South Carolina football: two former players being undervalued in fantasy drafts

South Carolina football has put its fair share of players in the NFL over the last decade or so, having heard the names of 36 former Gamecocks called on the stage since the 2011 draft. That number includes six first-rounders, led by No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney back in 2014.

The majority of these past contributors are still making their marks at the professional level, and many will be counted on as key pieces to their new organizations. In today’s world, that leads fans to look at these players’ fantasy football value as the season opener creeps closer.

Last year, we saw Hayden Hurst and Jared Cook finish the season as some of the top producers at tight end. Ryan Succop was a top 10 kicker, while Mike Davis was a top 20 rusher. None of those players were necessarily expected to see big years of production, but they proved doubters wrong by posting great numbers.

Which former players could have that same type of impact in the 2021 season?

Former South Carolina football players listed as breakout candidates.

USA Today recently unveiled a list of 12 fantasy football players that are being undervalued ahead of the upcoming year. Two former Gamecocks made the cut.

Highest on the list was Mike Davis, who we mentioned earlier. He’s listed as the second-most overlooked player on the list, with his average draft pick coming in at No. 75. In a ten-person league, that equates to a seventh-round selection and an RB3 status.

Writer Jon Heath thinks that his impact could be much higher, though, especially with it looking likely that he’ll be the top option in the Falcons’ backfield this Fall. Heath sees RB2 production in Davis’s future.

Last year, Davis filled in as the Carolina Panthers’ top back following an injury to starter Christian McCaffrey. In 15 games of action (12 starts), Davis tallied over 1,000 yards from scrimmage, rushing for 642 and receiving for 373 out of the backfield. The tailback scored eight times and ended the year as the 18th-best fantasy player at his position. With a starting role in Atlanta, those numbers are expected to increase.

The second former Gamecock to make the cut was third-year wideout Deebo Samuel. Samuel battled some injury issues last season, but was a key component to the 49ers’ NFC Championship run in 2019. In that rookie year, the versatile receiver finished with 802 yards through the air, and he added another 159 on the ground. In all, he totaled six scores, three as a receiver and three as a runner, and finished as the 26th-best player at his position. That was good enough to outscore players like Odell Beckham, Emmanuel Sanders, DK Metcalf, and Larry Fitzgerald.

Last season, Samuel appeared in only seven contests, but he’s looking to get back to that first-year form. The fact that he holds value as both a rusher and pass catcher is enticing, and with folks hesitant to grab the talented wideout following an injury, you might get him for a steal in later rounds.

The NFL season kicks off on September 9th with a Thursday night matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Bucs. Be sure to keep these two former South Carolina football stars on your fantasy radar.