Big 12 Conference Fantasy Preview

Which players from the revamped Big 12 Conference should you be targeting on Draft Day? We break down the 10-team league in search of relevant Fantasy talent.

The difference between the Big 12 haves and have nots will likely come down to quarterback play, where the top teams boast returning stars while those expected to struggle offensively are counting on signal callers yet to prove they can produce on a weekly basis. Landry Jones, Brandon Weeden, Robert Griffin and Ryan Tannehill lead offenses that should not only be the cream of the conference crop, but also find themselves again among the nation's elite. Each operates in a spread attack that affords plenty of opportunities to pick apart an overmatched secondary. And not surprisingly, each quarterback will wing it to receivers that will be mentioned among the nation's finest.

No conference can boast a receiving quartet that matches Ryan Broyles, Justin Blackmon, Kendall Wright and Jeff Fuller. Each combines steady production with the potential to truly bust out against any opponent, and each is also surrounded by a supporting cast that makes consistent double coverage almost impossible. Thus a conference that has seen its share of great tailbacks may witness more top-end production from the guys out wide, thanks in large part to the departure of some serious ground talent.

DeMarco Murray, Jay Finley, Daniel Thomas and Kendall Hunter have all departed their respective campuses, and these four take a combined 6500 yards from scrimmage and an amazing 67 touchdowns in 2010 with them. And the true bummer is that each team, except for maybe Kansas State, appears content to replace their outgoing star with a by-committee approach. Don't these coaches care about the poor fantasy owner whose happiness depends on a collegiate tailback seeing twenty carries per contest? Are we not people, too?

The Big 12 has been the most explosive BCS conference in the country. And the best defensive squad is now playing in the Big Ten…I mean B1G. The aforementioned quarterbacks and wide receivers are poised for huge production, and should a few tailbacks seize some full-time gigs then we're really going to have something. Needless to say there will be points scored, and they will be scored often.

Baylor

2010 Record: 7-6
Offensive Rank (out of 120): 13
Defensive Rank (out of 120): 104
Base Offense: Spread
Returning Starters: 8 offense / 5 defense
Significant losses: RB Jay Finley
Newcomer of Note: It's difficult to envision any freshman making serious noise on the offensive side, but versatile athlete B.J. Allen could see the field early as he's an electrifying playmaker.

2011 Thoughts: Even with the loss of Finley this is going to be an outstanding offense. Center Philip Blake leads an offensive line that coach Art Briles says will be his best to date. And the big uglies will be blocking for Mr. Baylor, senior quarterback Robert Griffin, a star poised to truly explode onto the national scene. True college football fans have known about Griffin from Day One, but it's those casual observers that will be brought up to speed in 2011.

The receivers (don't laugh) are second only to Oklahoma State in the Big 12, and the group is among the nation's finest. Kendall Wright and Josh Gordon can play for anyone, illustrating just how far the Baylor program has come in a short time. Running back is the only real question on this offense, with Jared Salubi likely to battle Glasco Martin for the starting role while Terrance Ganaway provides that steady veteran presence.

Final Analysis: Everything seems to be set up for a big season, and because this is Baylor football, this is what really scares me. The defense, led by new DC Phil Bennett, will likely stink (though not because of Bennett mind you), but with this offense the defense only need to not be lousy. This will be a challenge.

We cannot overstate the importance of the opener against TCU. A big win and Briles (among the nation's most underrated coaches) will have his boys rolling. A tough loss to a reloading Horned Frog squad and we could have a harbinger of things to come. Regardless, this team will be fun to watch.

Iowa State

2010 Record: 5-7
Offensive Rank (out of 120): 99
Defensive Rank (out of 120): 87
Base Offense: Spread
Returning Starters: 6 offense / 9 defense
Significant losses: QB Austen Arnaud, TE Collin Franklin, WR Jake Williams, RB Alexander Robinson
Newcomer of Note: JUCO Steele Jantz has arrived on campus with every intention of seizing the starting QB job.

2011 Thoughts: Paul Rhoads will look to turn a bad offense into a mediocre one, and this will prove challenging with so many contributors no longer on campus. Jantz and Jerome Tiller will vie for the starting job, and it's likely that each sees significant snaps during the season.

Final Analysis: Except for (possibly) WR Darius Darks and RB Shontrelle Johnson, this is a squad to avoid on draft day. The Cyclones better beat Northern Iowa in the opener, as it's very possible they lose for the next two months.

Kansas

2010 Record: 3-9
Offensive Rank (out of 120): 113
Defensive Rank (out of 120): 98
Base Offense: Spread
Returning Starters: 7 offense / 8 defense
Significant losses: WR Johnathan Wilson, RB Angus Quigley
Newcomers of Note: Freshman running back Darian Miller can run like the wind blows, and coach Turner Gill has already stated this youngster will play in 2011. If quarterback Brock Berglund can seize the starting job then the future will be now in the KU backfield.

2011 Thoughts: This offense is still a long ways away from what it will eventually be under Gill, but in running back James Sims and wide receivers Daymond Patterson and D.J. Beshears there are some building blocks. It's just the team's best quarterback, Brock Berglund, recently attended his high school prom.

Final Analysis: The Jayhawks will win their first two and then lose a bunch in a row. The defense is bad (a former RB at DE is an example of this unit's lack of talent) and will put the Jayhawk offense in a hole far too often. This will allow (force) KU to open it up, thus Patterson and Beshears could post some fantasy-worthy numbers. Sims appears to be a 1,000-yard and ten-score back, though you really should keep an eye on Darian Miller.

Kansas State

2010 Record: 7-6
Offensive Rank (out of 120): 62
Defensive Rank (out of 120): 106
Base Offense: Spread option
Returning Starters: 6 offense / 7 defense
Significant losses: RB Daniel Thomas, QB Carson Coffman
Newcomer of Note: We're going to count Bryce Brown in this category. The highly-regarded transfer from Tennessee is poised to become the replacement for the tough-to-replace Mr. Thomas.

2011 Thoughts: The Wildcats boast two of the Big 12's more intriguing offensive prospects in Chris Harper and Bryce Brown. Both present very high ceilings, and if the offense can somehow start clicking then we could really have something with these two. Of course a key part of this clicking offense is the quarterback, where most expect Collin Klein to emerge as starter. He blew up in the spring game, but one must remember that Bill Snyder has never passed up an opportunity to run it up against an overmatched foe, and the K-State defense certainly qualifies as such.

Final Analysis: Brown, Harper, WR Brodrick Smith and even Klein are worth a looksie due to the first two foes and the fact that K-State will likely struggle to contain many opposing offenses. This is a team that appears headed for anywhere from five to seven wins, and they will have to score in bunches to reach mediocrity.

Missouri

2010 Record: 10-3
Offensive Rank (out of 120): 35
Defensive Rank (out of 120): 47
Returning Starters: 9 offense / 6 defense
Base Offense: Spread
Significant losses: QB Blaine Gabbert
Newcomer of Note: Keep an eye on TE Brandon Hannah down the road.

2011 Thoughts: The dual-threat capabilities of James Franklin make Missouri an even-more intriguing offense heading into 2011. And it helps that Franklin will take over and have so much veteran talent at his disposal. WR TJ Moe and TE Michael Egnew (90 catches) are national factors, while Jerrel Jackson and Wes Kemp complement one of the nation's top pass-catching groups.

Final Analysis: Missouri has become one of “those” offenses that will simply produce year-after-year, regardless of names on the back of the jersey. Look for Franklin's legs to add another dimension while the three-headed monster of De'Vion Moore, Kendial Lawrence and Henry Josey share the load. Points will be scored.

Oklahoma

2010 Record: 12-2
Offensive Rank (out of 120): 10
Defensive Rank (out of 120): 53
Base Offense: Multiple (with spread tendencies)
Returning Starters: 8 offense / 8 defense
Significant losses: RB Demarco Murray, WR Cameron Kenney
Newcomer of Note: RB Brandon Williams was on campus for spring ball, and he's been very impressive.

2011 Thoughts: Everything is in place. Though only a junior, Landry Jones is already a grizzled vet coming off a monster sophomore season, and in Ryan Broyles he may have the nation's top wide receiver at his disposal. TE James Hanna is a touchdown machine, and all will be led by what will be an impressive offensive line. Demarco Murray's departure opens up a whole bunch of carries, though it's looking like a bunch of backs will need to play nice and share. Look for the true freshie Williams to push for starting touches this fall.

Final Analysis: The Sooners survive their Week Three trip to Doak Campbell and they ain't losing for a while. This offense will be scary good.

Oklahoma State

2010 Record: 11-2
Offensive Rank (out of 120): 3
Defensive Rank (out of 120): 88
Base Offense: Spread (pass)
Returning Starters: 10 offense / 6 defense
Significant losses: RB Kendall Hunter, K Dan Bailey
Newcomer of Note: Running back Herschel Sims. Five star recruit will get every opportunity to see significant snaps.

2011 Thoughts: Dana Holgorsen came, installed a sweet offense, and then left to eventually push Bill Stewart out at West Virginia. What remains is still ... a pretty sweet offense. One that boasts the nation's top pass-catch combination in veteran (we mean VETERAN) quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon.

Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith are two young anchors around which the ground attack will be built, though the aforementioned Sims (along with Desmond Roland) will look to impress immediately. Expect one to be redshirted.

Final Analysis: This offense will be very good; not 3rd nationally good, but still among the country's best. Look for Weeden to throw for a similar number (34) of scores, though the receptions and scores will be more equally distributed, with Hubert Anyiam the likely beneficiary.

Texas

2010 Record: 5-7
Offensive Rank (out of 120): 58
Defensive Rank (out of 120): 6
Base Offense: Multiple (pro style with spread tendencies)
Returning Starters: 6 offense / 7 defense
Significant losses: WR James Kirkendoll
Newcomer of Note: Running back Malcolm Brown may finally be the answer to the Horns' ground questions. We've been waiting a few years for a true Texas workhorse, and Brown can deliver the goods.

2011 Thoughts: Can't get much worse, can it? Co-offensive coordinators Bryan Harsin and Major Applewhite will look to inspire a great deal of improvement from Garrett Gilbert, and if this doesn't work then we could see a repeat of last year's offensive struggles. The running back battle may be over once Malcolm Brown arrives for fall practice, though even he may not be enough.

Final Analysis: This offense is lacking typical Texas talent. Mike Davis is an outstanding receiver capable of taking over games, however there's no guarantee that he'll get the ball with regularity. There will be moments, but this offense will bog down too often, making it a risky fantasy destination and the Longhorns a longshot to surpass nine wins.

Texas A&M

2010 Record: 9-4
Offensive Rank (out of 120): 23
Defensive Rank (out of 120): 55
Base Offense: Multiple pro sets
Returning Starters: 9 offense / 8 defense
Significant losses: QB Jerrod Johnson
Newcomer of Note: Freshman Johnny Manziel is a quarterback recruit who may play wide receiver early in order to get on the field. Sounds a lot like Mr. Tannehill, eh?

2011 Thoughts: This offense is loaded with weapons. Ryan Tannehill will be a better passer, and this should give the Aggies a chance to improve upon their 23rd national offensive ranking from a season ago. Cyrus Gray took over in the second half of the season; however the return of Christine Michael from a broken leg will again provide Mike Sherman with an outstanding RB duo…and a serious headache for fantasy owners.

Final Analysis: The strength of this talented offense is at wide receiver, where Jeff Fuller and Ryan Swope team with Uzoma Nwachukwu to cause a whole bunch of problems for opposing secondary units. Look for Fuller's 12 scores to drop a little bit while Swope and Nwachukwu see their totals increase. A bye in Week Two kind of stinks, but games against SMU, Idaho and a Big 12 slate point to a whole bunch of points. And the Week Five showdown with Arkansas could turn into a real shootout.

Texas Tech

2010 Record: 8-5
Offensive Rank (out of 120): 15
Defensive Rank (out of 120): 114
Base Offense: Multiple (spread, pro set and even a little pistol)
Returning Starters: Offense 7 /Defense 8
Significant losses: QB Taylor Potts, RB Baron Batch, WR Lyle Leong, WR Detron Lewis
Newcomer of Note: Watch JUCO Marcus Kennard

2011 Thoughts: Lots of talent has moved on, but the cupboard is far from bare. Quarterback Seth Doege, running back Eric Stephens and WR Alex Torres all present the potential to serve as BCS fantasy factors, and guys like RB Ben McRoy and Kennard are the type of breakout stars that always seem to appear in Lubbock.

Final Analysis: Yes, the Red Raiders will run the ball more, but this team's personnel is still well-suited to a wide-open attack. Doege will not post the same numbers that Potts did a season ago, but he'll still provide QB1 production. Running backs are a bit iffy, and it's hard to envision any of the WR's coming close to Lyle Leong's 19 scores from a season ago. This is a top-25 offense, but numbers will be shared by too many.