ACC Preview: Star Power at QB

For each conference we will list first-, second- and third-team All-Fantasy squads, sleeper and bust sections, and a full inventory of ranked players in that conference. To the right of listed players you will see a parenthetical notation of their positional ranking placement.

All-ACC Fantasy Team

First team

QB: Deshaun Watson, Clemson (1)

RB: Dalvin Cook, Florida State (No. 9)

RB: Matt Dayes, North Carolina State (No. 13)

WR: Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech (No. 6)

WR: Steve Ishmael, Syracuse (No. 8)

TE: Jaylen Samuels, North Carolina State (No. 1)

Second team

QB: Lamar Jackson, Louisville (No. 4)

RB: Wayne Gallman, Clemson (No. 23)

RB: Elijah Hood, North Carolina (No. 28)

WR: Mike Williams, Clemson (No. 10)

WR: Stacy Coley, Miami (FL) (No. 27)

TE: Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech (No. 2)

Third team

QB: Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina (No. 8)

RB: Travon McMillian, Virginia Tech (No. 34)

RB: James Conner, Pittsburgh (No. 40)

WR: Ryan Switzer, North Carolina (No. 37)

WR: Mack Hollins, North Carolina (No. 38)

TE: Cam Serigne, Wake Forest (No. 9)

Sleepers

Dontae Strickland, RB, Syracuse

Double check on his status closer to the season, but heading into the fall Strickland was expected to emerge as Syracuse's lead running back. It's possible that backs like Ervin Phillips and Jordan Fredericks will prove significant contributors and limit Strickland's upside as a result, but so long as he's the starting running back for the looming max-tempo offense at Syracuse, Strickland should prove valuable. Travis Greene was new coach Dino Babers' starter at Bowling Green, for instance, and thrived despite the presence of backup runners Fred Coppet and Donovan Wilson. Strickland didn't get much going on the ground as a freshman last year, running for just 81 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, but he showed intriguing explosiveness otherwise by catching nine passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

Marcus Marshall, RB, Georgia Tech

Marshall is listed as a fullback, but in Georgia Tech's option offense the fullback is actually the role most similar to the starting running back in any conventional scheme. Marshall is the conventional choice to take over that role in 2016 not only because he's one of the Yellow Jackets better running back recruits of recent times, but also because he is the team's leading returning rusher. That's an impressive fact when you consider that he had just 86 carries in 2015 – indeed, Marshall's average of 7.6 yards per carry earned him the leading rusher distinction, not a favorable workload. If Georgia Tech bounces back from last year's disappointing season, feeding Marshall will likely have something to do with it.

T.J. Rahming, WR, Duke

Rahming was promising as a true freshman last year, catching 43 of 79 targets for 571 yards and two touchdowns as Duke's second-leading receiver. Since then, leading receiver Max McCaffrey graduated after catching 52 passes for 643 yards and five touchdowns, and 34-catch wideout Johnell Barnes was dismissed from the team. Rahming was not listed as a definitive starter on the Duke depth chart heading into the fall, but that seems like a motivational ploy, because by any relevant metric Rahming is the team's best returning receiver.

Brisly Estime, WR, Syracuse

Ishmael figures to be the surest thing among Syracuse's wideout rotation as the Orange switch to Dino Baber's max-tempo, Baylor-style spread, but Estime is another leading candidate to take up a prolific role in the passing game. An undersized, likely slot target at a listed height/weight of just 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, Estime seems like an obvious fit to play the role held by Ronnie Moore at Bowling Green, Babers' previous coaching stop. Estime hasn't produced as a receiver to this point in his Syracuse career, but he has demonstrated intriguing running skills (two punt return touchdowns in 2015) that imply breakout potential if he can get the ball in the open field.

Busts

Joseph Yearby, RB, Miami (FL)

Yearby is a fine player and should be a valuable contributor in an improved Miami offense, but those hoping for a repeat of last year's breakout season will likely be disappointed. He deserves credit for posting 1,002 yards and six touchdowns on the ground and catching 23 passes for 273 yards and two touchodwns, but there will be more competition for touches this year. Yearby's skill set mostly resembles that of a third-down back, and the Miami backfield has two talented additional runners who might poach early down and short-yardage work in Gus Edwards and Mark Walton. Edwards missed last year due to injury but might have started if healthy, while Walton proved a touchdown vulture as a true freshman while poaching nine touchdowns on 130 carries. It's possible that Yearby ends up as Miami's third running back in function.

Florida State Wide Receivers

The FSU receivers aren't listed due to a lack of talent – the issue is specifically to the contrary. There are too many qualified candidates and not enough production to go around. The Seminoles offenses are always among the lowest-tempo offenses in the nation, and not particularly pass-happy within that limited selection of plays, resulting in an already meager supply of receptions to go around. The possibility of any one receiver standing out is lessened by the compounding factor of the rotation's depth – Travis Rudolph, Jesus Wilson and Levonte Whitfield are already established targets, and recent recruits like George Campbell and Da'Vante Phillips will also push for snaps.

Louisville Wide Receivers

The situation here is the same as the one with Florida State. Louisville has a handful of talented wide receiver targets in Jamari Staples, James Quick, Traveon Samuel and Jaylen Smith. Making the picture even more crowded is the presence of Louisville's three-deep tight end rotation of Cole Hikutini, Micky Crum and Keith Towbridge. Meanwhile, Louisville's overall pass attempt volume might constrict with a full season of quarterback Lamar Jackson, who figures to be one of the five most prolific running threats among quarterbacks nationwide.

Ranked player inventory

Boston College: QB Darius Wade (103), RB Jonathan Hilliman (110)

Clemson: QB Deshaun Watson (1), RB Wayne Gallman (23), WR Mike Williams (10), WR Artavis Scott (82), WR Deon Cain (104), TE Jordan Leggett (16)

Duke: QB Parker Boehme (36), WR T.J. Rahming (150), WR Anthony Nash (187), TE Erich Schneider (45)

Florida State: QB Deondre Francois (62), RB Dalvin Cook (9), RB Jacques Patrick (179), WR Travis Rudolph (63), WR Kermit Whitfield (153), WR Jesus Wilson (214)

Georgia Tech: RB Marcus Marshall (111), RB Quaide Weimerskirch (161), WR Ricky Jeune (151)

Louisville: QB Lamar Jackson (4), RB Brandon Radcliff (129), WR Jamari Staples (169), WR James Quick (170), TE Cole Hikutini (24)

Miami (FL): QB Brad Kaaya (81), RB Mark Walton (83), RB Joseph Yearby (121), RB Gus Edwards (131), WR Stacy Coley (27), TE David Njoku (29)

North Carolina: QB Mitch Trubisky (8), RB Elijah Hood (28), WR Ryan Switzer (37), WR Mack Hollins (38), TE Brandon Fritts (43)

North Carolina State: QB Ryan Finley (70), RB Matt Dayes (13), WR Bra'lon Cherry (191), TE Jaylen Samuels (1)

Pittsburgh: QB Nathan Peterman (83), RB James Conner (40), RB Qadree Ollison (151), WR Dontez Ford (122), TE Scott Orndoff (23)

Syracuse: QB Eric Dungey (12), RB Dontae Strickland (97), RB Ervin Phillips (156), RB Jordan Fredericks (158), WR Steve Ishmael (8), WR Brisly Estime (142)

Virginia: QB Matt Johns (78), RB Taquan Mizzell (58), TE Evan Butts (35)

Virginia Tech: QB Jerod Evans (61), RB Travon McMillian (34), WR Isaiah Ford (6), WR Cam Phillips (129), TE Bucky Hodges (3)

Wake Forest: QB Kendall Hinton (100), QB John Wolford (106), WR Cortez Lewis (140), TE Cam Serigne (9)