We continue to roll out, update, tweak, edit and revisit our projections and previews prior to your fantasy draft. And while doing so we're going to occasionally take a more-detailed look at some of the nation's more intriguing stars for 2012.
The players featured over the next month or so may not be the top player at their respective positions, but they'll be ones that caused the most discussion around our roundtable or appear poised for a breakout or letdown campaign.
Breakdowns of college football's top offensive stars can of course be found in the CFFInsider.com 2012 Draft Kit.
2012 Position Rank: Top 5 Keeper WR pick for 2012
2012 Draft Kit Preview:
Deontay Greenberry made the unexpected switch from Notre Dame to Houston on signing day. And the moment he did, bells should have been going off for fantasy owners. He's one of the top WR recruits in the country and going to an offense that will still be throw first and ask questions later. He's a tall kid with long arms. He's the perfect fit for one of the outside receiver spots and should be a nightmare for C-USA -- and eventually Big East -- corners in the red zone. He set a California single-season record with 2165 receiving yards and 33 touchdowns. All point to the makings of an excellent keeper pickup.
Extended Analysis:
In my opinion, this is one of the top fantasy receiver classes we've seen in a while. The combination of talent and where they are headed makes for several great WR keeper prospects, and Greenberry is one of them.
He's a 5-star recruit headed to play against C-USA defenses year in and year out. That should be enough for keeper league owners to pounce on draft day. Add in the fact that the Cougars need to replace all four starting receivers from last fall, and the opportunity for early PT is there.
However, there are plenty of question marks concerning the Cougars offense due to the mass turnover. And even though the coaching staff will continue to chuck it, there's going to be a learning curve for both the staff and the players. And finally, he's just a freshman. Just like all highly-ranked freshmen, he comes in with a lot of promise. But expecting a freshman to come in and tear it up is foolish and the bust rate for freshies high.
Final Thought:
If you are in a keeper league, Greenberry should be a top target. Whether or not he produces this fall shouldn't be a concern. Freshman should be drafted with the future in mind. If you're in a non-keeper league, use more restraint. If you can pick him up as a late round flier pick, he might be worth a look. But don't get sucked into drafting hot newcomers early in the draft. Very few will make an impact in 2012.