FSU Football: Former Noles to know for the NFL Fantasy season

The NFL preseason is ending, and college football is upon us. That means it is also fantasy season. These FSU Football alums will be some food for thought.

There is something in the air. Depending on where you live, the leaves are changing color, there is a crispness in the air, and everyone is drunk on their favorite team kool-aid (professional and otherwise).

IT’S FOOTBALL SEASON!!! The NFL preseason is coming to a close, college football games are upon us, and the NFL regular season is shortly thereafter.

That also means that our nation’s newest pastime is here as it is fantasy football draft season.

Among all the hype surrounding Mathew Berry’s lists, mock drafts, self-congratulatory, and friend-defaming smack talk, there are Seminoles to consider in order to have a successful season.

The draftable lot of the pro Seminoles took a massive hit with the long-term injury of Cam Akers. He is likely out for the season after being tapped to contribute as one of the first running backs called upon in a run-heavy offensive scheme.

He came along late last year and was looking to build on that performance with his increased role this season. He is someone to keep an eye on should he rehab quickly and be available for the fantasy football playoffs.

That brings us to Auden Tate, one of the sole Florida State wide receivers remaining in the NFL. His size brings incredible upside in the red zone, which bodes very well for Fantasy Football scoring. He is always a preseason standout but hasn’t found his footing with the Bengals wideout rotation. He is a good player to watch as injuries mount in the middle of the season.

On the same professional team as Tate is Jacques Patrick. He won’t be a name to know fantasy-wise, as last year he was on the practice squad and an unknown professional commodity. He was quite good in the short-lived XFL, and with Giovani Bernard on the Buccaneers, the position of the third-down back is open.

How does this pertain to his fantasy football prospects? Well, he won’t be a draft pick, but I would also keep a close eye on him because, while Joe Mixon is productive, he is coming off of an extensive injury layoff, and we could see Patrick’s role increase to become a good flex option in deeper leagues.

I would say that Devonta Freeman is in a similar position in New Orleans. He will be behind Alvin Kamara, and there is no chance of usurping him. However, third-down backs do see a lot of red-zone snaps, and Freeman has some workhorse upside, and that will play a part in deciding between Freeman and another back. He does have to contend with a pretty crowded room with Ty Montgmery, Tony Jones, Latavius Murray, and Dwayne Washington.

Should he not make the Saints team, he will likely find another landing spot as rosters thin out. I wouldn’t draft him, but I will look where he lands pretty intently as he was pretty productive in relief of Saquan Barkley last year.

Then there is Ryan Izzo who, after a stint with the Patriots, is now a Houston Texan. I have a strict no draft policy for any Texans players due to the dysfunction within the franchise and the question marks surrounding the quarterback position. Fantasy Football tight ends are dependent on quarterback play as most receivers. Izzo is a strong red-zone threat and will likely be used more in the passing game at his current location, but he is currently battling injury and is sitting third on the depth chart.

I would tread with caution on all of these options as they shouldn’t be considered as anything more than good options in a pinch.

As we progress to the higher-rated Seminoles for your fantasy football team, I would like to talk defenses. The following defenses contain at least one former Seminole among their ranks, and unless you’re weird and play in a league with IDP’s or individual defensive players, that’s all you need.

The best options start with the Los Angeles Rams, due to most of their success centered around Jalen Ramsey. Then, the Chargers with a recently returned Derwin James and a recently drafted Asante Samuel Jr.

The Cardinals have Terrance Smith, and the Panthers have Brian Burns. The Bears have Mario Edwards, Eddie Goldman, and Christian Jones. The Browns have Marvin Wilson.

The Broncos have Trey Marshall and Ronald Darby. The Texans have Terrance Brooks and DeMarcus Walker, but we know how I feel about the team in Houston.

Xavier Rhodes is on the Colts. Joshua Kaindoh and Derrick Nnadi are both on the Chiefs. Janarius Robinson is a Viking, despite his recent placement on the IR. PJ Williams is on the Saints.

Lamarcus Joyner and Hamsah Nasirildeen are both Jets. Josh Sweat is a Philadelphia Eagle, and finally, Demarcus Christmas is on the IR but is still a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Finally, we get to the draftable lot. We have to start with kickers Graham Gano and Dustin Hopkins. Both are very accurate with big boots that will likely get you points rather than lose them. A good kicker can be the difference in a game, and these are two of the better options.

Jameis Winston has recently reascended in the NFL. Matthew Berry seems hesitant due to the predicament of the New Orleans quarterbacks and has him ranked about 25th. However, the ranking was before his performance this past Monday.

The hesitance has persists, however, due to the prevalence of Taysom Hill in the New Orleans offense. But due to upside and depth chart position alone, Winston is worthy of a late-round fantasy draft pick. He will be most useful as a high-end backup for your team who can easily fill in should fantasy QB1 get injured or be on a bye week.

Drafting him rather than picking him up on the waiver wire is better, as that spot would probably be filled with another backup which you would never start or use. This way, in an emergency, or you don’t like the match-up, you have your break glass in case of an emergency option already available.

Finally, the alumni and recent graduate we all know and love, Dalvin Cook. Based on productivity and work rate, Cook is an early-round one pick and is a go too if you are a Seminole fan and he is available at your first opportunity. (List of current players from ourlads.com)