Devy 100: 50-41

Rob Willette Posted On May 28, 2017

Editor’s Note: Make sure you check out all the entire Devy 100 all off-season.

The off-season is always an exciting time for dynasty owners. This goes double if your league also has a devy aspect. Between depth-chart shuffling, recruiting season and spring ball, there is a lot going on in the college football world. As such, it’s important for us to track the entire landscape for devy players or those looking ahead to the dynasty stars of tomorrow. This also comes with the disclaimer reiterating fantasy football is always an inexact science – this is exacerbated when you throw college talent into the mix. Many players not on this list are sure to break out and become notable NFL prospects. However, in my estimation, the players on the Devy 100 are the individuals with the most next level potential.

50 – Josh Allen, QB Wyoming Cowboys

A seemingly overnight internet sensation, GIFs of Josh Allen started popping up approximately every five seconds as draft pundits marveled at his huge arm and plus athleticism. The ultimate gunslinger, Allen would attempt to throw a sedan through a keyhole if you challenged him. It is the outside of the structure plays which dazzle yet also offer questions as to his ability to truly guide an offense with a steady hand. He will certainly divide the draft community as a big, toolsy quarterback whose strengths sometimes become his weaknesses.

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49 – Jake Wieneke, WR South Dakota State Jackrabbits

South Dakota State is quietly a hotbed for current NFL talent, with receiver Jake Wieneke and tight end Dallas Goedert headlining the group. The former is a supersized receiver at what looks like a legit 6’4”, 215 pounds. Most importantly, he uses his size well, shielding defenders with his frame and showing a fearless mentality when attacking the football in the air. Athleticism will be the big question; he does not have the look of a player who will test well, making his Combine and/or Pro day numbers critical.

48 – D.J. Chark, WR LSU Tigers

scouts LSU receivers will forever baffle until they get better than high school level play under center, though at the very least they’re generally an intriguing and athletic bunch despite modest production. D.J. Chark is the latest such conundrum, a springy, effortless athlete who can turn a slant into six posthaste. New OC Matt Canada brings new life to a lethargic Tiger offense, and the hope is he finds a way – along with whoever may line up under center – to feature Chark in the passing game. A revival of the forward pass in Baton Rouge could be all standing between Chark and a meteoric rise up this list.

47 – Mark Andrews, TE Oklahoma Sooners

There’s little Mark Andrews is not capable of doing in the passing game. He has elite redzone skills – as evidenced by his 14 touchdowns through two seasons – and he’s equally dangerous after the catch, displaying agility and light feet not often seen in a man who stands in at 6’5”, 250 pounds. Had he entered the 2017 NFL Draft, he would have joined the big three in making it a historic tight end class. As is, he is the number one tight end for 2018 with a bullet.

46 – Christian Kirk, WR Texas A&M Aggies

There’s no denying Christian Kirk is a gifted athlete and versatile weapon. His all-around game has been on display in College Station from day one; he’s established himself as one of the better return men in college football and his sticky hands and smooth acceleration allow him to torture opponents in the intermediate passing game. I question whether his elite testing numbers translate to true explosion on the football field and I am also not sure he has the above-the-rim game or my ball mentality to be a true number one weapon, which is why I am lower on him than the consensus at this point.

45 – Bryce Love, RB Stanford Cardinal

If elite speed and passing game prowess is your thing, Bryce Love is your huckleberry. Christian McCaffrey’s apprentice has been an explosive complementary weapon during his first two years on campus, averaging over seven yards per carry in each of his seasons and offering versatility as a back who can line up on the outside and make plays on screens, sweeps, etc. There are the obvious size concerns which accompany a back listed at 5’10”, 187 pounds, but Love can contribute. It is just a matter of whether it is as a feature back or chess piece.

44 – A.J. Brown, WR Ole Miss Runnin’ Rebels

D.K. Metcalf gets the hype, but his peer in the 2016 recruiting class is a great talent in his own right. Brown’s a bull on the outside and uses his physicality both before and after the catch. Few offer Brown’s NFL-ready build at the collegiate level – he’s thickly built throughout and manhandles most defensive backs. While his vertical was a thoroughly unimpressive 27 inches at The Opening, the rest of his athletic profile looks good and he’s made some big-time plays in the air, most notably outmaneuvering first round pick on Marlon Humphrey (who’s admittedly not a ball skill specialist) on a hail mary play. It would not be a major upset if he became the better pro prospect of the two Rebel receivers.

43 – Kyle Davis, WR Auburn Tigers

Similar to A.J. Brown, Kyle Davis is an absolute bully as a receiver. He takes the fight to the defensive back and is fully equipped to make tough catches in traffic and averaged over 20 yards per reception in limited action during the 2016 season. A mystery spring football absence has cooled some of the hype around the former four star receiver, but he is now back with the team and looks poised to be a big contributor in 2017. From a raw talent perspective, he can go toe-to-toe with any sophomore receiver in the country.

42 – Lamar Jackson, QB Louisville Cardinals

The narratives around Jackson will almost certainly be entertaining and nauseating at the same time. Jackson is not just a mobile quarterback; he’s an elite runner who does some silly things with his legs. While there are nuances of the position he certainly needs to embrace, he’s not just a running quarterback, either. He can make NFL throws and there is no questioning his arm talent. With an innate ability to make plays and requisite skills at his arsenal, I am more inclined to bet on Jackson than bet against him. At the very least, his legs alone will make him a productive fantasy asset.

41 – Dante Pettis, WR Washington Huskies

The other receiver in Washington, Dante Pettis is an excellent overall athlete in his own right and quietly produced a 15 touchdown season for the Huskies. Long and lithe, Pettis looks the part and should explode onto the national scene in 2017 with most of the core pieces on offense intact. Much like many of his Pac 12 brethren, he is an underrated talent.

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