy Veal, Louisiana Tech
He’s certainly not as expensive as last season but he’s just as much a dude. Teddy Veal didn’t quite live up to his preseason hype, but that was due in part to J’Mar Smith’s inability to get him the ball in the red zone. Veal finished up 2017 with 74 receptions and just shy of 1,000 yards. If Smith can give Veal more than five regular season touchdowns this season he will break the top 15 before the end of 2018.
21. Diontae Johnson, Toledo
First things first, Logan Woodside has left the building. Toledo’s third all-time passer won’t easily be replaced but projected starter Eli Peters still has plenty of weapons and that includes Diontae Johnson. Johnson exploded for one of the best single seasons by a Toledo receiver of all-time with 1200-plus yards and 13 touchdowns following the unfortunate injury of Cody Thompson. If Peters has half the arm of Woodside, Johnson will remain a fantasy relevant commodity in 2018 even with Thompson back.
20. Kelvin Harmon, NC State
Kelvin Harmon quietly ended the year with over 1,000 yards and 65-plus receptions. If you’re wondering why he was never at the top of the receiving charts, it is because he only caught four touchdown passes. This was largely due to Nyheim Hines and Jaylen Samuels stealing most of the red zone touches. Harmon has an incredibly high floor this season as North Carolina State loses most of their stellar defense from last season and Ryan Finley’s unexpected return. If he can gain the yardage of last season and add two or three touchdowns he can make his way up into the top 15 by the end of the season.
19. Denzel Mims, Baylor
I can attest that Denzel Mims was a key player in saving my season last year. Matt Rhule seems to be continuing the chain at Baylor for the time being with a pass-heavy offense which means the lead receiver at Baylor is still a stud. Mims went for over a hundred yards on four occasions last season with his best game coming against Oklahoma when he caught 11 passes for 192 yards. Consistency at the quarterback position will benefit Baylor greatly this season with Charlie Brewer likely holding the reigns for all 12 games. Mims should top 900 yards again this season and will likely see an increase in touchdowns where he seemed inconsistent last season.
18. Devin Butler, Syracuse
I’m not going to waste too much time beating a dead horse here. The top two wide receivers under Dino Babers in each of the last three seasons have caught more than 75 passes and Devin Butler is the most experienced receiver returning this season. Syracuse boasted the fastest offense of 2017 with 87.8 plays per game and the most important part of that offense in Eric Dungey returns for what seems like his eight or ninth season. His last two games against Notre Dame and Boston College may be worrisome, but the matchups against Wake Forest and Louisville are sure to be epic games for Butler this season.
17. Gary Jennings Jr., West Virginia
Gary Jennings Jr. was the unsung hero of the West Virginia Mountaineers last season. Jennings finished the year with 97 receptions and 1,096 yards but only 1 measly touchdown. If Jennings can steal a score from David Sills V two or three times this season, he can be a steal of a pick for someone who will go substantially lower than his team counterpart. West Virginia returns one of the best passing threats in college football in Will Grier and it’s unlikely that Jennings sees any backsliding in 2018. If you miss out on Sills V, snag Jennings and rejoice with the amount of action he sees.
16. Cody Thompson, Toledo
After booming for 505 yards on 27 receptions in four games last season, one 32 yard reception would end Cody Thompson’s 2017 after breaking his leg. Thompson was on his way to an incredible 2017 season and won’t likely see those types of numbers with Logan Woodside gone. However, Thompson is still a phenomenal player and lines up opposite of Diontae Johnson weekly. Both he and Johnson will remain fantasy relevant regardless of who plays quarterback for Toledo. My advice would be to draft whoever comes at a cheaper price.
15. James Proche, SMU
Realistically, nobody is going to come close to Trey Quinn’s 114 receptions from 2017. James Proche isn’t walking into the Chad Morris system that we all know in love, but he is going into a Sonny Dykes system that produced a stud in Chad Hansen two years ago. Proche finished up last season with 816 yards on 40 receptions for a staggering 20 yards per reception. The return of Ben Hicks does nothing but reinforce Proche’s upside and if he can prove his worth in the offseason, he will be in for a huge year.
14. Jaylen Smith, Louisville
I wasn’t quite sold on Jaylen Smith last season even with Lamar Jackson returning, but he quickly established himself as a legitimate fantasy option. Smith finished up last season with 980 yards and seven touchdowns despite missing most of September with a wrist injury. Jawon Pass isn’t exactly Lamar Jackson but his arm is better than Jackson’s which only places more confidence in Smith’s 2018 campaign. Some might be worried about Seth Dawkins and Dez Fitzpatrick stealing touches but that didn’t seem to be an issue as Smith went for 70-plus yards in nine of ten games last season.
13. Preston Williams, Colorado State
I know it’s strange to have a wideout fresh off of a suspension listed in the top 15, but it’s hard to ignore the next big Colorado State receiver. Colorado State receivers have produced ungodly numbers recently with Michael Gallup and Rashaad Higgins. Preston Williams is the presumed replacement for Gallup. Williams left Tennessee for Colorado State after the coaching staff stopped implementing him in the game plan. Williams transferred to the Rams and immediately established himself as a leader of the team. He backslid in September last year and was suspended indefinitely after a misdemeanor assault charge. Now, Williams is cleared up and going to be an absolute stud against smaller Moutain West corners.
12. Andy Isabella, Massachusetts
Andy Isabella took me by surprise last season, specifically with his amount of targets. With Adam Brenneman playing, I was almost certain that Isabella’s role was simply going to be that of a field stretcher and that he was looking to be a 40-50 reception player. He ended the year with 1,020 yards on 65 receptions. Isabella is the lone man with Brenneman gone and lucky for him, Andrew Ford is back for one last hoorah with the Minutemen. My expectations for Isabella this season should be around what he got last year considering he’s got Ford back, just be wary of a schedule that includes Georgia, BYU, and Boston College.
11. Tyre Brady, Marshall
So Chase Litton wasn’t exactly Rakeem Cato during his tenure at Marshall but one great thing we got out of him was the emergence of Tyre Brady. Brady led the Thundering Herd last season with 62 receptions, 942 yards, and eight touchdowns. Litton unexpectedly left for the NFL and opened up the quarterback job for incoming transfer Alex Thomson to take over. Thomson passed up on Tennessee to join Marshall after transferring from Wagner College and he is already an intriguing pro-prospect. Brady has a ton of upside this season if Thomson is as good as advertised and should eclipse 1,000 yards for the first time.
Friendly reminder only @Tyre_Brady weeks (8) until we see @HerdFB in Miami Ohio for their season opener. pic.twitter.com/cWzECiMX6K
— Barstool Marshall (@BarstoolMU) July 7, 2018
10. Brendan O’Leary-Orange, Nevada
One of many great debates this season among college fantasy experts is the lead receiver for Nevada. Everybody is high on Ty Gangi but who is he going to throw to more between Brendan O’Leary-Orange and McLane Mannix. I’m going to go with O’Leary-Orange due to a comparison of play style to the departing Wyatt Demps. Demps led all Nevada receivers with 67 receptions, 908 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns. Demps and O’Leary-Orange are both 6-4 and both around 200 pounds which leads me to believe that O”Leary-Orange will see the bulk of passes this season similar to Demps a season ago. He also averaged 15 yards per reception last season on more than 30 receptions which is rather impressive for a big-bodied receiver.
9. James Gardner, Miami (OH)
As it stands right now, James Gardner is the ninth leading receiver All-Time in RedHawks football history in receiving yards as well as eighth in receiving touchdowns. Gardner took off for 972 yards and 11 touchdowns a season ago and is undoubtedly going to top that this season with a healthy Gus Ragland throwing him the ball. Ragland missed three games late in the season due to a leg injury after starting the first seven games of the season. Gardner is in for another big year so long as Ragland can stay healthy and if not he’s still a solid fantasy option.
8. Trevon Brown, East Carolina
Trevon Brown had a huge four-game streak in the final four weeks of the season of 2017 with 611 yards and 34 receptions. It’s safe to assume that Brown is going to pick up right where he left off after the sudden increase in targets and absolute dominance that he showed against AAC opponents. ECU changes quarterbacks this season so there might be an early learning curve but I would be shocked if he caught less than seven passes in any game this season.
7. Ty Lee, Middle Tennessee State
Many thought that the losses of Richie James and Brent Stockstill for most of last season would put the Blue Raiders out of the fantasy game but Ty Lee stepped up and proved everyone wrong. Even with Brent Stockstill missing almost half the season, Lee took off for 1064 total yards and caught 79 passes. Lee could put up Richie James numbers if Stockstill can stay healthy for the whole season and he should be considered one of the best options in fantasy this season.
6. N’Keal Harry, Arizona State
N’Keal Harry surprised many by selecting Arizona State over teams like Texas, Oregon, USC, and Texas A&M as the seventh-ranked wide receiver in the 2016 recruiting class. It seems to be paying off however as he caught 82 passes and went for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns. With several personnel changes in the Sun Devil coaching staff, there are many uncertainties surrounding the offense but Harry isn’t one of them. Harry is still the best player on the Sun Devil roster, Manny Wilkins is still on campus so the connection is there, and He’s still one of the top pro prospect receivers this season. The Chandler High School product is in for another big year in what is likely his final ride with Arizona State.
5. KeeSean Johnson, Fresno State
He may not be the son of the NFL Player Keyshawn Johnson but boy he this kid can play. KeeSean Johnson remains the best offensive player for the Fresno State Bulldogs going into 2018 after compiling 1,013 yards on 77 receptions in 2017. Marcus McMaryion is continuing to develop as a passer and Johnson should see a lot of action with multiple high scoring games against San Diego State, Boise State, UCLA, Nevada, and Toledo all on the schedule. Expect another 75-plus receptions and 1,000 more yards for Johnson in 2018.
4. T.J. Vasher, Texas Tech
No need to overcomplicate this one, Texas Tech receivers catch a lot of passes and score a lot of touchdowns and TJ Vasher is next in line to be the top dog in Lubbock. Over the previous six seasons, the leading wide receiver for Texas Tech has averaged 82 receptions, 1,129 yards, and 10 touchdowns and its safe to assume that the Kliff Kingsbury will keep the trend going so long as he has a job. Vasher is the projected starter due to his potential and similar skill sets to previous lead guys at Tech and he is undoubtedly a top guy in fantasy this year.
3. David Sills V, West Virginia
With Will Grier playing quarterback for the Mountaineers again this season, it should come as no surprise that two West Virginia wideouts crack the top 50. David Sills V finished tied for first in receiving touchdowns last season with 18 and came close to 1,000 yards to end the season. Sills is Grier’s favorite red-zone target and even though he doesn’t get the receptions of Gary Jennings Jr. he’s going to outscore him once again. If Grier can finish this season out then Sills could see many touchdowns once again in 2018.
2. A.J. Brown, Ole Miss
So first off, A.J. Brown is a proven player under two separate quarterbacks. I fully expected his production to take a dip when Shea Patterson hurt his leg but it only seemed like his play increased with Jordan Ta’Amu. Brown’s situation is similar to Jaylen Smith’s in that there are two other guys in DK Metcalf and DaMarcus Lodge who could steal away receptions but those guys didn’t come close to Brown’s overall production from last season. Ta’Amu is more of a pocket passer than Shea Patterson which only enhances Brown who is coming off of a 75-reception and1,252-yard season.
1. Anthony Johnson, Buffalo
After going largely undrafted last season, Anthony Johnson boomed for 1,300-plus yards and 14 touchdowns. Johnson also benefits from having an increasingly well-known quarterback in Tyree Jackson returning from a 2017 injury. It appears that Johnson is going to be the next great group of Wide Receivers in a line that includes Anthony Miller, Michael Gallup, Corey Davis, Zay Jones, and Taywan Taylor. Explect more of the same from Johnson especially if Jackson stays on the field all year long.
More Great College Fantasy Football Content
Curious about what the experts think about your favorite players? Chech out the FootballDiehards.com 5th Annual Suma Cum Laude Mock Draft for the 2018 season.
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Be sure to check out previous rankings by Justin Heisey