College football is approaching quickly so we need to jump on our favorite devy targets before the prices of these players skyrocket. I will dive into a few of my favorite RBs to target whose devy value will increase during the 2022 season. Situations change rapidly with the quick turnover of college rosters in the transfer portal world we live in so opportunity is sometimes all a player needs to showcase their true abilities.
Nicholas Singleton (2025 Draft Eligible)
The most obvious on this list is the five-star, number one RB in the 2022 class Nick Singleton. He comes into Penn State already equipped with an NFL build at 6’0” 210 lbs. and the data shows we can expect RBs to gain anywhere from 10-15 lbs. in college. When the time that he is draft eligible comes, he will have prototypical workhorse size. One of his best attributes is his burst through the line of scrimmage and his effortless lateral agility without decelerating to make defenders miss while still keeping that top-end speed. Through just eight games as a junior, Singleton totaled 1,311 yards and 24 touchdowns as he averaged an absurd 12.3 YPC. Although they are different players, SIngleton could see a TreVeyon Henderson-Esque ascension during his freshman campaign with the Nittany Lions where he should immediately see a majority of the touches in the backfield and prove to the country why he was the top RB in this class. I am drafting him as early as the late first in devy startups because a lot of people want to see players prove it first but that logic is how you miss out on the elite assets at the cheapest cost you can attain them.
Raheim “Rocket” Sanders (2024 Draft Eligible)
Next up is the soon-to-be sophomore RB for the Arkansas Razorbacks who is coming off an impressive freshman year. He saw himself walk into the SEC as a fairly unheralded prospect ranking just inside the top 300 total prospects on the 247 Sports recruiting site. Right off the jump, he started splitting backfield work with a senior and showing his upside. Rocket stands at 6’2” and weighed 225 lbs. as a true freshman as he saw 114 carries for 578 yards and five TDs. More importantly, he led all RBs on the team in catches with 11 for 109 yards which is not surprising considering he lined up at both RB and WR in high school. Sanders is an extremely tough runner with great patience and vision, always hitting the right hole and maximizing every play. If you like players who fight for every last inch then you’re going to love Rocket’s game. To think he was only a freshman doing this has to get you excited for the potential he possesses at Arkansas. I am targeting him as early as the mid/late third in devy drafts, somebody to keep an eye on during his sophomore season.
Kendre Miller (2023 Draft Eligible)
Kendre has flown a bit under the radar during his time at TCU because he was sharing the backfield with the number two RB per 247 Sports in the 2020 class, Zach Evans. Since most of the attention has gone to Evans, Kendre Miller has only slowly started to gain steam but now with the departure of Evans who transferred to Ole Miss. Kendre Miller will now be the lead back at TCU. Through two seasons at TCU, Kendre has had 137 carries for 1,011 yards averaging an insane 7.4 YPC which on only nine fewer carries is on par with the highly touted Evans in the same offense who averaged 7.3 YPC through two seasons. Kendre also showed off his receiving ability catching 12 passes for 117 yards this past season which is key for projecting a decent NFL workload. Miller is a fast, one-cut RB with a natural feel for the position as he doesn’t just hit holes, he explodes through them as he effortlessly glides by defenders. As he takes over the backfield his stock will continue to rise, I am looking to draft him in the late fourth or fifth round of devy drafts similar to Charbonnet, both two underrated 2023 RBs at this point of the process.
Zach Charbonnet (2023 Draft Eligible)
The 6’1” 220 lbs. RB surprisingly opted to stay in college for his senior season after his breakout year at UCLA in 2021. He transferred from Michigan where he was underutilized and wanted to attend a school where he could showcase his abilities. Most assumed he was bound to join the 2022 draft class as it has significantly less talent at the RB position when comparing it to the 2023 class but that is what has made him such a great value. He is deceptively elusive as he forced the fourth-most missed tackles per attempt in the country during the 2021 season just behind Kenneth Walker III. He is not the most polished receiver but he has proven he’s capable, catching 24 passes for 197 yards while totaling 1,137 yards on the ground on 203 attempts averaging 5.6 YPC.
Zach is not an elite athlete but he has solid burst/speed so when you combine his size with his elusiveness and contact balance/power you get a very solid prospect. He reminds me of a David Montgomery-type of RB, I am looking to draft him as soon as the late fourth or early fifth in devy drafts.
Thanks for reading, I combine film and analytics-based evaluations, hunting for the best values in Dynasty FF and Devy. Find me on Twitter @Quintorris_.
