Developing Assets: Week Three

Ryan McDowell

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It’s time for week three of the college football season, and as you might expect, there are some big time matchups. Dynasty and developmental players will have their plate full to keep up with the action today. Enjoy!

A Look Back

Devy of the Week: De’Anthony Thomas, RB ORE

The Ducks traveled across the country to face the Virginia Cavaliers and played like they were in their own backyard. The game was never close and Oregon featured their running game. Diminutive offensive weapon De’Anthony Thomas only ran the ball eleven times, but that was enough to rack up 124 yards and three touchdowns. Even with those impressive numbers, Thomas barely led his team in rushing as quarterback Marcus Mariota totaled 122 yards on just four carries. Rookie Thomas Tyner even got into the action with two rushing scores. Needless to say, if you get a chance to watch the Ducks, take it!

Even with his electric playmaking ability, it is difficult to place a dynasty value on Thomas, who is only 5’9” and 160 pounds. Many compare him to Tavon Austin, but don’t expect him to be drafted as highly as the Rams nabbed for former Mountaineer. Tyner is the real NFL prospect to watch in the Oregon backfield, but he will not see every down carries this year as a true freshman.

Disappointment of the Week: Marqise Lee, WR USC

It’s difficult to remember now, but this time last year, former California wide receiver Keenan Allen was considered the top choice to be the 1.01 pick in the 2013 rookie drafts. Instead, he had a disappointing year, in large part due to some terrible play from his quarterback. Allen’s stock fell as a result, making him a value in the late first or early second rounds of rookie drafts.

While it’s hard to envision Southern California wide receiver Marqise Lee falling to the end of the first round in 2014 rookie draft, or even out of the top two, he is experiencing a similar scenario as Allen a year ago. In last week’s loss to Washington State, Lee totaled only 27 receiving yards on seven receptions. He now has just over 130 receiving yards on the season and the Trojans are out of the top 25.

On the Rise: Jameis Winston, QB FSU

I failed to mentioned Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston in last week’s article and if you watched the Seminoles opener Labor Day evening, you know how big of a mistake that was. The Winston hype was off the charts heading into his debut. In fact, some were already calling him a contender for the Heisman Trophy before he took a college snap. All he did was live up to the hype and more. He led Florida State to a dominant win over Pittsburg, throwing for over 350 yards and four scores. Oh yeah, out of twenty-seven pass attempts, only two missed their mark. Add in a rushing touchdown for Winston and he enjoyed one of the more impressive debuts in recent memory. It will be a two year wait, at least, for Winston to hit the league but he may already rank as my number two devy quarterback, behind Teddy Bridgewater.

A Look Ahead

Wake Up and Watch: Louisville vs. Kentucky (ESPN, 12:00)

This is a sad statement, but today’s rivalry matchup between the Louisville Cardinals and the Kentucky Wildcats will be one of the toughest games on the Cardinals’ schedule. Trust me, this says more about the weakness of their schedule than anything else. The good news is thanks to the hatred between the two schools, it results in a nationally televised game and the entire country gets to see a few of the Cardinals’ draft prospects.

Of course the list must begin with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who has shredded his opponents through two weeks, totaling over 750 yards and nine touchdowns. Expect that to continue against the SEC cellar dweller Wildcats. Bridgewater is not the entire story for the Cardinals though, who also have top running back Michael Dyer, a transfer from Auburn, among other schools. Dyer is not being counted on as the starter yet, but is making his limited snaps count.

Finally, Louisville has a deep and talented wide receiver corps, led by junior DeVante Parker, who at 6’3” and over 200 pounds, gives Bridgewater a big target to throw to. If things really get out of hand, also expect to see the true freshman James Quick, one of the top five wide receiver recruits a year ago. He has yet to crack the regular rotation, but should be a force later in the year and as a sophomore.

If You Can Only Watch One: Alabama vs. Texas A&M (CBS, 3:30)

It’s this week’s version of the game of the year, the top ranked Alabama Crimson Tide against Johnny Manziel and the Texas A&M Aggies. As a dynasty and/or devy owner, there is plenty to watch in this game. Though I’m not a believer in Manziel as an NFL prospect, I am looking forward to seeing his pair of wide receivers, Mike Evans and Ricky Seals-Jones. Evans, a sophomore and Seals-Jones, a true freshman, will make their devy owners wait, but it will be well worth it.

On the other side of the field, Alabama always has more than their share of NFL prospects and this year is no exception. Dynasty owners will, of course, want to focus on running back TJ Yeldon and wide receiver Amari Cooper. Both are true sophomores, but rank highly on the Devy Stock Watch list.

Finally, true freshman Altee Tenpenny is a player to watch at running back for Alabama as he gives Yeldon a breather. It’s getting to the point that devy owners should follow all Crimson Tide skill players very closely.

Stay Up Late For: Wisconsin vs. Arizona St. (ESPN, 10:30)

This matchup pitting Wisconsin versus the Sun Devils of Arizona State is all about the running games when it comes to scouting this game for dynasty purposes. The Badgers feature a trio of running backs who could all one day play on the professional level. Last week, all three were over the 100 rush yard mark and all found the end zone at least one. The starting back is senior James White, but most consider his two backfiled mates the more talented and better fantasy options. They are redshirt sophomore Melvin Gordon, who finds himself on the Devy Stock Watch list after two impressive weeks to open the season. Freshman Corey Clement rounds out the group and has already been called the most talented back in the group, according to some scouts.

Arizona State has a solid running back of their own. In fact, Marion Grice and Wisconsin’s White could be battling to be the top senior running back selected in the 2014 NFL Draft. Grice surprised many with an outstanding performance a year ago as a junior college transfer. If he posts similar numbers this season, he will be firmly on the watch list for dynasty owners preparing for rookie drafts.

Devy Stock Watch

The first year each player is NFL draft eligible is noted in parentheses. I’ve also included how the player fared in last week’s action.

  1. Todd Gurley, RB UGA (2015) 134 rush yards, 1 touchdown
  2. Sammy Watkins, WR CLEM (2014) 19 receiving yards
  3. TJ Yeldon, RB ALA (2015) Bye
  4. Amari Cooper, WR ALA (2015) Bye
  5. Marqise Lee, WR USC (2014) 27 receiving yards
  6. Teddy Bridgewater, QB UL (2014) 397 pass yards, 4 touchdowns
  7. Lache Seastrunk, RB BAY (2014) 150 rush yards, 3 touchdowns
  8. Melvin Gordon, RB WISC (2014) 140 rush yards, 1 touchdown
  9. Duke Johnson, RB MIA (2015) 59 rush yards, 1 touchdown
  10. Jameis Winston, QB FSU (2015) Bye

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