USC's Fantasy Football Outlook Depends on One Position Battle
College fantasy football has officially entered the mainstream. On Thursday, Yahoo Sports launched its first-ever College Fantasy Football game.
The format mirrors traditional NFL fantasy football with drafts, head-to-head matchups and trades, but introduces several college-specific twists, including expanded 18-player rosters instead of the traditional 15 and the ability to draft entire team offenses.
As fantasy players begin to evaluate which Power Four programs offer the most value, USC immediately stands out.
The Trojans enter the 2026 season surrounded by preseason hype. They return an FBS-leading 15 starters, including nine offensive starters. Those nine returning offensive starters alone are more than 93 FBS programs return in total starters across both offense and defense combined.
Still, one major fantasy question remains.
USC returns 15 starters, the most in the FBS, yet nearly 2,000 receiving yards and 15 touchdown catches must be replaced.
The Biggest Opportunity in College Fantasy Football
The Trojans lost their top two receivers from the 2025 season in Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane, meaning the offense must replace two of its biggest playmakers. That uncertainty makes USC one of the most intriguing, and potentially rewarding, teams to evaluate entering Yahoo's inaugural college fantasy football season.
The question isn't just important for fantasy football.
How USC replaces that production could ultimately determine whether the Trojans live up to their College Football Playoff expectations and prove the offseason hype surrounding the program is justified.
USC Returns 15 Starters, But Its Biggest Fantasy Question Is at Receiver
Continuity is one of the biggest advantages any college football team can have, and few programs return more of it than USC.
Maiava returns after completing 265 of 403 passes for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Trojans also bring back much of their offensive line, running back room and overall starting lineup.
However, the one position group that looks dramatically different is also one of the most important, not only in fantasy football, but in the actual game itself: wide receiver.
Lemon and Lane accounted for 128 receptions, 1,901 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 2025. Together, they served as the focal point of USC's passing attack and accounted for roughly 40 percent of the team's targets.
Replacing nearly 2,000 receiving yards likely won't fall on one player alone, but those vacated opportunities create one of the most fascinating storylines in college fantasy football.
Sophomore Tanook Hines enters the season as perhaps the most obvious breakout candidate.
Hines finished 2025 with 34 receptions for 561 yards and two touchdowns while averaging an impressive 16.5 yards per catch. More importantly, he appeared to find another gear late in the season, recording 141 receiving yards against Oregon before exploding for another 163 yards in the Alamo Bowl.
If that momentum carries into 2026, Hines could quickly establish himself as Maiava's go-to target.
Tight end Tucker Ashcraft and several young receivers also have opportunities to carve out larger roles, including sophomore Zacharyus Williams and NC State transfer Terrell Anderson. Any of those three could emerge as valuable sleeper selections in college fantasy football drafts if they seize the increased workload.
Lincoln Riley's Offense Has Built Fantasy Stars Before
Whether fantasy managers choose to draft USC's entire offense under Yahoo's new team offense format or target individual Trojans, Lincoln Riley's system has consistently produced explosive offenses capable of piling up points. His offenses have helped turn quarterbacks and receivers into some of college football's biggest stars before many eventually became fantasy standouts at the NFL level.
Throughout his coaching career, Riley has produced Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Caleb Williams while also helping receivers like CeeDee Lamb and Marquise Brown become college stars before finding success in the NFL.
His offenses have consistently produced quarterbacks capable of huge passing numbers while creating opportunities for multiple receivers to post fantasy-worthy stat lines.
While that pedigree doesn't guarantee future production, it does prove that Riley's offenses generate opportunities.
The biggest challenge for fantasy managers will be identifying which receiver will become one of Maiava's most trusted targets.
Whoever fills the void left by Lemon and Lane could become one of the biggest value picks in all of college fantasy football and one of the most productive pass catchers in the Big Ten.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.
Today's best reads
- USC's Jayden Maiava, Tanook Hines Underrated in Preseason Ranking
- USC's Biggest Sleeper Pick in College Fantasy Football Drafts
- USC's Lincoln Riley Earns National Preseason Recognition
- USC Trojans Turn Heads With Latest Preseason Ranking
- Preseason Rankings Show Top Talent on USC Trojans Roster
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as USC's Fantasy Football Outlook Depends on One Position Battle.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 11:00 AM.