Developing Assets: Week Six

Ryan McDowell Posted On October 4, 2014

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After some mediocre slates the past few weeks, today’s schedule of games looks to deliver with multiple top 25 matchups and some of the top devy players taking part in huge games. The spotlight today will be on the SEC as three matchups pit six of the top teams from the SEC West. The best part? Those games are conveniently spread out through the entire day.

Wake Up and Watch: Texas A&M at Mississippi State (ESPN, 12:00)

The day gets off to a great start as the Aggies face off against the Bulldogs of Mississippi State. Each team has been led by the surprising play at the quarterback position. Mississippi State multidimensional signal caller Dak Prescott has been one of the biggest surprises of the college football season and is so much fun to watch. It’s not yet clear if he might have a future in the NFL, but he’s certainly worth watching. On the other hand, A&M quarterback Kenny Hill looks like a future first round draft pick and the Aggies haven’t missed a beat after losing so many offensive stars from last season.

[inlinead]While each team has a nice committee rushing attack, including some backs who could eventually contribute in the NFL, my favorites prospects on each team are wide receivers. The Bulldogs De’Runnya Wilson finally showed up in the last game against LSU, more than doubling his season total of receiving yards in one game. At 6’5”, Wilson fits the bill of the new type of WR1, though he is certainly raw. With another year of college, Wilson could be a huge part of the class of 2016. Another member of that class could be Texas A&M wideout Ricky Seals-Jones, who missed much of his true freshman season last year with an injury. With Mike Evans heading to the NFL, the expectations were sky high for the talented Seals-Jones, but he has failed to produce the huge numbers some expected. He is just fourth on the team in receiving and has yet to break 70 receiving yards. He did score in each of the first three games, but has been quiet recently. Hopefully, the talent of Seals-Jones’ shows up in this big matchup. Also, don’t forget Aggies’ freshman Speedy Noil, one of the top ranked players in the entire freshman class.

Midday Marquee: Alabama at Mississippi (CBS, 3:30)

The Crimson Tide of Alabama, with their stockpile of Five Star recruits and future NFL first round draft picks, could be featured here on a weekly basis, but it’s only fair to spread the love a little bit. This week though, Alabama faces off against with eleventh ranked Mississippi and one of the best dynasty prospects in college, wide receiver Laquon Treadwell.

You know about the trio of running backs on Alabama’s roster, TJ Yeldon, Derrick Henry and Kenyan Drake. Henry and Yeldon have been essentially splitting carries this year and the teammates were headed in two different directions in dynasty value this off-season. Yeldon has been much better than we seemed to remember and Henry has been hard pressed to continue the hot streak that highlighted the end of his freshman season. Both backs have played well though and are potential day two picks in their respective drafts. Drake hasn’t gotten the touches he’d likely prefer, but he has seen some goal line touches and leads the team with four rushing touchdowns. He’s also the team’s second leading receiver, despite only having four catches. Of course, one of those went for an 87 yard score.

In case that’s not enough, the Crimson Tide also feature the odds on favorite to be the top drafted wide receiver in the 2015 NFL Draft, junior Amari Cooper. Cooper’s path has been a familiar one. After a huge surprise breakout freshman season, he regressed during his sophomore season and devy owners began to have their doubts. His play this season has eased all doubts though, as he’s totaled 43 receptions, 655 yards and five scores. His 43 catches represent 47% of the total receptions by all Crimson Tide players this season, while his yardage accounts for 49% and he has half of the team’s receiving scores.

Primetime Play: LSU at Auburn (ESPN, 7:00)

The final huge SEC game of the day might be the biggest and features my newest wide receiver crush. The battle of the Tigers- LSU faces off against Auburn and as expected, there are plenty of players worth watching.

LSU has a quartet of true freshman, including their new starting quarterback Brandon Harris, alongside Leonard Fournette, Malachi Dupre and Trey Quinn. The hype, especially for Fournette and Dupre, was likely too great, at least for the early season. All four of the rookies are coming into their own early though and it looks like it will be a long three year wait until we get to see these players on Sundays. Luckily, that’s why we’re win devy leagues. Fournette and Dupre are probably already on a roster, depending on the rules of your league, but they should be near the top of your list if not. Quinn sits in the shadow of Dupre, but was also a top ranked recruit and has played well in the early going, actually looking more comfortable in the college offense than Dupre, at times.

For Auburn, I am still a big believer in Nick Marshall, though that seems to be an unpopular opinion when it comes to his NFL future. Either way, Marshall’s success is an afterthought for devy owners, taking a backseat to a pair of Auburn receivers who could each be first round picks come April. Sammie Coates is the team’s leading returning receiver from the 2013 season, but an early season injury has limited his effectiveness, though his toughness could never be questioned. He is a player who seems to be under the radar in the devy community, but is loved by the NFL scouts, who often predict him to be a day one draft pick. I hinted at a new wide receiver crush and it’s none other than junior college transfer D’haquille Williams. With Coates dealing with his injury, Williams has stepped up to easily lead the Tigers in receiving, hauling in 23 catches for 357 yards and three touchdowns.

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Ryan McDowell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

In addition to his senior leadership role here at DLF, Ryan is also a husband, father of three and PE teacher. Ryan is the commissioner of multiple dynasty leagues, most notably the Kitchen Sink Dynasty Leagues. Here at DLF, Ryan’s focus is on identifying, monitoring and analyzing player value.