The Devy Fantasy Football Top 100: 45-41

The fantasy football off-season is a long and arduous journey for many. You battle through the final weeks of winter with a forced smile and a warm, potentially spiked beverage. Yet for many in the fantasy football community, the off-season is a busy time in which you’re recalibrating rosters and forecasting the future.

Devy is one such area this occurs. Devy owners are constantly seeking the next fantasy star, often discovering them during a review of the previous season. The Devy 100 is intended to forecast those next stars and identify which talent is worth investing in. For the first time, these are in a superflex format due to this becoming the default at DLF.

45. Zay Flowers, WR Boston College Eagles (2023 Draft-Eligible)

Profile:  A lesser man would open this segment with something like “April showers bring Zay Flowers”. I, however, am above such wordplay. Unlike the spring season, Flowers does not waste his time; he plays with some of the best pace in college football. He is a pure playmaker, stealing souls in the open field and showing impressive ball skills both down the field and along the sidelines. He is a premier athlete in a league that prioritizes them.

Of course, at 177 pounds, his slight build will raise red flags. Flowers can be fairly easily moved off his path by physical defenders and is not going to bully defenders at the catch point. It could lead to him being typecast as a gadget or slot weapon, though we have seen the NFL be more open to smaller receivers. He figures to fall somewhere in the Tutu Atwell/Calvin Austin spectrum, and the good news is he happens to be significantly bigger than both. With speed at a premium, Flowers should intrigue NFL teams, especially if his testing supports elite on-field athleticism.

2022 Outlook:  The Eagles return Phil Jurkovec under center, elevating an entire offense that largely collapsed after Jurkovec got hurt in 2021. Flowers should return closer to his sophomore line of 56-892-9 as he makes a push for day two in 2023.

44. Evan Stewart, WR Texas A&M Aggies (2025 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: A twitched-up athlete with easy acceleration and elite long speed, Stewart has the perfect package of skills to press defenses at every level and develop into an absolute star. As dangerous after the catch as he is vertically, Stewart should routinely provide chunk plays. His on-field athleticism is supported by elite track scores, a strong indicator we are not being blinded by his juice in relation to his peers.

One of the top recruits in Texas A&M’s historic recruiting class, Stewart is a key piece of the Aggies’ process as they attempt to break through into the College Football Playoff. His skills are reminiscent of some of the top receivers Nick Saban has brought in, and Alabama remains the standard for any SEC program looking to build its own juggernaut. Stewart has All-American upside. If Jimbo Fisher can sort out his passing game – and it has been mercurial during his tenure in College Station – Stewart could star early.

2022 Outlook: Texas A&M has question marks under center, along the offensive line, and at the skill positions. It is an offense in transition yet sweeping changes could work in Stewart’s favor. Fisher seldom throws freshman into the fire, though Stewart could press the issue given his toolkit and the expectation this recruiting class can contribute early in often. Without a ton of competition on the depth chart, it is easy to see him assuming a prominent role, potentially even leading this team in receiving.

43. Will Levis, QB Kentucky Wildcats (2023 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: With a live arm and bouncy athleticism, it is easy to why the Will Levis hype has been dialed up several notches this off-season. Levis has the ability and willingness to launch the football anywhere and is comfortable doing so in the pocket or on the move. His plus athleticism allows him to maneuver the pocket and make plays out of structure; few do as well creating something out of nothing.

Of course, if the above were all there was to his game, Levis likely would have crashed the first round in 2022. He is still early in his development due to limited playing time, and it shows in the way he handles pressure and occasionally trusts his arm too much. More subtle things such as anticipation and ball placement are areas he has to clean up if he wants to reach his immense potential. However, the tools are enough to warrant the hype and make him a future NFL quarterback. If he can refine his game, he can slide on up to the franchise quarterback tier.

2022 Outlook:  Kentucky loses both its offensive coordinator and its top offensive weapon (now Giant Wan’Dale Robinson). The status of star running back Chris Rodriguez is still in limbo. While these losses lower Kentucky’s offensive ceiling, they also give Levis a chance to adapt to new surroundings and show he can rise above personnel losses. If he thrives again in 2022, it will be the cache he needs to establish his bona fides for 2023.

42. Kendall Milton, RB Georgia Bulldogs (2023 Draft-Eligible)

Profile:  Despite extremely modest numbers across two seasons, Milton is still held in high regard in the devy community. Watch him during any series he is featured, and it is easy to see why. His biggest bugaboo has been availability; he has missed 11 games over his two seasons due to a variety of nagging issues. It has prevented him from carving out a significant role in a deep Georgia backfield.

The tools are what keep Milton on the devy map. He is a bruising runner who wastes little time crashing through the line, leaving an infirmary in his wake. He can stick his foot in the dirt and be shifty as well; he is not just looking to run through defenders. He has the physical profile to excel and develop a day two profile. Unfortunately, we may not see all he has to offer at Georgia.

2022 Outlook:  Georgia loves to rotate backs in defined roles. Milton figures to assume the Zamir White role from 2021. The good news is this should lead to plenty of touches. The downside is Kenny McIntosh figures to play the role of receiving back, a hit to the production of Milton, who has only three receptions over two seasons. Without the receiving profile, he may be heading to day three, though his draft slot and game should still allow him to return value.

41. Parker Washington, WR Penn State Nittany Lions (2023 Draft-Eligible)

Profile:  Describing a player as a slot receiver used to be somewhat of a pejorative, but the evolution of the NFL passing game has made top slot weapons highly efficient and productive players. Washington was built for the slot with a stocky build and good play strength. He is not going to run past NFL defenders, but he has the quickness to excel at the line and weave through defenders in the open field.

Even out of the slot, Washington can press defenses vertically. He has a high compete level and can use his strong frame (5’10”, 207) to do work at the catch point. While he will make his money out of the slot – as he has at Penn State – he has more versatility than meets the eye.

2022 Outlook:  With Jahan Dotson now in Washington, the runway is open for Parker Washington to carry the Nittany Lion passing offense. He should breeze past his 2021 line of 64-820-4, even if Sean Clifford never elevates this passing offense beyond middling.

The Devy Fantasy Football Top 100: 45-41