It’s hard not to talk about football when kickoff is less than two weeks away. While I love to bring our readers news from the other sports, there simply isn’t much going on that isn’t oblong spheroid related. With that said, I will try and give you some interesting news and notes that you may not find elsewhere.
Let’s talk about college fantasy football and where Auburn players stand.
I have now participated in more than five different drafts and I have a pretty good pulse on college fantasy football. If you are interested in CFF, the best way to get my take is on Twitter @Best5Zach.
If anyonethought that coach Gus Malzahn holding off on naming Jarrett Stidham the starting QB would cause fantasy owners to scramble to pick him up off the waiver wire, you would be dead wrong. Though the coaching staff allowed the competition at quarterback to run into fall camp, virtually everyone knew that Stidham was the starter. That was true even with people who have no interest in the Auburn Tigers.
Despite a 71st ranking (on scoring prediction) by Fantrax, Stidham was 100% drafted in virtually every league across the board. He is still owned in 59% of leagues with an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 110. It is interesting that people have drafted him on average in the 9th round but have only kept him half the time.
Fellow Auburn players are also being drafted. Kam Pettway also sports a 100% draft rate and has an ADP of 53. Whether is is to handcuff Pettway or players believe in him, Kerryon Johnson has snuck into a lot of leagues as well. Daniel Carlson, the No. 1 kicker, is drafted in 100% of leagues and has an ADP of 81.
Perhaps the biggest surprise?
Someone out there thinks that Nate Craig-Myers is the biggest sleeper on the team. Though he has been drafted in only 6% of leagues, which is in line with every other Auburn receiver, he is owned in 14%. In other words, some people have faith in him, but weren’t willing to risk a draft pick. While they have nothing invested in him, they believe he could be a star.
What can Auburn fans take away from this?
They believe Stidham could be great, but aren’t willing to sell out for a player who hasn’t played a snap in the SEC, though speculative picks aren’t uncommon. Fans can thank Jeremy Johnson’s lackluster career. They also believe Auburn will score, but will score via the run. It is fairly uncommon to see two running backs drafted at such a rate as Pettway and Johnson. In other words, Gus Malzahn and Chip Lindsey may try and sell everyone on Auburn’s improved passing attack, but players believe Auburn will continue to be a run-first team.
Is that too much fantasy football for you? …
Let’s move on to some real football.
Auburn is having the best competition on the offensive line than I can ever remember. Just weeks ago, it appeared (and it could still happen) that Auburn would have an all senior line. Yet, despite the chance to have an all senior line, the competition is so good that the battle rages on for a starting nod on the front. For awhile, it appeared that it would be the all senior team of (from left to right) Darius James , Austin Golson, Casey Dunn, Wilson Bell, and Braden Smith. This line would move both Golson and Smith to their more natural positions, thanks to the inclusion of Jacksonville State graduate transfer Casey Dunn.
Fans can thank Prince Tega Wanogho, who has completely blown the perception of the starting five. Not long ago, Wanogho was talked about as supremely talented with physical gifts, but injury and his lack of experience in playing football made him a very, raw player and a long-term project. It appears that offensive line coach Herb Hand has gotten Wanogho ahead of the curve.
It also appears that the starting five will be (from left to right) Wanogho, Mike Horton (So), Golson, Smith and James. This tells me that Malzahn and Lindsey are gearing up for a more pass oriented offense because Wanogho’s supreme height of 6-7 and his incredible reach is more suited for pass protection. Furthermore, Casey Dunn was more of a road grater at center than a gifted pass protector and the opposite could be said for Golson, who could be out leveraged at times in the past at center due to his height. In all, Auburn has talent, but more importantly, a lot of quality depth on the offensive line.
Moving on to defense.
For the first time in a long time, Auburn appears to be completely healthy on defense. That defense, as most fans know, was incredibly good under first year coordinator, Kevin Steele. That was quite the surprise after the languishing the unit had seen over the last few years. Auburn may have lost some great players this past year, but all reports are that this unit will be just as good. That’s saying quite a lot, considering just how good the 2016 unit was, despite the early and late offensive woes.
With an improved offense to spell the defense, Auburn’s D is set to be a top ten unit. Where can Auburn get better? Pass rush. The competition at Buck is shaping up to where Auburn has some great depth, meaning fresh pass rushers on obvious passing down, something Auburn hasn’t had since 2013. Jeff Holland and Paul James, III are competing for the spot. Holland played well last season in limited time and James showed out on A-Day. Regardless of who lines up on the edge, Auburn’s depth and talent up front isn’t just good, it’s great. Across the state, Alabama may get all the hype for defensive line play, but this unit played well last season, despite the youth. Expect big things in 2017.
The post Auburn News and Notes: 8/22/2017 Edition appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.
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