Developing Assets: Week Nine

Ray Garvin Posted On October 26, 2019

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, 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-5 devy positional rankings.

WAKE UP AND WATCH: Wisconsin at Ohio state (11:00 ct, fox)

This Big-10 showdown should be a fantastic game to watch from a competitive standpoint, as well as from a dynasty perspective. On the Ohio State side, the Buckeyes are led by Heisman Trophy candidate Justin Fields. On the season he has been outstanding, throwing for over 1,400 yards, 22 touchdowns compared to only one interception. In a move that did not seem likely to start the season, many have elevated him ahead of Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence among 2021-eligible prospects.

Justin Fields with an absolutely FILTHY play right here vs. Michigan State. The defensive end played this perfectly yet this happened.

Fields is a monster and is only getting better. #Devy pic.twitter.com/MZ89r8i1oP

— Ray G (@RayGQue) October 8, 2019

The battle of the backfields is the matchup we all should be paying close attention to. Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor is currently third in college football with 957 rushing yards while being tied for the lead in touchdowns with a staggering 15. Ohio State RB J.K. Dobbins is right behind him with 947 rushing yards, punching in seven scores. Both of these players are tier one running backs and look like sure-fire locks to be taken early in the NFL Draft as well as dynasty rookie drafts next spring.

https://twitter.com/RayGQue/status/1182328801310777344?s=20

Other teams in early action include:

Oklahoma at Kansas State (11:00 CT, ABC) Prospect to Watch: WR, Charleston Rambo

Illinois at Purdue (11:00 CT, SEC) Prospect to Watch: WR, David Bell

Liberty at Rutgers (11:00 CT, BTN) Prospect to Watch: WR, Antonio Gandy-Golden

MIDDAY MARQUEE: AUBURN at LSU (2:30 CT, CBS)

This SEC showdown will feature one of the premier signal-callers in the game, as well as one of the up-and-coming young future stars. LSU QB Joe Burrow has been a man on a mission all season. This is not the one of the LSU teams of the that play a ball-controlled offense and win with their defense. Burrow is slinging the ball all over the field and currently ranks second in the country in passing yards. Depending on how he closes out this season, there are some who think he could potentially jump to the number one ranked quarterback in the 2020 class.

Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson are two of the most dynamic playmakers in the SEC. Chase is not eligible until 2021, but his play this season has elevated him from a tier two or three wideout coming into the season all the way up to tier one. Jefferson is a big-bodied slot receiver who has also seen his stock skyrocket this season and should be a player you are targeting late in your rookie drafts next spring.

On the Auburn side of the ball, their offense is led by QB Box Nix and big receiver Seth Williams. Both of these young skill guys have tantalizing talent and offer maximum upside and room to grow. They aren’t draft-eligible until 2022 and 2021 respectively. They face-off against one of the best defenses in the country, and oh yeah, the game is in Death Valley!

https://twitter.com/RayGQue/status/1139982297904615424?s=20

Other teams in mid-day action include:

Texas at TCU (2:30 CT, FOX) Prospect to Watch: WR, Devin Duvernay

Oklahoma State at Iowa State (2:30 CT, FS1) Prospect to Watch: RB, Breece Hall

Penn State at Michigan State (2:30 CT, ABC) Prospect to Watch: QB, Sean Clifford

PRIMETIME PLAY: ARKANSAS at ALABAMA (6:00 CT, ESPN)

This game is all about Alabama how they operate as a team without their all-world signal caller. For those that missed the memo, Tua Tagovailoa went down last week with what has been reported as a high-ankle sprain and will miss this contest and possibly more. He was replaced by Mac Jones and predictably things did not run anywhere close to as efficiently with Tua under center. Jones was thrust into action midway through the game vs. Tennessee so I will give him grace on last week’s outing, however, with a week to prepare let’s see how he and the team come out against an inferior Arkansas team.

The good thing for Jones is he still has a quartet of talented wide receivers to throw to. It seems like Alabama plays musical chairs with which wideout will star in any given week, and lately Jaylen Waddle – the 2021 draft-eligible prospect – has had his breakout moments looking like a locked and loaded first round rookie draft pick when his time comes in the next couple of years.

One of the more impressive players on the Crimson Tide team this season has been running back Najee Harris. Playing behind Josh Jacobs and Damien Harris the past two seasons, he only had a limited role in the offense. This season, he is showing a true three-down skill-set and has elevated his draft stock tremendously. He is averaging close to six yards per carry, with over 500 yards on the ground; and has added 16 receptions for 171 yards and four touchdowns. With Tua out, the offense should run through Harris.

Najee Harris has exceeded all my expectations so far this season. He’s playing with patience, power, speed & versatility

Week 8 vs Tennessee may have been his most complete/impressive game

Plays 1 & 2 – Receiving Ability
Plays 3-5 – Patience, Vision, Burst

Stock Up 📈 #Devy pic.twitter.com/7LxcvgLYut

— Ray G (@RayGQue) October 23, 2019

Other teams with evening games include:

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

Boston College at Clemson (6:30 CT, ACCN) Prospect to Watch: RB, AJ Dillion

Washington State at Oregon (9:30 CT, ESPN) Prospect to Watch: RB, Max Borghi

2020 NFL MOCK DRAFT

As the NFL Draft has grown in popularity, that means it has become a year-round business and 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 nor regularly producing mock draft months out from the actual event and I’ll now be including those in these weekly updates.

Here’s the latest projection from Josh Edwards CBSSports.com