Devy Fantasy Football Rankings: Movers and Shakers

KJ Jefferson

Rob Willette Posted On October 21, 2022

Welcome to movers and shakers, an in-season series from DLF. Each week we choose a different ranking category; top 250 (one quarterback and superflex), devy, and IDP. We then review players from that group who may have risen or fallen substantially from the past month’s ranks and alert you to any relevant changes. Let’s get right to it.

QUARTERBACK

The extra year of eligibility has allowed quarterbacks to mature at their own pace, and the results have shown on the field. Below are a couple of older quarterbacks whose stock is on the rise.

Hendon Hooker, QB Tennessee Volunteers (DLF Rank: 64 overall, QB15)

Hooker has generally been regarded as a draftable prospect ever since he took over under center for Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers. He has posted strong numbers and looks the part with his tremendous size and athleticism. Tear up Alabama’s secondary, however, and your stock is sure to ascend into the stratosphere. The numbers below illustrate how dominant the Volunteer offense was this past Saturday.

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Numbers courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Through six games, Hooker is up to 1,817 passing yards with a 15/1 TD/INT ratio. He is starting to generate first-round buzz as the third quarterback off the board behind CJ Stroud and Bryce Young despite being 25 years old by the time the 2023 season rolls around. It is hard to remember he lost the 2021 quarterback competition to Joe Milton.

Should Move Ahead Of: Hooker should soar ahead of Will Levis and Jaxson Dart, two fellow SEC quarterbacks who have generally created more devy buzz.

KJ Jefferson, QB Arkansas Razorbacks (DLF Rank: NA)

A demolition of BYU has elevated Jefferson into the 2023 draft discussion. Always a tank of a human being at 6’3” and 243 pounds, Jefferson has evolved greatly as a passer under Sam Pittman while still offering immense rushing upside. Despite an unorthodox throwing motion, he can deliver the football to all areas of the field and plays with an incredible compete level. It is unlikely he steps in from day one and leads an offense, but he could very well be a day two type who teams are excited to develop.

Should Move Ahead Of: Jefferson should move ahead of other toolsy yet less accomplished quarterbacks such as Cameron Ward and Tanner McKee, as well as unproven freshmen such as Conner Weigman and Ty Simpson.

running back

Israel Abanikanda, RB Pittsburgh Panthers (DLF Rank: 62 overall, RB25)

Anyone who pops off for 320 rushing yards and six scores in a single game will garner some attention, but Israel Abanikanda is far more than a one-hit-wonder. Abanikanda has been the heartbeat of the Pitt Panthers, leading the nation in total yardage and filling the playmaker void left by the departure of Jordan Addison. He arrived at Pitt as an intriguing prospect and is preparing to leave it as a high-end draft prospect.

At 5’11 and 216 pounds, Abanikanda has feature back size and has not lost any of the explosive ability which made him a well-regarded recruit out of high school. He can press the defense with his athleticism and has shown the ability to be a plus pass-catcher out of the backfield. It has been an impressive evolution for the junior and he looks ready to be a day-two pick should he elect to enter the 2023 NFL Draft.

Should Move Ahead Of: Abanikanda should be surging ahead of other draft eligibles such as Deuce Vaughn and Zach Charbonnet.

wide receiver

Jermaine Burton, WR Alabama Crimson Tide (DLF Rank: 42 overall, WR17)

It was all supposed to come together for Burton in Tuscaloosa. A player who flashed at Georgia yet seldom got a ton of opportunity within the Bulldogs’ spread-it-around attack, he was labeled the next Jameson Williams as a receiver who moves schools to gain opportunity and surges to the forefront of positional rankings. Instead, it has been much of the same as Burton struggles to find consistency from week to week.

He is fourth on the Crimson Tide in receiving, failing to establish himself as a true target accumulator despite battling many less experienced receivers on the roster. He is now facing disciplinary action after striking a woman following Alabama’s dramatic loss to Tennessee. It has gone from bad to worse quickly from Burton, and I will be dropping out of my top 75 overall players on DLF. I would imagine he goes down as one of devy’s biggest misses (as well as my own) once the dust settles on this receiver class. Assuming he remains with the team following Saturday’s incident, it would not be surprising to see him return to school in 2023 and merely be part of a rotation.

Should Fall Behind: Burton should fall behind fellow draft-eligibles Jacob Cowing and Rashee Rice as well as ascending teammates Isaiah Bond and Kobe Prentice.

tight end

Dalton Kincaid, TE Utah Utes (DLF Rank: NA)

Hendon Hooker was not the only player lighting up the stat sheet on Saturday. In a huge game against Pac-12 South rivals USC, Kincaid went for 16 grabs (on 16 targets!) and 234 yards. It was a mammoth performance from a player who has been an important part of the Utah offense the past two seasons yet has never commanded such usage.

At 6’4” and 240 pounds, Kincaid has traditional tight end size and is incredibly smooth as he moves from receiver to runner. His explosive ability in the intermediate game will be his hallmark and allows him to chew up yardage over the middle of the field. Pac-12 players are often overlooked due to their timezone and tight ends are an odd bunch in general. Kincaid has moved to the top of the second tier behind Michael Mayer in 2023, with day two a definite possibility.