Devy Team Review: Auburn Tigers

Scott Connor

After finishing 2019 with a 9-4 record, Auburn is entering this season with some very intriguing and highly-touted devy prospects. They have prospects at all levels that you should be keeping your eye on as we enter a rocky period for college football.

Barring the SEC schedule changes, they face a gauntlet of all opponents that will put their feet to the fire right away. Let us look at which players could make an impact in devy leagues.

QUARTERBACK

Bo Nix, ADP: 71

Nix entered college with massive expectations. A former five-star recruit and the top overall quarterback in the 2019 class, he saw action in 13 games as a true freshman and fared okay considering the circumstances. He completed just under 58 percent of his pass attempts for 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. His adequate inaugural season has earned him plenty of hype leading up to the 2020 season as he has been named to the Davey O’Brien and Maxwell Award preseason list.

The 2022 devy quarterback class appears to be loaded at the top and he might be right in the mix. According to NFL Draft Room, Nix is the second quarterback projected off the board behind North Carolina signal-caller Sam Howell. After posting over 300 yards rushing in his first year, the fantasy upside is there and if he continues to progress as a passer, we might be looking at a future first-round pick in superflex drafts and a highly-coveted asset in devy leagues with any superflex/two-quarterback format.

My Take: Nix is polarizing to many in the 2022 class. I am not sold on his projection as a passer and the NFL is likely needing to see a lot more before using a top ten pick on him. Admittedly, his rushing ability gives him upside that few in that class present and how he performs as a sophomore will be a major determinant if I am willing to truly buy-in.

RUNNING BACK

DJ Williams, ADP: 51

Williams is a former four-star recruit who saw time as a true freshman and is set to take a big step forward in 2020. He posted 400 yards rushing on 84 carries and caught five passes in eight games of action. After the departure of the team’s leading rusher JaTarvious Whitlow, Williams will look to seize the starting role and take a big jump forward into the mix of a strong 2022 running back class.

At 5-foot-10 and 216 pounds, Williams checks the size box. He uses his size well and does not shy away from contact. As a former high-school quarterback, he reads the field well from the snap and can be used as a bell-cow back at the next level. The big question mark with him will be his receiving ability, and likely, this is what will determine if he checks the draft capital box that we look for in dynasty.

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Breakdown courtesy of 24/7 Sports.

My Take: The 2022 RB class has a lot of talent with a lot to prove. I would prefer to take a chance on Williams at a much cheaper price than paying for Trey Sanders, Jerrion Ealy, John Emery or Zach Charbonnet. Any sophomore running back slated for the workload Williams might get is a potential major riser heading into their draft-eligible season. Buy him now.

Tank Bigsby, ADP: 66

If anyone could challenge Williams for stature on the Tigers or slide into a similar role to Williams last season, it is Bigsby. A 6-foot, 210-pound incoming freshman was the fourth highest-ranked running back in the 2020 recruiting class and should see the field early on. After winning the Georgia high-school player of the year for the past two seasons, he enrolls early at Auburn and could contribute in the passing game right away. With his size at only 18, consider him one of the best late-round picks if you are dipping into the 2023 NFL Draft eligible class in devy leagues.

My Take: I generally do not draft true freshman running backs but with players his size and speed (reported 4.55-second 40-yard dash), mixing one player per season is not a bad idea. I prefer Bigsby to others in the same class, notably Zachary Evans or DeMarkus Bowman, but temper projections on backs this far away.

WIDE RECEIVER

Seth Williams, ADP: 8

Williams burst on the scene as a true freshman and did so on a very underwhelming Auburn pass offense under Jarrett Stidham. He dealt with a brand new, true freshman quarterback in 2019 and still managed more than a 30 percent market share. This performance in a sub-par offense has established him as a locked-in top ten receiver in the class.

The 2021 wide receiver class is extremely deep and despite his impressive first two seasons, many in devy circles are not sure what to do with Williams. He is on an average age track as he turns 22 years old right before the 2021 Draft. He fits in a large tier with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Tamorrion Terry and Tylan Wallace, but questions remain on whether he can show the separation ability and testing numbers to get the required draft capital. If he does, Williams should cement himself as a late first-round/early second-round prospect in superflex rookie drafts next spring.

My Take: With an average age track, average metric profile and the likelihood that he is not one of the top five receivers off the board in the NFL Draft, I am guessing that Williams ends up very comparable to a player like JJ Arcega-Whiteside. He might check the draft capital box, but I am wary of investing his likely cost considering how saturated the wide receiver position is in dynasty. I would much rather buy a similar prospect like Tee Higgins during the 2020 season rather than hold a future pick in this range.

Anthony Schwartz, ADP: N/A

Talk about a fascinating prospect. Schwartz is faster than almost everyone, literally. As a junior in high school, he ran a 10.15 100-meter dash, which is the fastest time ever by someone under 18. Schwartz might be the fastest football player in the world and quite possibly, a future Olympic medalist.

From a football perspective, he is extremely raw. In two seasons for an underwhelming Auburn offense, Schwartz has posted 63 receptions, 797 yards and three touchdowns and has done so next to one of the best receiver prospects in the country, Seth Williams. It remains to be seen what his role might be in the future given his 179-pound frame. Regardless, keep an eye on Schwartz as the number two option for the Tigers in 2020.

My Take: This is one of my favorite devy players. He possesses elite speed that very few in the world can match. His size does not concern me given the recent draft capital for Marquise Brown and KJ Hamler and he does not turn 20 years old until September. If he enters the 2021 NFL Draft, Schwartz will be one of my top eight receivers in the draft and I am trying to get ahead of it by adding him for cheap in devy leagues right now. The only risk might be the 2021 Olympics and the potential that Schwartz opts to focus on track and field.

CONCLUSION

Auburn is an extremely exciting team for devy prospects. However, despite being very high-touted and recognized as one of the best programs in the country, the system under Gus Malzahn has been underwhelming and seemingly carries a negative connotation when it comes to prospects.

Outside of Williams, who carries a remarkably high acquisition cost, I am generally higher on all these Auburn prospects than their current ADP and would consider this a value area in devy drafts based on the perception of the program. I would go as far to say Anthony Schwartz is my favorite prospect in the 2021 class and Tank Bigsby is the best “bang for your buck” buy in the 2023 class.

scott connor