Another week, another set of USFL fantasy rankings from yours truly! Week five is upon us, as we’ve officially hit the halfway point of the USFL season. I will list my top 8 starters for every skill position, with reasoning behind the picks.
Quarterback
McLeod Bethel-Thompson:Â Season Points – 68.90
MBT has been stellar all season, leading the Breakers to a 4-0 record early and claiming a strong hold over the south, being a game and a half ahead of the second seed Stallions. MBT is the safest option, with the plus side of them playing the Showboats this weekend.
Alex McGough: Season Points – 87.60
Alex continues to be a wild card for the Stallions, which is why I have him ranked below MBT. His aggressive play-style results in careless turnovers, but also big plays every game. His mobility continues to add to his fantasy points, as he has the most points for any QB this season. With the Stallions playing the lackluster Gamblers defense this weekend, you can expect another 16+ point performance from McGough.
Troy Williams: Season Points – 36
Troy Williams may be the one player that can lead the Maulers out of the darkness and make a potential playoff push. He was electric last week versus the Stallions defense, most notably on his 34 yard touchdown run to give the Maulers a late lead. I would still consider Troy to be unproven, so be weary.
De’Andre Johnson: Season Points – 71.64
The Generals failure to establish a QB1 hurts his fantasy projections. In week 3 he had 29 points, but week 2 and 4 he didn’t even top 13 points. Proceed with caution if starting De’Andre.
Cole Kelley: Season Points 64.94
Cole may be the potential savior of the Memphis Showboats. He has absolutely ignited that Showboat offense, leading to two straight 20 point performances. I have him ranked so low because he does not add nearly as many potential points on the ground as the previous two. If Kelley can continue his solid play versus the Breakers, he can be considered a legitimate starter.
Terry Wilson: Season Points N/A
Terry Wilson getting the start for the Gamblers this weekend versus the Stallions is dangerous. Their play style is very similar, but Terry being an unproven guy compared to Kenji is worrisome. I cannot give an accurate point prediction for Terry, expect a heavy run attack versus a weak stallions run defense.
Case Cookus: Season Points 49.10
If Cookus is your starter you should immediately find a trade partner. The Stars will not be getting better, nor will the OL start magically improving their play.
Josh Love / Carson Strong: Season Points 42.20
Again, find a trade partner somehow. Get a different QB, they will not be high enough scorers to win you your USFL Fantasy Championship, especially if both continue to split time.
Running Backs
Wes Hills:Â Season Points 110.30
There simply isn’t any argument against this pick. Wes has been and will continue to be the best available pick to start at running back. His multiple touchdown games will continue.
Mark Thompson:Â Season Points 59.50
Thompson at number two is a no brainer. Ever since he came back on the active roster week 3 he has dominated, with 26 and 33 points at RB for the Gamblers. Him and Pledger splitting carries shouldn’t be much of an issue, as Thompson will be used in the red zone more, anyways.
Darius Victor:Â Season Points 52.70
Darius had a bad week last week, but to be fair so did the entire team. The Generals should have a bounce back game this weekend versus the league worst Stars.
Reggie Corbin:Â Season Points 57.90
Reggie ranks below the previous two because he has been dealing with injuries the past few weeks, but if he can get back to 100%, he is definitely one of the league’s best backs. The Maulers defense will prove to be a challenge, so if you could start any of the above, do so.
T.J Pledger:Â Season Points 46.30
T.J. was out last week with a right ankle injury, and it was announced via the teams twitter that the stellar back for the Gamblers has returned. As stated above, you can expect them to split carries, but with Pledger used more in screen sets, in a typical PPR league, you should be able to expect a little over 10 PPG for T.J.
Matt Colburn II:Â Season Points 41.60
Matt Colburn is the one constant with the Phillies offense, with Cookus having no time to throw, dump offs and runs are prevalent in their offense. Colburn is good to expect 11 or so points per game.
ZaQuandre White:Â Season Points 34.90
White continues to suffer being in a 2 RB set. While continuously proving his electric play-style and explosive ability, coach Holtz continues to stick with his Duel RB style. While this hurts White’s point totals, he is surely good in a pinch.
Kerrith Whyte:Â Season Points 23.30
Whyte has scored 11+ points the last two weeks, while not exactly the wildcard that ZaQuandre is, he could still be used in a pinch.
Wide Receivers
Davion Davis:Â Season Points 62.80
Davion continues to be the #1 target for McGough and has developed as quite the route runner for the Stallions. Davion is currently the #2 leader in reception yards this season. Davion should be on any championship roster.
Justin Hall:Â Season Points 68
I have Justin Hall ranked just below Davion for the sole reason that I think Alex McGough is a better quarterback than Terry Wilson, and the Stallions defense is much better than the Stars or Showboats. Still, expect a 20 point performance from Hall.
Devin Gray:Â Season Points 53.70
Devin is the one product of the Stars offense worth a starting spot on your fantasy team. With Cookus being forced to throw this week versus the #1 ranked run defense, expect a good amount of points from Gray.
Cameron Echols-Luper:Â Season Points 46.60
Cameron has been one of the Generals top targets, and deserves a spot at flex or as a 2nd WR if needed. You can count on him to score 12+ points every game in a pinch.
Corey Coleman:Â Season Points 49.40
Corey Coleman continues to be the product of Case Cookus being forced to throw the ball. I think he fits in better as a flex option this week versus the Generals.
Lee Morris:Â Season Points 41.50
MBT spreads the ball around alot, but Lee is definitely his number one target, and as long as the Breakers offense keeps churning, he will be a good fit as a WR2 this week versus the Showboats, but usually I would keep him in the Flex.
Joe Walker:Â Season Points 49.50
Typically you would see Joe above a lot of these guys, but the inconsistency at QB for the Panthers hurts them alot. Joe also has had drop issues this year. Proceed with caution.
Isiah Hennie:Â Season Points 34.60
With the emergence of Troy, Maulers WR finally hold some worth now. Isiah is definitely the best of the fruit basket, but until we see more of Troy, its hard to tell if he can help your fantasy team.
Tight End
(Only doing top 4 TEs. beyond that is a toss up.)
Sage Surratt:Â Season Points 67.10
Sage Surratt is undoubtedly the best receiver in the entire league. He is always open, and almost 100 yards over the closest (Davion Davis) Sage deserves to start at all times.
Jace Sternberger:Â Season Points 54.20
Jace is an absolute monster, and a killer in the red zone, with three touchdowns, two more than Sage. Jace and Sage are NFL level TEs playing in the USFL, simple as that. Instant starters for your fantasy team.
Braedon Bowman:Â Season Points 20.40
A good option for TE’s in a league that doesn’t have the best available options besides the Stallions and Breakers.
Josh Pederson:Â Season Points 25.80
Almost just the same situation as Bowman. The USFL just doesn’t have the best TEs available, so it truly is a tossup with whoever you start.
Kicker
(Kickers will be ranked by matter of opinion and percentage, not score total)
Chris Blewitt: 100% FG 0/1 XP
Matt Coughlin: 100% 14/14 XP
Brandon Aubrey: 100% FG 16/16 XP
Cole Murphy: 83% 7/9 XP
Nick Sciba: 100% 9/9 XP
Luis Aguilar: 67% 6/7 XP
Alex Kessman: 67% 4/6 XP
Nick Vogel: 40% 13/16 XP
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of solid options to pick from, as the USFL is stacked to the brim with talent this season. Fantasy Rankings are subjective, but there’s certainly some players who stand out above the rest.
Week five of the USFL kicks off tomorrow, with the Michigan Panthers hosting the Pittsburgh Maulers at 12:30pm ET on USA Network.
What are your thoughts on these USFL Fantasy Rankings in week five? Which players are you picking to lead your fantasy squad to success? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
