Football season might still feel like it’s a mile away, but it will get here before you know it. That’s why there is no better time to start looking at a few college football players that are worth stashing in your Campus to Canton fantasy football leagues. Today, we’re going to be diving into the wide receivers.
Tory Horton, Colorado State
Tory Horton is going to be sticking in Colorado State, and there’s potential for him to really take that next step in his development in 2024. Horton has had back-to-back years where he’s surpassed 1,100 receiving yards and is consistently utilized in this Colorado State offense. One of his most notable performances was a 16-catch performance against the Colorado Buffaloes that resulted in him racking up 133 yards.
Aside from that game, there were nine games in 2023 that saw Horton get at least nine receptions. He’s used a lot in the short passing game and is really one of the few playmakers in this current offense. He’ll be in store for another consistent season out there that could help develop him even further.
When it comes to his potential in Campus to Canton fantasy leagues, Horton will have immediate value right now given how lackluster the Colorado State receivers are besides him. As for the future value, that all depends upon the upcoming season he has. If he can put together a third straight 1,100-yard season, then there’s no questioning his potential on the outside.
Cam Coleman, Auburn
If you don’t know who Cam Coleman is right now, prepare to find out. Coleman is a freshman, a five-star prospect who is taking his talents to Auburn and is set to provide immediate impact to their offense. He’s got a great build at 6’3” and has had nothing but high praise from Auburn officials since spring practices began.
While we have no stats to base his success on yet, Coleman has been compared to Julio Jones this early on in his career. Given his physical tools and potential to be the top weapon at Auburn as a freshman, it feels likely that he’ll be a wonderful stash in a Campus to Canton league.
You can already anticipate value in his freshman season at Auburn, even if the results are slightly underwhelming. Why? Because he shouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. He’ll continue to get better while at Auburn, and if he develops at a rate that people anticipate, then he’ll have success at the NFL level as well. There’s no better time to stash him than right now when people might not be familiar with his game.
Kelly Akharaiyi, Mississippi State
Kelly Akharaiyi is going to be a massive part of a new Mississippi State offense. This offseason, the team brought in a new head coach who has already been open about turning this offense into a strong aerial team. Akharaiyi is going to provide that spark that they are currently looking for. He averaged 21 yards per catch last season and exceeded 1,000 receiving yards.
The only true downside for his game is how few catches he consistently brings in. He had just 48 catches last season and didn’t consistently take his offense to the next level when they needed him to. The upside is that he’s going to have a tremendous opportunity to thrive with his current skillset at Mississippi State.
For fantasy, it feels like he’s going to be a big playmaker for this upcoming 2024 campaign. As for his future, that will only be determined by how this season goes. It seems like he’ll always remain a big play threat, but if you want to succeed at the NFL level, you have to develop more. A great season here for him can help show NFL teams that he’s capable of more, which raises his own fantasy value.
Eugene Wilson III, Florida
Florida had a strong number-one receiver in Ricky Pearsall in 2023. However, he’s off to the NFL and with the San Francisco 49ers, leaving an opening for a new top target to emerge. There’s a high chance that this turns out to be a void filled by Eugene Wilson III. Wilson is a little undersized but that didn’t matter last year. As a true freshman, he had 538 receiving yards and six touchdowns behind Pearsall.
It feels like the stars have aligned for Wilson to immediately move up into the number one receiver spot in Florida and fill the shoes that Pearsall leaves. If there is one thing that Wilson has consistently shown an ability to do, is create yardage after the catch when there doesn’t seem to be any available. That’s a skillset many teams like out of a receiver.
For fantasy, Wilson is likely to catch on straight away in 2024 now that Pearsall is gone in Florida. The real question is whether or not he can continue to be fantasy-relevant, including his potential at the NFL level. While his size is concerning, he creates tons of extra yards after the catch and can be viable on returns. If he enters the draft down the line, he likely gets an opportunity somewhere and there will be many teams looking to get him the ball in open space. I like his future fantasy potential for this year and in the future.
Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas
Andrew Armstrong was the sole bright spot in a disappointing Arkansas passing game. Armstrong racked up 764 receiving yards and five touchdowns while the rest of the weapons on offense had just 802 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns combined. Armstrong was producing for the entire unit by himself.
Throughout the offseason, Arkansas didn’t do much to get him help. This means that Armstrong will have another year where he is the unquestioned top option. There are going to be so many opportunities for him in 2024 and will practically receive a large number of targets, receptions, and touchdowns.
From a fantasy perspective, Armstrong is going to be immediately useful just off opportunity alone in 2024. Even if Arkansas is disappointing once again, Armstrong will get his chance to put up some great numbers. If he once again carries the entire offense, then it could show that he’s capable of much more down the line, giving some confidence in what he can do at an NFL level.