Hello, again Fantasy Devy Gamers! Each week I will bring you the latest updates, performances, and NFL buzz surrounding college players that should prove to be integral to their eventual NFL Draft Stock. I will utilize recent statistics, performance and film, and general “front office whispers” to compile the intel I share with you. My hope is to provide you with a leg up on your opponents. You will know which devy players to target in trades and/or in what range of draft picks (both NFL and fantasy drafts) you can expect these players to be selected. 

This series is coming to you on a bi-weekly basis in 2021. Week Zero and Week One of the college football season had a familiar feel with virtually every conference and every level of collegiate ball being played. There have already been several unprecedented upsets and perennial top-10 ranked teams taking losses. These games were highlighted by Clemson’s loss to Georgia in Week Zero, as well as Ohio State’s loss to Oregon and Iowa State’s loss to Iowa in Week One. We will now discuss some of the individual player performances and draft stock movement!  

 

TRENDING UP 

Anthony Richardson – QB – Florida

Sophomore Anthony Richardson already looks like a man amongst boys in his first real game action aside from a handful of arbitrary plays in 2020. Through two games, working around incumbent starter Emory Jones, Richardson has dropped back 11 times and completed six passes for 192 yards and two TDs with no INTs. He has also rushed 11 times for 275 yards and an additional two TDs. Yes, he is literally averaging 25 yards per rush. 

We will temper expectations considering the competition Florida has faced so far. However, if the Gators plan to stay competitive next week against Alabama they will need to get Richardson on the field more. His sheer physical intangibles and athleticism may help move the chains and stress an Alabama defense loaded with NFL talent. Richardson is not draft-eligible until 2023, but his performances thus far are reminiscent of Vince Young’s collegiate dominance. 

Bryce Young – QB – Alabama

Granted we haven’t seen Bryce Young play in any big games yet either, but he looks the part of the #1 overall QB recruit from the 2020 class thus far. Through two games against #14 Miami and lowly Mercer, Young has compiled 571 yards and seven passing TDs. He has not thrown an INT yet. However, Young is very undersized compared to your prototypical NFL QB. Regardless, expect to see him drafted in the first round of both the NFL and fantasy drafts in 2023. 

Jameson Williams – WR – Alabama

All offseason, coaches, fans, and devy gamers alike have tried to determine Alabama’s replacements for their litany of NFL first-round WRs the past few years. Many devy pundits thought incoming true-freshman receivers Agiye Hall, Jojo Earle, or Jacorey Brooks would fill the voids across from returning starter John Metchie. Instead, junior transfer Jameson Williams has stood out through one and a half games (Alabama pulled their starters early against Mercer).

Williams boasts all-world speed and above-average size at 6’2” 190 lbs. Through six quarters he has seven receptions for 157 yards and two TDs. The St. Louis native was brought up in the Ohio State system for two seasons before transferring. Should he continue to keep pace with Metchie as a top option in the Tide’s passing attack, he could declare after this season and find himself and a last-first or early-second NFL draft pick. 

Kayshon Boutte – WR – LSU

At the end of last season, Boutte was featured as a stand-out performer and riser on Draft Stock Watch. During Bowl Week last season, your author moved Kayshon Boutte to his devy WR1. Now two games into his second collegiate season, Boutte has shown he is just as dominant as the flashes that shown in his game during his true-freshman campaign. He already possesses speed, route-running, ball skills, and awareness that appear elite. There is no doubt Boutte will be drafted in the first 15 picks of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Michael Mayer – TE – Notre Dame

Notre Dame does not possess an alpha receiver this season. Insert Michael Mayer, who hasn’t blinked in response to being relied on to facilitate the Irish’s aerial attack. Mayer has firmly entrenched himself as the devy TE1. He possesses the size, speed, hands, and athleticism that NFL GMs look for in a difference-maker at the TE position. He is a sure-fire NFL first-round draft pick in 2023 if he declares. 

Brock Bowers – TE – Georgia

True-freshman Brock Bowers has burst onto the TE scene himself down in the SEC. With Arik Gilbert again missing in action and Darnell Washington nursing a foot injury, Bowers has stepped up through two games. Bowers has been leaned on as a receiver by senior QBs J.T. Daniels and Stetson Bennett to open the season. 

The 6’4” 230 lb. TE out of Napa Valley has brought in nine receptions for 150 yards and two TDs. Though he is still undersized, he has two years and some change to strengthen and develop his body. Your author is already comfortable listing Bowers as the devy TE2 if you can afford to wait till the 2024 season for him. 

Tank Bigsby – RB – Auburn

Auburn RB Tank Bigsby has been a devy-darling, ranked highly for nearly a calendar year now. He has lived up to that billing, displaying the vision, power, balance, and break-away speed owners desire. He does still need to prove himself as a receiver. Hopefully Auburn will find a way to utilize Bigsby more in the passing game as the season plays on. Expect for Bigsby to declare in 2023 and become the first or second RB off the board that April. 

Zach Charbonnet – RB – UCLA

Much like the aforementioned Jameson Williams, Zach Charbonnet has been reborn after his transfer to UCLA. Now playing close to home, the Oaks Christian alumn is getting the opportunities and touches he needs to thrive. Charbonnet boasts excellent NFL size at 6’1” and 222 lbs. and has extra gears needed to leave defenders behind in the open field. However, he still runs too high and needs to continue to develop as a blocker and receiver. Regardless, Charbonnet is lighting up the box scores, compiling 223 yards and four TDs on just 17 carries through two games. He has also caught two passes for another 49 yards. If Charbonnet can continue to produce at this pace, he may end up as a monumental riser and could see himself as one of the top two or three backs drafted in April should he declare. 

Devin Lloyd – LB – Utah

Utah LB Devin Lloyd is a player that was a stand-out featured on Draft Stock Watch (alongside Kayshon Boutte) in 2020. Aside from some studs at Oregon, Lloyd is probably the best defensive player in the rest of the Pac-12 conference. In just two games Lloyd has already tallied 25 tackles with nine solos, an INT, a sack, a forced fumble, and a pass defensed. He led his team in tackles both games and is the unquestioned leader of the Utes’ defense. Lloyd could crack the end of the first round this coming April but likely settles in the middle of the second round. He is a player who will be drafted in the mid-to-late rounds of IDP dynasty rookie drafts and have an opportunity to earn a feature LB role at the next level early.  

 

TRENDING DOWN 

J.T. Daniels – QB – Georgia

After a four-game performance that rivaled any other top-rated QB to close the 2020 season, J.T. Daniels looked the part of NFL back-up in his first game against Clemson. What’s worse, a lingering oblique injury caused him to sit out the following week in Georgia’s “get-right” game against UAB. Now, the pressure is on Daniels to immediately regain his 2020 form or see his draft stock dwindle to that of former Bulldog signal-caller Jake Fromm.

Sam Howell – QB – UNC

Do not let the statistics fool you–there are legitimate concerns about Sam Howell’s consistency and ability to finish in big games. After falling short against Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl with a loaded supporting cast on offense (5 were drafted), Howell was shut down again to open the season in an embarrassing upset loss to Virginia Tech. He did redeem himself and his statistics against lowly Georgia State last weekend. 

Howell is a player your author has avoided at his previous and current price tag. Howell’s landing spot and draft capital could be all over the map, depending on how the rest of this season goes. He could be a top-five pick or a day-two pick. He will need to find his 2020 pre-bowl game form if he hopes for the former. 

Breece Hall – RB – Iowa State

Since their huge win over Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl just eight months earlier, Iowa State has disappointed. Similarly, Breece Hall has left a lot to be desired on the field. Granted, Brock Purdy’s ineptness in the passing game leads opposing defenses to key solely on Hall. Through two games, Hall has run for just 138 yards on 39 carries. 

While he’s been offered little room to run, he has shown well as a receiver, nabbing eight passes for 55 more yards. Hall will need to post 2020 numbers again if he hopes to hear his name called as the first RB off the board this April. 

Kevin Harris – RB – South Carolina

Heading into the 2021 season, Kevin Harris felt like the most slept-on player in college football. Having just led the SEC in rushing with 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns, behind an average offensive line with zero passing attack, Harris displayed the attributes of an elite back. He averaged a healthy 6.1 yards per carry and also caught 21 passes.

Just eight months later, Harris is off to a slow start after recovering from minor back surgery in the offseason. He missed game one entirely and last week managed just 33 yards on seven carries working as part of a committee backfield. This can all be chalked up to the injury if Harris reclaims his role as the Gamecocks’ clear RB1 in the next week or two. However, if he doesn’t get back to his 2020 form, Harris will fall off the draft map completely. Time will tell for one of your author’s favorite prospects. 

Treylon Burks – WR – Arkansas

Many were expecting a huge breakout for Burks, who appeared to be the focal point of the Razorbacks’ passing attack this offseason. Instead, Burks has caught just ten passes for 79 yards and no TDs thus far. Arkansas has been spreading the ball around more and Burks has not been afforded many opportunities to let his physical abilities stand out. 

If this is a sign of things to come, he will need to create on his own with some of the underneath routes he keeps receiving, break tackles, and garnering yards-after-catch. However, this does not bode well for his potential to be an alpha receiver at the next level. There is still time for Burks to excel, but he may not reach that first-round draft pedigree that many analysts had him pegged for this offseason. 

All Clemson WRs

Through two games, we have consistently seen the Clemson WRs struggle to create separation and uncover. Even top-QB recruit D.J. Uiagalelei has struggled at times because of it. Through two games this season, Clemson’s team has produced just 440 receiving yards. The Tigers do boast some tall and rangy, jump-ball and possession-style, physical receivers though. 

Joe Ngata exceeded 100 yards in the opening week in the loss to Georgia. He is the only receiver to come close to a 100-yard game through two. Better route-running and improved burst off the line of scrimmage should help this group find more success and regain their previous pre-season hype.  

Arik Gilbert – TE – Georgia

The aforementioned Arik Gilbert is again all hype and no production this season. After leaving LSU and spending a long time in the transfer portal (pending alleged academic eligibility issues) Gilbert landed in Georgia and brought some hype and excitement with him. Weeks later, he asked to take personal time away from the team. He has not returned yet. True-Freshman Brock Bowers and Sophomore Jermaine Burton have stepped up for the Bulldogs in his absence. 

Darnell Washington – TE – Georgia

Another Georgia TE, Darnell Washington has been nursing an offseason foot injury and has not played yet this season. Unfortunately, Bowers has been more than competent in his stead. Washington does have the edge on him as a blocker if he can return to the team soon fully healthy. However, regardless of Washington’s abilities as an in-line blocker, it looks as though he will have to cede work in the passing game to Bowers. Washington may choose to enter the transfer portal following this 2021 season. 

Nik Bonitto – EDGE – Oklahoma 

Oklahoma has played two lesser opponents thus far (and almost lost to Tulane) and stud edge-defender Nik Bonitto has hardly shown up in the stats sheet. Granted, against Western Carolina last week he was rested in the second half as OU enjoyed a large lead. Through six quarters of play, Bonitto has recorded just two tackles, a fumble recovery, and a half-sack. 

In 2020, Bonitto exploded for 11.5 TFLs and nine sacks in 10 games. He had the nation’s best pass rush win rate (28%) per PFF. However, for a player who is already a question mark in the run game, he will need to start producing sacks in 2021 if he hopes to hear his name called in the first two rounds this coming April. 

 

SMALL SCHOOL PLAYER TO WATCH  

Grayson McCall – QB – Coastal Carolina 

Anyone that’s read your author’s work last season is already aware of Grayson McCall. A favorite featured half a dozen times as a small school stand-out in 2020, McCall has picked up right where he left off. Through two wins this season, McCall has thrown for 507 yards on 33-of-40 passing with three TDs. He’s also added 40 yards on the ground with an additional score. 

It remains to be seen when McCall will choose to declare, but he has been a meteoric riser since the start of 2020, who displays a starting NFL QB skillset, with some extra intangibles. If he can lead another undefeated regular season and light up the box scores the way he has, he could sneak into the end of the first round in April.  

I appreciate your time! If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and countless other quality reads here at Dynasty Football Factory. Please consider our yearly DFF subscription, so we can continue to deliver top-notch analysis and fantasy breakdowns for you. Also, you can interact with me on Twitter at @DocFFFN.