Devy formats require a deeper dive into college prospects earlier in their career to create a Dynasty team with longevity and stability. While competition in regular Dynasty formats continues to get more challenging as expert advice becomes more accessible, you can still have a significant competitive advantage over your league mates in Devy formats if dialed into the college game. Drafting those under-the-radar college prospects before they gain mainstream NFL hype is an excellent way to add roster value at a minimal cost. While there will naturally be more swings and misses when drafting college kids, those home runs can also pack a bigger punch.
In today’s article, I’m digging all the way to China to bring you three names I can almost guarantee nobody in your league is talking about. These three guys are current FCS wide receivers, so they have received virtually no national attention. All the standard Devy leagues I’m currently in allow any college player to be taken, and some even allow high school players, so I’m assuming most of you are playing in similar formats.
While FCS players don’t often pan out in the NFL, there have also been plenty of hits. We’ve seen Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Cooper Kupp come from FCS programs and excel at the NFL level. (I’m not suggesting the guys in this article will be future Hall-of-Famers, but you get my point.) The players I’ll cover aren’t ones you’ll need to reach on for your Devy drats. If you’re currently in a deeper startup draft, these could be some last-round options. Likewise, if your league has been around for a few years, and the player pool is very depleted and headed into your supplemental draft, I would consider these players. Without further ado, let’s look at our first FCS standout!
Daniel Sobkowicz | WR | Illinois St
Daniel Sobkowicz was a player who received very little attention out of high school, ultimately landing on the Redbirds roster as a walk-on in 2022. As a freshman, Sobkowicz made an immediate impact, hauling 31 receptions for 377 yards and three touchdowns. He broke out as a true sophomore for Illinois State, establishing himself as their alpha receiver. In 11 games, Sobkowicz finished his 2023 campaign with 110 targets, 68 receptions, 923 yards, and ten touchdowns. He also threw for a nine-yard touchdown. This put him at 20.6 fantasy points per game (FPPG) in full PPR, 6pt pass TD formats.
At 6’3″ and 200 lbs, Sobkowicz is your typical x-receiver. He lined up out wide on 93% of his routes and had an aDOT of 13.0 in 2023, proving himself as a deep threat. Daniel accounted for 35.6% of the receiving volume in this Redbird offense last season. He had a target rate of 30.6% and 2.62 yards per route run (YPRR). Regardless of competition, this is excellent production for a true sophomore. He does need to get stronger and improve playing through contact, as he only secured 10/30 contested passes this past season.
Jared Richardson | WR | Penn
Jared’s path to being one of the best wide receivers in the FCS was certainly different from your typical path. In high school, Richardson was an all-conference quarterback and punter but made the switch to WR as a sophomore for HC Ray Priore, which proved to be a sharp move. Jared only appeared in four games as a freshman and recorded no statistics, but he made his presence known as a sophomore this past season. Richardson suffered an injury late in the year, appearing in only nine games, but posted some incredible numbers in those contests. He finished with 67 receptions on 102 targets, amassing 788 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He completed his only pass attempt for 26 yards as well. This put Richardson at an impressive 22.3 FPPG for the Quakers. He ended with a 28.7% target rate and 2.22 YPRR. Jared also displayed his ability to shed tacklers, forcing 19 missed tackles on the season.
Like Sobkowicz, Richardson is primarily an x-receiver. At 6’2″ and 215 lbs, Richardson has the size and strength to be worth a last-round dart throw in your Devy drafts. Keep in mind, he’s only done the whole “wide receiver” thing for one season now. Imagine what numbers he could put up over the next two seasons as he continues to learn the nuances of the position.
Raylen Sharpe | WR | Missouri State
Sharpe was another quarterback in his high school days, accumulating over 3,500 all-purpose yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior for Allen High School in Texas. As a 3-star recruit and dual-threat QB, Sharpe had several FBS offers out of high school. He initially committed to SMU before decommitting and signing with the Houston Cougars. As a freshman, Sharpe only appeared in one contest for Houston but was a star athlete on their track and field team, specializing in hurdles. Raylen transferred to Missouri State for his sophomore season and broke out as a junior in 2023. Through ten games, Sharpe posted 73 receptions on 100 targets for 986 yards and seven touchdowns. This equated to 21.4 FPPG. Raylen made up exactly 30% of the receiving volume in 2023, leaving no doubt who the WR1 on this Bears offense is. His production earned him MVC All-Conference and All-American honors.
Raylen entered the transfer portal following their last game against South Dakota State. He received interest from Billy Napier and the Gators before withdrawing from the portal to announce he was staying at Missouri State.
The biggest red flag in Sharpe’s game is his size. He stands at just 5’9″ and 172 lbs, which may be problematic if he hopes to secure an everyday role at the next level. He’s primarily a slot receiver, which we know the NFL views less highly in general. We’ve seen smaller guys find NFL success in recent years, but overcoming the size concerns AND the college competition concerns may be a large hurdle to overcome. (Good thing this kid was a D1 hurdler!)
There are plenty of positives to outweigh the negatives, though. Raylen finished 9th in the FCS in PFF Receiving Grade. He had 3.03 YPRR in 2023. He’s had just two drops out of 91 catchable passes at Missouri State. And he has elite athleticism, speed, and quickness, which will help increase his odds of suiting up on Sundays. Whether or not that translates to fantasy points remains to be seen.
Conclusion
Again, these three FCS wide receivers are not ones you should have to reach on in your startup or supplemental drafts this offseason. These are simply some prospects I’d be willing to make a late/last-round dart throw on, as their resumes suggest they may have what it takes to hit our dynasty rosters at some point down the road. Good luck with your upcoming drafts, and don’t forget to give those FCS prospects some love!
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
