Devy Analysis
Each week I will bring you the latest updates and NFL buzz surrounding college players that should prove to be integral to future fantasy success. 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. If you want to read last week’s article, click here.
This third week of college football brought us action that included 20 games, ten ranked teams that took the field, two upsets of ranked opponents, and several close games that seemed to go down to the wire. Additionally, we learned that the BIG10 conference will play an abbreviated season starting at the end of October. Let’s now discuss some devy player draft stocks as a result of this week’s action.
Two-years ago The Citadel took second-ranked, Tua Tagovailoa led Alabama to a 10-10 tie at halftime before ultimately falling to the powerhouse Tide. Their matchup against Clemson did not go quite as well. By the start of the second quarter, Clemson was up by 35 and backup quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei was already in the game. Trevor Lawrence is playing like a first overall pick should in this young season completing 81% of his passes for an average of over 14 yards per attempt and four TDs to zero interceptions. Star senior running back Travis Etienne is showing his versatility, and sophomore receiver Frank Ladson Jr. is showing signs of a breakout season.
Seven of the 20 games played this weekend resulted in a Vegas underdog victory. On Thursday night, the Miami Hurricanes and transfer quarterback D’Eriq King handled the UAB Blazers. Arkansas State’s two-quarterback system upset Kansas State due to a breakout performance from Jonathan Adams Jr. The upset of the week though was Ragin Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette taking down Brock Purdy and the 23rd ranked Iowa State Cyclones. Purdy, who was seen by many as a potential late first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft threw for only 145 yards and an interception. It is worth noting that Purdy didn’t have his star tight-end Charlie Kolar, but the Cyclones had no answer for the special teams play of the Ragin Cajuns.
Each week I will bring you the latest updates and NFL buzz surrounding college players that should prove to be integral to future fantasy success. 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. If you want to read last week’s article, click here.
Another week of college football is in the books, and Week 2 did not leave us disappointed. We have heard the BIG10 officials are meeting to discuss beginning a season as early as October. We hope to hear more on that front in the coming days. Additionally, in the 20 FBS games that were played, we witnessed some of the biggest and best upsets that we may see this entire season. Let’s sift through the aftermath of college football’s Week 2!
During Week 0 we had several teams from Conference USA, the AAC, Ohio Valley, Southland, and the Sun Belt Conferences kick off their season. While this sample of schools does not typically offer many NFL prospects there are still takeaways from an exciting week. Many of these games were blowouts, so the players who participated need to be mentioned with a caveat that these performances do not necessarily reflect what these players will be capable of if they make it to the next level, some did show glimpses that they have what it takes.
As this college football season shapes up to be the most unpredictable in memory, it will be as important as ever for devy owners to keep tabs on what is happening. The COVID-19 pandemic has already caused major headaches for the college football landscape, as two Power 5 conferences have already postponed their seasons (BIG10 and PAC12). Sprinkled in are many high profile opt-outs who have chosen to forego their 2020 season and prepare for the NFL draft.
Every year, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman publishes his College Football Freaks List. This list garners data from college programs and highlights the players that are wowing the staff both on and off the gridiron. In year’s past, we saw names like Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Noah Fant, and Todd Gurley, among a long list of defensive studs and offensive line standouts namely Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. We can garner a lot of information from the list that Bruce puts out, especially in deeper devy and Campus to Canton leagues. Let’s dive into the 2020 College Football Freaks List.
In this series, we will identify a high-value devy player who will likely maintain their high value or rise further. A middling valued player who you can steal and reap the big returns once they test at the NFL Combine, or their pro-day. As well as a sleeper who with a good season of production could return a serious increase in value.
Every year, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman publishes his College Football Freaks List. This list garners data from college programs and highlights the players that are wowing the staff both on and off the gridiron. In year’s past, we saw names like Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Noah Fant, and Todd Gurley, among a long list of defensive studs and offensive line standouts namely Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. We can garner a lot of information from the list that Bruce puts out, especially in deeper devy and Campus to Canton leagues. Let’s dive into the 2020 College Football Freaks List.
In this series, we will identify a high-value devy player who will likely maintain their high value or rise further. A middling valued player who you can steal and reap the big returns once they test at the NFL Combine, or their pro-day. As well as a sleeper who with a good season of production could return a serious increase in value.
Every year, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman publishes his College Football Freaks List. This list garners data from college programs and highlights the players that are wowing the staff both on and off the gridiron. In year’s past, we saw names like Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Noah Fant, and Todd Gurley, among a long list of defensive studs and offensive line standouts namely Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. We can garner a lot of information from the list that Bruce puts out, especially in deeper devy and Campus to Canton leagues. Let’s dive into the 2020 College Football Freaks List.
In this series, we will identify a high-value devy player who will likely maintain their high value or rise further. A middling valued player who you can steal and reap the big returns once they test at the NFL Combine, or their pro-day. As well as a sleeper who with a good season of production could return a serious increase in value.
Every year, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman publishes his College Football Freaks List. This list garners data from college programs and highlights the players that are wowing the staff both on and off the gridiron. In year’s past, we saw names like Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Noah Fant, and Todd Gurley, among a long list of defensive studs and offensive line standouts namely Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. We can garner a lot of information from the list that Bruce puts out, especially in deeper devy and Campus to Canton leagues. Let’s dive into the 2020 College Football Freaks List.
In this series, we will identify a high-value devy player who will likely maintain their high value or rise further. A middling valued player who you can steal and reap the big returns once they test at the NFL Combine, or their pro-day. As well as a sleeper who with a good season of production could return a serious increase in value.
Every year, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman publishes his College Football Freaks List. This list garners data from college programs and highlights the players that are wowing the staff both on and off the gridiron. In year’s past, we saw names like Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Noah Fant, and Todd Gurley, among a long list of defensive studs and offensive line standouts namely Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. We can garner a lot of information from the list that Bruce puts out, especially in deeper devy and Campus to Canton leagues. Let’s dive into the 2020 College Football Freaks List.
2020 has been a year unlike any other. The COVID-19 virus has changed the way the world operates. The United States with over 160,000 deaths and over 5,000,000 cases has been affected in ways we as a society have not seen. One of the most impacted ways of our community has been sports. High school, collegiate, and professional sports have been devastated. One of the most impacted organizations is the NCAA.
The type of league you choose is all based on how risk-averse you would like to be. Let’s look at how to find the perfect devy league and detail what to expect in each.
Devy leagues by nature are dynasty leagues. A dynasty league is defined as rosters being constant year over year, with an annual draft for incoming rookies. While a devy league will have annual drafts, once you have a devy player, they are automatically transferred to your roster. This excludes them from the annual draft.
The Memphis Tigers have produced some very dynamic players over the last three years. Darrell Henderson, Tony Pollard, and Antonio Gibson are in the NFL with the potential to be home-run threats for their teams at the running back position. The most potential impactful player at the next level from Memphis is eligible for the NFL Draft after the 2021 season. His name is Kenneth Gainwell. Gainwell is 5’11” 191 and a former three-star recruit. Gainwell was a wildcat quarterback in high school and rushed for 4,730 yards on 501 attempts. He was recruited by Arkansas State, Idaho, Ole Miss, and Tulane. Ultimately, Gainwell decided to play for the Memphis Tigers. He started his career at Memphis with a few carries but was ultimately red-shirted as a freshman.
One receiver that is not always mentioned but has the potential to be a first-round talent when he declares is Jaylen Waddle. Below will show why he should be highly valued in devy drafts and why he can be a valued asset when he makes it to the NFL. A four-star recruit from Episcopal in Bellaire, Texas. Waddle stands at 5’10 183 pounds. Waddle has two years of production going into his Junior year. He has appeared in 28 games, racking up 78 receptions for 1408 yards and 13 touchdowns.
In the next few years, some very talented running backs will be declaring for the NFL Draft. When they declare, it is anyone’s guess with everything up in the air during the worldwide pandemic. While players like Chubba Hubbard, Travis Etienne, and others get the spotlight because of their talents, other talented running backs remain under the radar. This ACC Devy Spotlight will turn the focus on Louisville running back Javian Hawkins.
Pooka’s ability to create yards after the catch will be why he continues to rise up the rankings. Don’t sleep on this kid to be an early to mid-round pick in the NFL Draft when he decides to declare. Williams could prove to be worth rostering in devy and dynasty leagues because of the electric plays he can create. With a loaded 2021 running back class, Williams should be considered a sleeper if he declares. If he chooses to stay one more year, Pooka Williams could have a bigger spotlight in the 2022 NFL Draft and is someone to keep an eye on as his career continues.
The 2020 College football season could not happen. It’s the harsh reality we live in with a worldwide pandemic. With that said, this is the perfect time to get ahead of your league mates and understand the great prospects eligible in 2022. Now, not all of these players will declare. It is not known what to expect with eligibility if no fall sports occur. However, these potential impact players at the wide receiver position are the future regardless of the year they declare. This Devy WR Outlook only includes players who will become eligible in 2022.
Devy rankings by nature are volatile, the most volatile of any rankings within fantasy football. Which games in this upcoming season will players gain the most value and where will some players lose the most value? In this article, we will look at the pivotal games for these players draft stock, as well as give devy owners a road map of which games to circle on their calendar in order to keep a pulse of the devy scene.
Every year top college players graduate, move to the NFL, and transfer. In their wake, they leave a spot behind on their former team for new players to step in and shine. So, here are some players to watch for the (potential at this point) 2020 college football season. The four guys mentioned below have a gift-wrapped opportunity to increase their draft stock and devy prospects.
D’Eriq King accounted for a combined 50 TDs in 2018. In his last full season in Houston, he also threw only six INTs: only 1.7% of his total attempts. King shut his season down after Houston started 1-3 which made him eligible immediately in the 2020 transfer portal. Standing at 5’11” and 195 lbs. King has a build that will make NFL teams hesitant to draft him as a franchise quarterback. However, a strong season in Miami could sway his value significantly at the next level. King also has the athleticism to play in an offensive threat position this year at Miami and progress as a slot receiver or running back at the NFL level like Randall Cobb or Antwaan Randle El.
In the first part of this first look at the 2023 running backs, I briefly broke down my top five running backs in the incoming freshman class. Depending on the number of devy prospects owned in your league, there’s a great chance that all five of those backs will be selected in your drafts. This next group of five will likely only be taken in deeper leagues, if at all.
Drafting a freshman running back is a mixed bag, but when they hit, it can position a team very nicely for the future (see 2017 recruiting class). The incoming freshman class has a few guys who I’m willing to take a chance on.