X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Kevin White: 2015 Dynasty Rookie and Prospect Analysis

In our 2015 Dynasty / Rookies / Prospects series, RotoBaller writer Edward Gorelik uses a couple of choice plays from a player's college career to profile their potential NFL future and immediate impact for the 2015 fantasy football season. In the second article of this series we look at Chicago Bears Wide Receiver Kevin White. The previous article on Todd Gurley can be found here.

Out of all the players in this draft class, the easiest to fall in love with from first viewing was Kevin White. White should enter this years Madden with a spectacular catch rating of 99, because he has an impressive array of highlight catches from his senior year at West Virginia. Lost in those catches though was how smart he is of a football player and his impeccable hand timing at the line of scrimmage and down the field. White's an every down threat at his current level, who can already put fear into NFL defensive backs and cause them to play scared for entire games- but he still is a player with a lot of room to grow. Let's look at four plays of his against Baylor, Alabama and Oklahoma, profiling the kind of player he is.

Editor’s Note: If you’re looking for a new, awesome, highly customizable and free option for year-round commissioner & dynasty leagues, something more capable than Yahoo, better looking than CBS, and built from the ground up with fantasy football in mind, play free fantasy football with our friends at Fleaflicker.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Kevin White

One of Kevin White's best college plays, he's manned up against a single CB with no safety help. When the CB tries to get a hand on White, he immediately swipes it away with no issue before it can even touch him. He quickly gets separation from the CB but as he's running up the field, he notices the ball is under-thrown so he's going to have to do work in order to make this an easy catch. White slows his stride early, in order to let the CB catch up so he can lean back and bump him out of the play. White times his leap and hands at the exact moment where he can catch the ball at his highest point after boxing out the CB, and makes it look easy.

 

Then there's plays like this, Cover-3 Zone where White attacks the CB vertically, fakes an outside step using his entire body, breaks back inside and just flies past him. He's able to catch the ball over his shoulder, back to the line of scrimmage, in stride and the just outruns the DBs to the endzone. The man is 6'3 and 215 pounds while doing this.

 

Here you'll see another Cover-3 Zone, this time showcasing one of White's hidden, and more consistent talents. White has an incredibly powerful vertical stem that he constantly scares DBs with, even when he's not using it. Notice how his back is at a 45 degree angle with the ground as he releases, a common signal to the CB that the WR is about to go deep. However, he quickly raises it up after he gets the CB turned and running, and is able to fully break back to the QB in only 3 steps, which is the NFL caliber amount- and that's without perfect technique in his break. He catches the ball, knows without looking where the CB is coming down from, dodges him and is able to run for 15 extra yards.

 

It's not all rosy for White though. He's still a player in need of development, and on a play like here two of his current issues and the two that should slow down his rookie season come through. White isn't always willing to close that space between himself and the CB before entering his breaks and he has a little "beating the drum" move that he uses often but ineffectively as he enters his break, which also comes out in his releases and in some of his YAC attempts. Here, the combination of not closing the space and beating the drum don't scare the CB into opening his hips and allow him the time necessary to recover and challenge the catch.

 

Projecting Kevin White's Future

John Fox has had a long NFL career as a head coach, starting from the 2002 Panthers and now continuing onto the 2015 Chicago Bears. There's a lot of history to go by, and the reason that's being mentioned here is because Fox does not have a great track record of using offensive rookies. Montee Ball spent most of his first year playing change of pace, Cody Latimer spent his entire rookie year on the bench, Brandon Lafell only started a handful of games and DeAngelo Williams barely saw the field as a rookie. Only Jonathan Stewart had a significant amount of playing time early on in his career under the Fox tenure. However, Kevin White is one of the best offensive players Fox has ever had the chance to draft- and more than anything he is a significant every down and redzone threat, so he carries a lot of value when he's on the field, even if the ball isn't thrown to him. Still, the expectation for White should be a very small rookie role. Reports throughout the offseason have said that they've seen Kevin White running with the second team instead of the first at Bears offseason camps. If he does grow into a significant role, it might not happen until midway through the season.

That's just redraft value though. Where Kevin White shines is his long term potential. I don't want to bring up a name like Randy Moss but i mean, there's flashes of Randy Moss that come up in Kevin White. The long strides, the speed, the timing of his hands and leaps, the way he makes tracking a deep ball so easy. Let me clarify though, i'm not saying White is Moss- just that there's some real "wow" moments that make you wonder just how good he could be if he develops the rest of his game as strongly as his deep game. Athletically, there's nothing holding him back.

Luckily, White does have more to offer than just deep ball skills so there's already a framework for a very good player there. He's fantastic on curls and hitches, and his speed, length and size makes post routes easy for him to win. His height, comfort with contact when boxing out opponents and consistent extension of his hands make him a great potential redzone target as well, and he even has the ability to read defenses and make quick adjustments that make him a viable slot player. So his versatility could help him see the field as early as Jonathan Stewart did for Fox. On top of that, he's actually a very strong run blocker for a wide receiver- which for a lot of coaches can heavily influence their decision to start or not start a young player.

The final question is where do you draft in your dynasty White? Well, on my board, White's at 1.02 and the highest ranked wide receiver.

Although Amari Cooper definitely stands as the more polished and sure thing of this years receiver group, Kevin White doesn't show anything to make you shy away from him on his tape- and can even do some things that Amari Cooper can't. The ceiling of White combined with the level his game is already at and the football IQ he shows on the field project a very successful career for him especially as he perfects some of the techniques he already has. If his inside breaking routes can just become more smooth, White could become a consistent part of the #1 WR conversation every year.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="700px"]

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Davante Adams

Headlines Rams Receiving Corps Sunday
Wan'Dale Robinson

Explodes for 142 Yards, Touchdown in Overtime Thriller
Joe Flacco

Browns Not Considering Benching Joe Flacco After Week 2
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Lamar Jackson

Throws for Four Touchdowns in Week 2 Win
James Cook

Scores Two Touchdowns in Rout of Jets
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Rome Odunze

Scores Twice in Loss
Ja'Marr Chase

Snags 14 Receptions, Finds End Zone in Week 2
Russell Wilson

Throws for 450 Yards, Three Touchdowns in Loss
Jared Goff

Throws Five Touchdowns
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Scores Three Touchdowns
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
Tarik Skubal

Avoids Serious Injury, Expected to Make Next Start
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
Zach Neto

Dealing With Wrist Soreness
Masyn Winn

Shut Down for Rest of Season
Tarik Skubal

to Undergo Imaging on Saturday
Tyler Soderstrom

Scratched on Friday With Groin Tightness
Tarik Skubal

Exits with Side Tightness
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
Ketel Marte

Scratched From Friday's Lineup
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Alexander Hernandez

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Quang Le

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Card Opener
Santiago Luna

Set For His Debut At Noche UFC 3
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
Charles Oliveira

Not Eyeing Retirement
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For 15 at Wyndham Championship
Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley
Shakir Mukhamadullin

Joins Informal Skate
William Eklund

Skates With Sharks
Owen Power

Back at 100 Percent

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP