Welcome back for Week 8 of our Devy Players of the Week series. In this series, I cover the top college performers from each offensive fantasy position (QB, RB, WR, TE) every week. Because this is Devy, I will focus on spotlighting players I believe could play a role on our Dynasty rosters down the line. Let’s jump in and see who made some noise this past weekend in CFB!
Quarterback
Cameron Ward – Miami
21-32, 319 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs
7 carries, 29 yards
Another week, another unbelievable performance from Cam Ward. I’ll tell you what: without Ward at quarterback, Miami would be sitting at 4-3 and on a three-game losing streak. Instead, they are now 7-0 and ranked as the #6 team in the country. I don’t think the Hurricanes stand a chance in the CFB playoffs due to their defensive limitations, but Cam can at least make every game a shootout and keep them competitive. Ward is a walking highlight reel, and this weekend was no different, throwing for over 300 yards and four touchdowns. On the season, Ward has now thrown for over 2,500 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. He’s also added 190 yards and three scores on the ground. Miami has scored 38 or more points in all seven games this year due to Ward’s superb play. After subpar performances from Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe this weekend, I’m ready to crown Cam Ward the QB1 of this draft class. He could be a top 3 pick in Superflex rookie drafts.
John Mateer – Washington State
23-27, 295 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
8 carries, 34 yards, 2 TDs
We head over to Cam Ward’s former school, Washington State, to find our second POTW at the quarterback position. RS sophomore John Mateer had himself quite a weekend, accumulating 329 total yards and five touchdowns. Quick disclaimer: this was against Hawaii, so temper your expectations. Nonetheless, these are still impressive numbers. Mateer was not a heavily recruited prospect out of high school, only receiving two total D1 offers. I haven’t heard much buzz surrounding his name, but I’m ready to say we should start discussing Mateer as a real Devy asset. Mateer has excellent size for a QB, at 6’1” and 220 lbs. Through seven games, he’s posted nearly 1,900 passing yards, 16 TDs, and six INTs. But what’s most impressive is his production on the ground, rushing for over 500 yards and eight TDs. If Mateer develops into a true NFL prospect, his rushing upside will make him a very intriguing Dynasty prospect.
Running Back
Bhayshul Tuten – Virginia Tech
18 carries, 266 yards, 3 TDs
1 reception, 20 yards, 1 TD
Bhayshul Tuten had a career night against Boston College on Thursday, amassing 286 scrimmage yards and four total touchdowns as the Hokies won in convincing fashion. Tuten’s touchdown total is up to 14 on the year, as he’s put together a really nice senior season for his NFL resume. Tuten was a former standout player for FCS program North Carolina A&T, racking up over 1,700 yards and 17 TDs as a true sophomore in 2022. He then transferred to Virginia Tech last year and had a respectable season, and has improved on those numbers in 2024. Tuten will be an interesting dart throw in Dynasty rookie drafts next year; I believe he’ll be a Day 3 NFL pick and has the receiving profile we love to see in PPR formats. In the right situation, he may turn into someone who can give us some real fantasy points on Sundays.
Jadan Baugh – Florida
22 carries, 106 yards, 5 TDs
Jadan Baugh, you officially have my attention. The true freshman out of Decatur, Georgia, had his first real opportunity for the Gators this weekend and did not disappoint. Senior RB Montrell Johnson was out due to a lower leg injury, and Baugh stepped up big time in a blowout win over Kentucky, finding paydirt five times. Being a three-star prospect, Baugh was not a player on many Devy players’ radars, but he will be now. After this weekend’s performance, I imagine Baugh has earned himself a much larger role in this backfield. I’m excited to see if he can build on this performance moving forward. At 6’1” and 227 pounds, he’s one of the largest backs in the country, and he has 2-3 more years to continue developing. He could be a star in the making.
Wide Receiver
Ja’Corey Brooks – Louisville
11 targets, 6 receptions, 107 yards, 2 TDs
After last season, Ja’Corey Brooks was written off by many Devy players, including myself. He suffered a shoulder injury in 2023, limiting him to playing almost exclusively on special teams for the Crimson Tide, and our hopes of Brooks hitting our Dynasty rosters seemed all but lost. But Brooks transferred to Lousiville for his senior year and has been a stud for the Cardinals, reviving his NFL stock and earning our attention as a fantasy community once again. Ja’Corey added another two touchdowns this weekend, putting his season total at eight. He’s had 70 or more receiving yards in every game this year and has clearly proven to be the top target ahead of Caullin Lacy, who was one of the top producers in the country for South Alabama last year. Brooks has the size, strength, athleticism, and ball skills to be a true Dynasty asset for our teams next year. If he can find a way to creep into Day 2 of the draft, he’ll be someone we should get legitimately excited about.
Jalen Royals – Utah State
11 targets, 11 receptions, 188 yards, 1 TD
Jalen Royals is another name being undervalued in Devy circles and could be a steal for an NFL team this spring. I recently wrote a Devy profile article on Royals, so if you’d like a deeper dive into his resume, you can check that out here. Royals went from a nonproducer in 2022 as a sophomore to posting over 1k receiving yards as a junior. He’s tracking to crush those numbers in 2024, adding another incredible performance to his season totals this weekend. Over a 12-game season, Jalen is pacing for 138 targets, 94 receptions, 1,429 yards, and 10 TDs. That kind of production will get this kid drafted, without a doubt. He’s a physical x receiver with 4.3 speed. Don’t let the fact he plays for a G5 school scare you away; Jalen Royals can ball.
Tight End
Harold Fannin Jr. – Bowling Green
11 targets, 10 receptions, 171 yards
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I may as well just leave Fannin’s name on my POTW article drafts because he’s going to be included every single week. Fannin added another 10 receptions and 171 yards this weekend against Kent State, putting him at 873 yards in just seven games. Fannin has earned double-digit targets in four games this year and has passed the century mark for receiving yards in five of seven. We haven’t seen production like this from a tight end in quite some time. Assuming Fannin declares for the 2025 NFL Draft (he’s just a junior), he should be valued as a top 3 tight end, in the same tier as Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland. He’s a bit undersized, and blocking may be a concern, which is the only reason I’m not ready to call him the TE1.
Eli Stowers – Vanderbilt
10 targets, 8 receptions, 130 yards, 1 TD
This is Stowers’ second appearance on the POTW series, finishing with 130 receiving yards and a touchdown against Ball State this weekend. Stowers has had one of the most unique college careers to this point, starting his journey as a quarterback for Texas A&M. He eventually switched to tight end and transferred to New Mexico State, finding some success in 2023. After transferring again for his senior year, Stowers has found his stride as a tight end and has posted some really solid numbers. Eli has had 100 or more receiving yards in three games this year, but consistency has been an issue, totaling just 110 receiving yards in the other four games. Stowers is undersized for a tight end, listed at just 6’4” and 225 pounds. I don’t know that he has a future in the NFL as a tight end, but we do know he’s a natural athlete, so it’s possible he could transition again to wide receiver and find some success. Although I don’t consider Stowers a true Devy asset quite yet, he’s someone I’ll be watching closely in the second half of the year.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
