Devy Roundup: Week Eight

Kyle Holden Posted On October 26, 2017

The Derrius Guice we saw on Saturday looked familiar! Many forgot just how special Guice can be. He has been hobbled for most of this season by nagging injuries but looked much healthier against Ole Miss. He dominated the game, rushing for 276 yards.

Another running back who stole the show was Saquon Barkley. He seems to dominate his competition nearly every week and last Saturday was no different. He had over 150 total yards to go along with three total touchdowns. While Barkley is on another level, I would love to grab either Barkley or Guice in rookie drafts next year.

You can find the final results of each week eight game here.

Top Performers

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Performances ranked on a 5-star scale

5 stars – Derrius Guice, RB LSU (276 yards rushing, 1 TD, 1 rec, 9 yards)

What a performance by Derrius Guice. He was impressive all night as he dominated the Ole Miss defense. He showcased his unique combination of balance, agility, power, and speed on numerous runs.

5 stars – Saquon Barkley, RB Penn State (108 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 3 recs, 53 yards, 1 TD)

The current Heisman favorite put on another dazzling display against Michigan. He even had a 69-yard rushing touchdown from the Wildcat formation.

5 stars – Baker Mayfield, QB Oklahoma (410 yards passing, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 69 yards rushing, 2 TDs)

Mayfield is another Heisman candidate who has been stellar this year. He is clearly behind Barkley for now, but he continues to put up impressive numbers nearly every week. He had four total touchdowns and nearly 500 total yards on Saturday.

5 stars – Josh Adams, RB Notre Dame (191 rushing yards, 3 TDs)

Josh Adams was a big factor in Notre Dame’s impressive win over USC last Saturday. He ran for 191 yards, including an 84-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.

5 stars – Will Grier, QB WVU (375 yards, 5 TDs)

Will Grier added five more passing touchdowns last Saturday, keeping him in the lead for the most passing touchdowns in all of college football this year with 26.

5 stars – Drew Lock, QB Missouri (467 yards passing, 6 TDs, 1 INT)

Drew Lock dominated the Idaho defense on his way to six touchdowns and more than 450 passing yards. He nearly tied his own school record of seven touchdown passes in a single game which he set earlier this year.

Honorable Mentions: Anthony Miller (10 recs, 178 yards), Royce Freeman (29 carries, 160 yards rushing), Kenny Hill (278 yards passing, 5 TDs, 14 yards rushing), Deontay Burnett (8 recs, 113 yards, 1 TD), David Sills (7 recs, 136 yards, 3 TDs), Trestan Ebner (5 recs, 109 yards, 2 TDs), Brandon Wimbush (120 yards passing, 2 TDs, 106 yards rushing, 2 TDs), Logan Woodside (304 yards passing, 5 TDs, 1 INT), J’Mon Moore (11 recs, 174 yards, 1 TD), Darrin Hall (254 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 1 rec, 4 yards), Courtland Sutton (6 recs, 81 yards, 2 TDs), Trey Quinn (17 recs, 186 yards)

Poor Performers

Performances ranked on a 5-star scale

1 star – D.K. Metcalf, WR Ole Miss (1 rec, 15 yards)

D.K. Metcalf had a very quiet night against LSU last Saturday, but so did the rest of the Ole Miss receivers. A.J. Brown only caught four passes for 39 yards as well.

Depth Chart Battles

As we approach the ninth week of the season, below are a few positional battles I continue to keep my eye on.

Florida State Running Backs

Cam Akers and Jacques Patrick had pretty similar stat lines last Saturday. Akers gained 94 yards on 18 total touches while Patrick gained 105 yards on 17 total touches. Neither could really break any long runs but both were fairly productive.

My Rankings

Below is a preview of my Top 25 Devy rankings. I made a few adjustments after this week of play. You can find my full set of Devy rankings here.

Marquee Matchups

Below are some of the more intriguing games on this upcoming week’s slate. You can check out the full week nine schedule here.

1.) Penn State @ Ohio State – 10/28 @ 3:30 PM EST on FOX

This could very likely be the game of the week, as it features two of the top-six ranked teams in the country. In addition, Saquon Barkley is arguably the most electrifying and fun-to-watch player in college football. Add in J.K. Dobbins, Parris Campbell, and J.T. Barrett from Ohio State and this game could possibly be one of the best of the year. It could go a long way in determining which teams make the Big-10 Championship game.

2.) Georgia @ Florida – 10/28 @ 3:30 PM EST on CBS

Georgia has ridden one of the top running games in the country all the way up to third in the latest rankings. Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Elijah Holyfield, and D’Andre Swift form a four-headed monster for Georgia that has worn out opponents this year. They will take on Florida in this SEC matchup.

3.) TCU @ Iowa State – 10/28 @ 3:30 PM EST on ABC/ESPN2

In another battle of two top-25 ranked teams, TCU travels to Iowa State in this Big-12 matchup. TCU has quietly moved up to fourth in the rankings after their undefeated start. I will be watching how talented Iowa receiver Allen Lazard fares against a tough TCU defense.

4.) NC State @ Notre Dame – 10/28 @ 3:30 PM EST on NBC

NC State travels to South Bend in this matchup of two top-15 ranked teams. This game features two star receivers, Kelvin Harmon and Equanimeous St. Brown. Harmon has been impressive while St. Brown has struggled mightily. Notre Dame is also coming off a decisive victory over USC last week.

5.) USC @ Arizona State – 10/28 @ 10:45 PM EST on ESPN

Already having two losses on the season, it has been a disappointing year for USC so far. Sam Darnold has struggled and they are likely out of playoff contention. Regardless, this game features many top Devy prospects, including Darnold, Ronald Jones, N’Keal Harry, and Kalen Ballage.

Other News/Notes

As the season progresses, many people’s Devy rankings are starting to take form. Barkley is my obvious 1.01 and Guice is my clear 1.02, but my rankings are still very fluid after those two. I currently have Courtland Sutton at 1.03 but that could easily change by the time the NFL draft rolls around next year.

Look for this series to continue to be published every Thursday. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Twitter @TheDevyDude and get ready for another exciting week of college football!

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Kyle Holden

Writer at Dynasty League Football

Kyle was introduced to fantasy football at a young age, tagging along with his dad and brother for work league drafts. From calling out draft picks to placing the stickers on the big board, he was immediately hooked. His favorite format is devy leagues because there is always so much to study and learn.