Developing Assets: Championship Saturday

Ray Garvin Posted On December 7, 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-five devy positional rankings.

BIG 12 TITLE GAME: BAYLOR VS OKLAHOMA (11:00 ct, ABC)

Baylor should be fired up in this rematch from a couple of weeks ago. It was an epic collapse for the Bears as they allowed Jalen Hurts to run his team back into the game beating them in Waco. This should be one of the better matchups of championship weekend.

Hurts has a big opportunity to leave a good impression on NFL scouts in this one. The quarterback landscape of 2020 is unsettled, to say the least, at this point in time. With a good performance, Hurts has a chance to position himself as a top-five positional lock in this class.

The receivers should be the stars of the show, with CeeDee Lamb competing with Denzel Mims. Both of these wideouts have the ability to be mega producers at the next level. While Lamb is locked in as a first-round rookie draft pick, another strong outing from Mims will have him positioned to be a top-24 selection come next spring.

SEC TITLE GAME: GEORGIA VS LSU (3:00 CT, CBS)

The most interesting matchup in this one will be D’Andre Swift and Jake Fromm versus this LSU defense, which has admittedly looked a bit leaky the back half of this season. While Swift is a locked and loaded top rookie pick, there is still uncertainty with Fromm and his future NFL Draft intentions. This test against one of the best secondaries in the country should clear up his declaration ambiguity.

The Heisman Trophy already has Joe Burrow’s name on it, but this will be the exclamation point at the end of the sentence for him as I expect LSU to make easy work of the Bulldogs. Sophomore sensation Ja’Marr chase has been the best receiver in the country this season and in my latest devy rankings, he has made the move to the number one prospect in the 2021 class, leapfrogging Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire has yet to make his official declaration, but all indicators point to him coming out. He is a fast riser whom I expect to continue his rocket ship like accession throughout the pre-draft process.

https://twitter.com/RayGQue/status/1202712361729179648?s=20

BIG 10 TITLE GAME: OHIO STATE AT WISCONSIN (7:00 CT, FOX)

The matchup I’ll be paying close attention to in this one is Jonathan Taylor versus this fantastic Ohio State defense. Taylor has not fared well against the Buckeyes in his previous two meetings, totaling 35 carries for 93 yards. This game will be big for the future NFL runner as the talent pool in this class for the position has narrowed.

JK Dobbins has inched closer and closer to passing Taylor in my rankings. The third-year back has looked nothing short of spectacular, and at times he has looked like the top back in this class. Anyone who has Dobbins ranked over any back not named Swift, I will not argue it one bit.

Fields is the big question mark for this matchup as he sustained a knee injury in the game versus Michigan. He was able to return and finish the game, but reports are he’s currently wearing a big knee brace and may have limited mobility. Wisconsin’s only hope is that Fields is a shell of himself in this game, which is highly unlikely.

Other teams in Championship Action:

AAC Title Cincinnati vs. Memphis (2:30 CT, ABC) Prospect to Watch: RB, Kenneth Gainwell

MWC Title Hawaii vs. Boise State (3:00 CT, ESPN) Prospect to Watch: WR, Khalil Shakir

ACC Title Virginia vs. Clemson (6:30 CT, ABC) Prospect to Watch: QB, Bryce Perkins

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 R.J. White of cbssports.com: