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: Where should Willie Carter be drafted?
2012 Draft Kit Preview:
Listed as an H-back, Carter is a hybrid tight end/fullback. He's mainly used as a pass catcher in the Tulsa offense but he'll log a few carries and score a few on the ground as well. Carter had 61 receptions for 868 yards and seven scores in 2011. Gone is G.J. Kinne, so expect those numbers to drop in 2012, but if your leagues allows him to be considered a tight end, he's still an excellent option.
Extended Analysis:
The H-back position has often been a bone of contention for fantasy owners, commissioners and league management systems, especially at Tulsa. Generally speaking, the H-back is basically a tight end that lines up off the line of scrimmage. However, in some offenses like Tulsa, the H-Back will line up in the slot, behind the tight end and in the backfield. As is the case with Carter and Charles Clay before him, they also look more like powerful running backs or fullbacks than tight ends. And because they do line up in the backfield as lead blocker and ball carrier, they are often designated as RBs in fantasy leagues.
In Carter's case, he is utilized as more of a pass catcher than a runner. In the video below we see Carter lined up a slot receiver and abusing East Carolina defenders for a touchdown. Carter was second in receptions among TEs in 2011 with 61. Add in 10-20 carries and you have a huge fantasy weapon on your hands.
However, fantasy owners are often at the mercy of their commissioner's or league management system's player position designations. In the CBS system he is listed as an RB and unless something has changed for 2012, leagues won't have the ability to change player position designations.
Final Thought:
If you can get him as a TE, he's an incredible value. If not, he has little fantasy value as an RB. Either way, Carter's position is sure to cause controversy among fantasy owners.