Developing Assets: Week Seven

Dynasty is a game of chess not checkers. Whether you are tracking players for your devy leagues or are looking ahead to the 2020 class in a more traditional dynasty format, the goal is still the same. As an owner, the you want to put your team in the best position for short and long-term success. Following the weekly world of college football can pay dividends for fantasy players who follow this advice.

Each week this season, I’ll focus on a trio of games throughout the day, along with some key future pros you might want to focus on as you watch.

For the prospects to watch section I will be excluding the players who are currently ranked inside DLF’s top-five devy positional rankings.

WAKE UP AND WATCH

OKLAHOMA vs TEXAS (11:00 CT, FOX)

The annual Red River Showdown should have lots and lots of scoring. Each team is led by a Heisman Trophy candidate at the quarterback position.

Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts has looked fantastic and has gone from a guy that most viewed as undraftable to what some now view as a potential late first-round sleeper pick.

Sam Ehlinger is once again having success through the air and on the ground. While he is 2020 NFL Draft eligible, the feeling around the longhorn team is that he will return for his senior season, which would be good for his growth and development as a pocket passer.

Devin Duvernay and CeeDee Lamb will be the players we all should be focusing on in this one.

Lamb is viewed as a consensus top-five pick in this class among wide receivers. He only has 18 receptions on the season yet is tied for fourth nationally in receiving touchdowns with seven.

Duvernay has exploded in his final season. At 5’10” and 210 lbs, he looks like a prototypical NFL slot receiver. He’s tied for second in the country in receptions, he’s physical after the catch and has legitimate 4.4 speed. His stock has elevated this season and I’d feel very comfortable in a dynasty rookie draft using a third-round pick on him right now.

Wherever you have CeeDee Lamb ranked, I assure you it’s far too low.

Bonafide stud. His catch radius, body control, hands are all outstanding. Playmaker and offers punt return flexibility. #devy pic.twitter.com/MnjF5re9C5

— Ray G (@RayGQue) August 4, 2019

Other teams in early action include:

South Carolina at Georgia (11:00 CT, ESPN) Prospect to Watch: QB, Ryan Hilinski

Mississippi State at Tennessee (11:00 CT, SEC) Prospect to Watch: RB, Eric Gray

MIDDAY MARQUEE

FLORIDA STATE at CLEMSON (2:30 CT, ABC)

The defending national champion Tigers are coming off of their mid-season bye week, looking to re-group after almost falling to the Sam Howell-led UNC Tarheels in week five.

As always, the focus will be on signal caller Trevor Lawrence and his allotment of weapons on the outside. Wide receiver Tee Higgins has helped his draft stock tremendously this season. He leads the team in receptions, yards, and receiving touchdowns. He has the makings of a high NFL draft pick if he declares after the season.

The battle to watch in this one however, is at the running back position. Travis Etienne and Cam Akers should put on a heck of a show between two of the most physically gifted runners amongst 2020 eligible prospects.

https://twitter.com/RayGQue/status/1174472043611508736?s=20

Akers is second in rushing in the ACC and Top-15 nationally, while Etienne ranks fifth in the ACC in rushing yards. Both of these running backs look to be top-10 dynasty rookie draft picks in 2020, with Akers looking like a true three down threat for the next level.

2020 Prospect Play

Cam Akers has been unleashing pure hell on defenses in 2019. He is top-5 nationally in rushing yards, attempts & touchdowns. He also has 13 receptions & more 2TDs

Week 4 – he showed why he’s one of the most physically gifted runners in the class. #Devy #DDP https://t.co/rcn1OpEf76

— Ray G (@RayGQue) September 24, 2019

Other teams in mid-day action include:

Alabama at Texas A&M (2:30 CT, CBS) Prospect to Watch: WR, Jhamon Ausbon

Washington State at Arizona State (2:30 CT, PAC12) Prospect to Watch: WR, Brandon Aiyuk

Michigan State at Wisconsin (2:30 CT) Prospect to Watch: RB, Elijah Collins

PRIMETIME PLAY

FLORIDA at LSU (7:00 CT, ESPN)

Homecoming in Baton Rouge, LA is a sight to behold and this matchup in Death Valley will be rocking. The Gators enter this one as an underdog, but have an even better overall defense than the LSU Tigers. The devy/dynasty talent we should focus on will reside mostly on the home side of the field.

This is going to be a very big game for one of the hottest quarterbacks in the country, Joe Burrow. He is second in the nation in passing yards, tied for second in the country in passing touchdowns, and first in completion percentage. If Burrow can put on a show against this top-20 defense, the dynasty and better yet NFL Draft community will have to start taking him very seriously as a locked and loaded first round NFL Draft potential quarterback.

He will be throwing to two talented receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson; both look like very capable receivers for the next level.

Florida is not completely devoid of offensive talent. They have a couple of guys we need to keep our eyes on in this contest. Athletic tight end Kyle Pitts, looks like a future high draft pick. Senior wideout Freddie Swain had a breakout game last week displaying some very impressive long speed, and Lamical Perine is still a very talented runner with a great combination of size and speed.

Other teams with evening games include:

Penn State at Iowa (6:30 CT, ABC) Prospect to Watch: WR, K.J. Hamler

Nebraska at Minnesota (6:30 CT) Prospect to Watch: WR, Wan’Dale Robinson

USC at Notre Dame (6:30 CT, NBC) Prospect to Watch: TE, Cole Kmet

2020 NFL MOCK DRAFT

As the NFL Draft has grown in popularity, it has become a year-round business. We no longer have to wait until the end of the football season to see where the top players project to land. Multiple sites and writers are now regularly producing mock drafts months out from the actual event. I’ll be including those in these weekly updates.

Here’s the latest projection from Josh Edwards of CBSSPORTS.com:

Pick #1 CIN Tua Tagovailoa, QB Alabama

Pick #3 MIA Jerry Jeudy, WR Alabama

Pick #9 JAX CeeDee Lamb, WR Oklahoma

Pick #11 LAC Henry Ruggs III, WR Alabama

Pick #12 TEN Jake Fromm, QB Georgia

Pick #15 IND Tee Higgins, WR Clemson

Pick #20 LVR Justin Herbert, QB Oregon

Pick #22 LVR Nico Collins, WR Michigan

Pick #28 NO Jared Pinkney, TE Vanderbilt

Pick #30 GB D’Andre Swift, RB Georgia