The USFL’s season is approaching quickly, meaning soon, football die-hards will have more fantasy football!

USFL News Hub has you covered on fantasy, and you can create a league at NewsHubFantasy.com. The website is currently in Alpha with many changes/additions planned for the future.

At this point in Alpha, a USFL News Hub Fantasy League must have 8 user-controlled teams, each consisting of 10 roster spots. There will be 7 active roster spots (1 QB/1 RB/ 2 WR/ 1 Flex/ 1 TE/ 1 K) and 3 bench spots.

News Hub Fantasy Leagues can be set up as ‘Head-To-Head’ or ‘Points Only’ leagues, with ‘Live Standard,’ ‘Live Auction, ‘Auto Pick,’ or ‘Offline’ draft options available. To get more info or ask questions regarding News Hub Fantasy, please visit NewsHubFantasy.com/help.

Top 5 Projected Fantasy Players At Each Position

Quarterbacks

1. Jordan Ta’amu – Tampa Bay Bandits
2. Kyle Sloter – New Orleans Breakers
3. Bryan Scott – Philadelphia Stars
4. Shea Patterson – Michigan Panthers
5. Alex McGough – Birmingham Stallions

Jordan Ta’amu was a fan favorite with the XFL’s Battlehawks in 2020, ending the abbreviated season with the 2nd-highest passing grade, 3rd-most yards (1,050), 2nd-most yards per pass attempt (7.8 YPA), and had the highest completion percentage in the league (72.4%). Additionally, Ta’amu made himself known as a weapon on the ground, leading XFL quarterbacks in rushing yards (217), attempts (27), yards after contact (105), and 10-plus yard rushes (eight), forcing four missed tackles.

Kyle Sloter is an above-average athlete who’ll be another one of the USFL’s top dual-threat quarterbacks. Sloter shifted from wide receiver to tight end to quarterback in college and caught the attention of NFL scouts while throwing at Colorado’s pro day before the 2017 NFL draft. He’d go on to spend time with the NFL’s Vikings, Cardinals, Lions, Bears, and Raiders, and has played exceptionally well in all of his preseason performances. In 12 NFL Preseason games, Sloter completed 111/150 passes (74% comp) for 1,222 yards (8.1 Yards Per Attempt), 11 touchdowns, and 1 interception.

Bryan Scott is a bit lesser-known to many but will likely be one of the league’s top quarterback options. Once labeled “The Aaron Rogers of DIII,” Scott has recently been the 2 time MVP of The Spring League (TSL), also winning The Spring League’s Championship. Additionally, Scott reunites with his head coach from The Spring League, Bart Andrus, who’s now running the show for the Philadelphia Stars, meaning it shouldn’t take him long to figure out the offense.

Running Backs

1. De’Veon Smith – Pittsburgh Maulers
2. Darnell Holland – Philadelphia Stars
3. Mike Weber – New Jersey Generals
4. Stevie Scott III – Michigan Panthers
5. CJ Marable – Birmingham Stallions

De’Veon Smith should be a familiar name to spring football fans, as he’s spent time with the Alliance of American Football’s Orlando Apollos and the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers. While with the Apollos, Smith served as the backup to now Cleveland Browns running back D’Ernest Johnson. While his rushing numbers behind Johnson were nothing special, he did find the endzone 6 times. Smith got his chance to start with the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers in 2020 and made the most of the opportunity. Smith led the XFL in rushing yards, totaling 365 yards on 90 carries (73.0 YPG) until the league folded due to the covid-19 pandemic after week 5. As a bonus, Smith will be running behind one of the USFL’s better offensive lines and has a head coach in Kirby Wilson, who’s had a hand in the career of some of the NFL’s best running backs.

Darnell Holland is an explosive and versatile player on the Philly Stars who reunites with his coach from The Spring League, Bart Andrus. In college, Holland dominated the FCS level, appearing in 49 games (39 starts) at Kennesaw State and taking 244 rushing attempts for 2,431 yards and 26 touchdowns. In 2018, He played In 3 games that recorded PFF data and earned an overall grade of 86.2.

Wide Receivers

1. Eli Rogers – Tampa Bay Bandits
2. Shawn Poindexter – New Orleans Breakers
3. KaVontae Turpin – New Jersey Generals
4. Quincey Adeboyejo – Michigan Panthers
5. Devin Gray – Philadelphia Stars

Eli Rogers played college football at Louisville and has the most NFL experience out of the USFL’s wide receivers, having spent 4 seasons with the Steelers. He reunites with former Steelers offensive coordinator and now Tampa Bay Bandits head coach, Todd Haley. While with the Steelers, he appeared in 30 games and totaled 78 receptions for 822 yards and 4 touchdowns. Rogers also spent some time with the XFL’s DC Defenders before the league ceased operations due to the covid-19 pandemic. He ended the XFL’s shortened season with 19 receptions for 164 yards in the league’s 5 games.

Shawn Poindexter played college ball at Arizona for 3 seasons before getting a shot with the NFL’s 49ers. He appeared in 35 games (25 starts) for the Wildcats and hauled in 67 receptions for 1,135 yards and 12 touchdowns. Poindexter was signed by the 49ers as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft but suffered a torn ACL in training camp that derailed his chances of making the team as a rookie. He was added to San Francisco’s practice squad in November of 2020 but was never called up to the active roster.

Tight Ends

1. Bug Howard – Philadelphia Stars
2. Cheyenne O’Grady – Tampa Bay Bandits
3. Cary Angeline – Birmingham Stallions
4. Brandon Barnes – Houston Gamblers
5. Sal Cannella – New Orleans Breakers

Bug Howard is a receiver converted to a tight end out of North Carolina who’s bounced around a few different NFL practice squads after the 2017 NFL Draft. Howard also spent time with the Atlanta Legends of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football (AAF) and The Spring League for their 2020 season. In 8 games with the Legends, Howard totaled 17 receptions for 220 yards. Additionally, out of 13 tight ends targeted at least 10 times in the AAF, Howard was ranked 5th in targets, tied for 3rd in receptions, and tied for 3rd in receiving yards, according to Pro Football Focus.

Cheyenne O’Grady spent the final 2 years of his college career at Arkansas, where he hauled in 63 receptions for 772 yards and 9 touchdowns over the course of 15 games. Unfortunately, off-field issues significantly hurt his draft stock, and O’Grady would not be drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft. Shortly after the draft, O’Grady was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent but was released that August.

Kickers

1. Austin MacGinnis – New Orleans Breakers
2. Tyler Rausa – Tampa Bay Bandits
3. Matt Mengal – Philadelphia Stars
4. Nick Vogel – Houston Gamblers
5. Brandon Aubrey – Birmingham Stallions

Austin MacGinnis has experience with the AAF’s Memphis Express, the XFL’s Dallas Renegades, and most recently, the Los Angeles Rams. In college, he appeared in 47 games playing for the Kentucky Wildcats, making 72/91 field goals, with the longest being from 54 yards. The longest field goal of his professional career came with the AAF’s Memphis Express, where he nailed a 51-yard attempt.

Tyler Rausa played 4 years with the Boise State Broncos before joining the XFL’s DC Defenders. He appeared in 27 games with the Broncos, making 34/43 field goals, with the longest bring from 51 yards out. The longest field goal of his career was a 54-yard field goal with the DC Defenders.