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Fantasy football: Top 5 collegiate prospects to watch for 2018

By Jay Marsdale

EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 04: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions tries to escape the tackle of Joe Bachie #35 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at Spartan Stadium on November 4, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 04: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions tries to escape the tackle of Joe Bachie #35 of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at Spartan Stadium on November 4, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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COLLEGE STATION, TX – OCTOBER 07: Christian Kirk #3 of the Texas A&M Aggies has a pass go off his fingertips in the first quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Kyle Field on October 7, 2017 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
COLLEGE STATION, TX – OCTOBER 07: Christian Kirk #3 of the Texas A&M Aggies has a pass go off his fingertips in the first quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Kyle Field on October 7, 2017 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

No. 2: WR Christian Kirk (Texas A&M)

The SEC is the ultimate training test for college players who are hopeful to play on Sundays.

Anyone who plays and plays well against Alabama can do the same in the NFL, and Texas A&M receiver Christian Kirk has gone up against tough SEC defenses like Georgia and Alabama for years. That training is going to make him a plug-and-play receiver for whatever team drafts him in 2018.

Kirk was a big bright spot in an otherwise bleak and dark three years for the Aggies. With very little help around him, Kirk finished his college career with 2,800 yards receiving and 23 touchdowns.

Kirk leads the way for an undervalued incoming rookie class of wide receivers. He is being somewhat overlooked, and that should not be the case for fantasy football players in 2018. Kirk is not the big target that Mike Evans was out of Texas A&M, but he was just as productive. Evans stepped in and was an immediate contributor, and Kirk will do the same.

Kirk’s fantasy football value is more dependent on his future landing spot than Saquon Barkley’s is, however. Barkley has the ability to change an offense completely, but Kirk needs to join a team that will use him correctly.

I project Kirk as a top-15 pick with the best possible spots being Chicago, Cincinnati and Washington. These teams would give Kirk the snaps necessary to develop into a stud wide receiver quickly in fantasy football.

Out of those three teams, Chicago is the most intriguing to me as a fantasy player. Chicago’s rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has played fairly well this season, but he has no weapons on the outside to throw to. Kirk could step in and easily be the top target on the Bears next season and see 10 targets a game.

He is a late-round sleeper pick for next season’s fantasy football drafts that we need to keep an eye on heading into 2018.