Devy Analysis
This article will be centered around the incoming rookies, along with my current projections for where they will be taken in a Superflex startup draft. For flexibility, I have broken down the best of the rookies into tiers since we have to wait a while longer until we find out their NFL draft capital and team situations. Below, I have listed my current Superflex rankings with a tier break to separate each group of players. I will then take a deeper dive into each of the players listed to provide a better idea of where they (or their potential 2024 dynasty draft picks) should be considered throughout the DFF mock draft.
Kevin “KC” Concepcion, freshman WR from NC State, played his high school football at Julius L. Chambers High School in Charlotte, NC. KC was ranked a 3-star recruit on ESPN as the WR130 in his class. He was rated more highly on Rivals, earning a 4-star designation, and ranked as the WR53 overall. In his final two high school seasons, KC caught 65 passes for 977 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was also used as a rusher and special teams guy, finishing with 1,032 all-purpose yards as a senior. As a junior, KC returned three punts for touchdowns.
The Texas Longhorns have had an elite offense all season long, as confirmed by their 12-1 record, playoff bid, and 36.2 points per game. Much of this success can be attributed to their two junior wide receivers, Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell. Both players have lofty expectations waiting for them at the NFL level, but which player will end up becoming the better fantasy asset? Let’s discuss some numbers and help answer that question for you.
Born in Chatsworth, GA, Ladd McConkey, the 6-foot, 185 lbs wide receiver, is wrapping up his Junior season at the University of Georgia. McConkey redshirted his freshman season in 2020, spending time with the scout team before making a mark as a key player for the Georgia Bulldogs.
As an Arkansas Razorbacks fan, the recent news about Raheim “Rocket” Sanders brings a mix of sadness and excitement. Despite facing numerous challenges in the 2023 season, this 4-star recruit’s potential remains a beacon of hope for the future. Let’s delve into Sanders’ journey, the hurdles he faced, and what the future might hold for this dynamic running back.
Hailing from East St. Louis Senior High School in Illinois, Luther Burden entered the college scene with a reputation that preceded him. A 5-star recruit, he wasted no time making an impact. Over two high school seasons, Burden displayed his prowess by hauling in 101 passes for an eye-popping 1832 yards, punctuated by an impressive 23 touchdowns. His versatility knew no bounds as he seamlessly transitioned from being an offensive juggernaut to the team’s primary kickoff and punt specialist. High school stats, meticulously tracked by MaxPreps, showcased Burden’s multidimensional skill set as he returned 21 punts for an astounding 852 yards, finding the end zone on eight electrifying occasions.
In high school, McMillan was a two-way player on the football field, playing wide receiver and defensive back. On the offensive side, McMillan hauled 179 receptions, 2,640 yards, and 34 touchdowns over three varsity seasons for Servite High School in California. As a senior in 2021, McMillan was named the Polynesian High School Football Player of the Year and was a finalist for Gatorade National Football Player of the Year.
Welcome back, DFF Devy fans! We are now on our third and final article in this “Devy TE Landscape” series. If you missed the first two articles, you can check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here. So far, I’ve covered my Top 10 tight ends eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft. Now, we will discuss my favorite TE underclassmen to target in Devy leagues. I have three players from the 2025 class and three from the 2026 class that I feel have the best chance of hitting at the NFL level. Let’s jump right in and talk some college football!
Welcome back for Part 2 of 3 in this “Devy TE Landscape” series. If you missed Part 1, be sure to check that out here. Part 1 covered my Top 5 ranked tight ends that are eligible for the 2024 NFL draft. In Part 2, we’ll cover my 6th-10th ranked tight ends in this draft class, and Part 3 will cover which underclassmen we should be paying attention to in Devy regarding the tight end position. Let’s pick up where we left off with my TE #6 in the class!
We all know the tight end position is the most difficult to get right in fantasy football, and we also understand the substantial advantage one has when owning one of the few “league-breaking” tight ends in fantasy (especially in tight end premium leagues). There are many names to comb through and analyze in college football, so I will be breaking this into three parts. For Parts 1 and 2, I will give you my Top 10 TEs that are draft-eligible in 2024 (the first five in Part 1 and the next five in Part 2). In Part 3, I’ll discuss which young tight ends we should invest in for Devy leagues in the 2025 and 2026 Draft classes. So, without further ado, let’s find those tight ends that could make an impact at the NFL level.
There’s no denying Brock Bowers is a generational college talent. He’s arguably the best tight end in college football history, and before the injury this season, he was pacing to break the career receiving yards record for Division 1 tight ends…in just three seasons. Bowers unfortunately suffered an injury in their victory over Vanderbilt on 10/14, requiring surgery to repair a broken ankle. This type of injury typically takes four to six weeks to recover from, so Bower will likely miss at least another week or two.
Looking for the Puka Nacua of the 2024 draft class? More than likely, that player doesn’t exist, as Nacua is putting up numbers we’ve never seen from a rookie, let alone a Day 3 draft pick. But, if you’re looking for a projected late-round rookie pick with massive upside, look no further than Colorado State WR Tory Horton. Not many Devy players are talking about him, but he’s quietly had one of the more productive collegiate careers in this 2024 class. Not playing for a Power 5 program has resulted in Horton flying under the radar. Most Devy ranking sites don’t have Tory’s name listed at all. But Horton has been a producer since his early days at Nevada, and he’s developed into arguably a top-ten WR in this class.
Devy players and film guys alike are saying this 2024 RB draft class doesn’t have the top-end talent that 2023 had with Bijan Robinson, and maybe not even Jahmyr Gibbs or De’Von Achane. Nonetheless, I think we have some talented backs ready to make that next step into the NFL ranks and a few you could justify taking in the first round of 2024 Superflex rookie drafts. So, who exactly are the front-runners for RB1 in this 2024 draft class? In my mind, there are three clear names at the top of this list, with a couple of “Dark Horse” players that could make the jump into this tier. Let’s talk college football and find out who the Dynasty RB1 in this 2024 class is.
Bo Nix is a 5th year senior QB for Oregon who has seen his NFL draft stock rise significantly since August. The Arkansas native attended high school at Pinson Valley in Pinson, AL. He had some truly phenomenal numbers in high school, surpassing 12,000 total yards, finding the endzone 161 times (127 passing, 34 rushing), and winning two state titles.
If you’re a college football fan, Michael Penix Jr. is a name you’ve heard for what seems like the past decade. His collegiate career started way back in 2018 for the Hoosiers, where he unfortunately suffered season-ending injuries in each of his four years in Bloomington. Since transferring to Washington in 2022, Penix has fortunately avoided the injury bug. Husky fans are praying their Heisman candidate remains healthy this season, as their team remains undefeated and their playoff hopes are still very much alive. Here’s a brief breakdown of Penix’s career by season:
In case you missed it this past weekend, Colorado traveled to Fort Worth to take on a ranked TCU team. The result was a 45-42 victory in a game that could end up being one of the best of the year in college football. Deion Sanders making the jump from Jackson State to Colorado has placed the Buffaloes firmly in the national spotlight, and he brought some fantastic football players with him. Perhaps the two brightest stars that joined Deion in Colorado are his son, Shedeur Sanders, and his favorite playmaker, Travis Hunter.
College football is finally back, and last Saturday, we got to see 2022 Heisman winner Caleb Williams lead his USC Trojans to a dominant win versus the Spartans of San Jose State in Week 0. Caleb showed us why he’s the heavy favorite to hoist the Heisman trophy again in 2023, posting 18/25 passing, 278 yards, and 4 TDs in the game. We’ve come to expect this from the future 1.01 in 2024 Superflex rookie drafts. I mean, just look at the play below; is this not Patrick Mahomes-esque? Williams turned a potential disaster of a play into a homerun ball and made it look easy.
For my first Devy article, I wanted to discuss the basic strategy behind a Devy startup draft. I’ve recently jumped into the Devy world, and I can safely say there’s no looking back. For those unaware, the Devy format is just a Dynasty league format, plus the addition of drafting current college players in a separate “Devy draft”. You roster these college players until they (hopefully) are drafted into the NFL, and you can place them into your weekly lineups. You can trade these players away like any other asset; they just won’t earn you points until they’re in the NFL (at least in standard Devy leagues).
One of the most challenging aspects of assessing the college landscape is projecting draft capital for players that will someday find themselves on our draft boards. It’s no secret that the higher up in the NFL draft a player goes, the better the chances that they become a valuable dynasty asset in the fantasy space.
With spring practices underway for NCAA college football it felt like the right time to highlight the current landscape of Devy rankings through the lens of my top 5 Devy players at each main skill position: QB, RB, and WR.
If you’re into Devy or just curious about the format this is the article for you! This is the second in a three-part series. The previous piece covered QBs, HERE. This piece covers RBs and the next will highlight my favorite Devy WRs, respectively.
It should come as no surprise that last year’s Heisman winner slots in at the top of the QB Devy list. Caleb Williams is a special talent that has his skills fully on display last year at USC. Had he been healthy toward the end of the season USC would’ve easily secured a playoff birth. But alas, that was not meant to be. Williams is a QB that can do magnificent things on a football field and he should dominate the NCAA again in 2023.
I’m choosing to highlight my personal favorite fantasy football format today: The Devy Superflex League. If you’re unfamiliar, Devy is a step up from Dynasty formats in that you select college players including incoming freshmen. In my favorite league we have 14 managers and the Devy Draft each year is 10 rounds. That means we’re drafting 140 new college players every year – exciting stuff!! Today I’m focusing on five under-the-radar Devy Superflex prospects that I think can make all the difference for your team.