The Devy Fantasy Football Top 100: 95-91

KJ Jefferson

Rob Willette Posted On February 21, 2023

For many fantasy football managers, the period immediately following the Super Bowl is a chance to relax, reflect, and disconnect from the rollercoaster which is a fantasy football season. For dynasty managers, there may be no busier time. In fact, some say there is no off-season. It is a mantra I have seen somewhere. I cannot quite put my finger on it.

For devy managers? Clear your schedule, because the work starts now. The devy community now has to juggle two Signing Days and a transfer portal which creates unceasing player movement. It is both fun and impossible to manage, yet we persevere. Below are the top devy talents in the land, contained within an infallible list that requires no criticism.

95. KJ Jefferson, QB Arkansas (2024 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: A human tank at 6’3” and over 240 pounds, Jefferson plays with a rare kind of power at the quarterback position. He can stare down rushers given how impervious he is to contact and uses his frame to obliterate defenders in the run game. It is a unique skill that only a handful of quarterbacks possess.

He started his career in Fayetteville with plenty of work to do as a passer and has made big strides over his four years. The inconsistent mechanics and accuracy have been cleaned up while his decision-making within Arkansas’ offense seems to improve with each passing week. We hear a ton about quarterback tools during draft season and Jefferson has tools in spades. Despite lacking serious national recognition, he could be a fast riser come 2024.

2023 Outlook: Jefferson has had consecutive strong years under head coach Sam Pittman. The Razorbacks have done an excellent job of building an offense around him and giving him the weaponry to compete in the always-loaded SEC. If the Razorbacks can make a push in the SEC West, Jefferson is a Heisman dark horse.

94. Audric Estime, RB Notre Dame (2024 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: A bruising back pushing the scales at nearly 230 pounds, Estime was a steady force for a Notre Dame offense that took its lumps in 2022. Estime does not complicate things, hitting the hole with authority and demonstrating a one-cut style that keeps teams ahead of the sticks. While not a hallmark of his game, he has added a bit of burst and athleticism; he is not the proverbial three yards and a cloud of dust.

Estime is – what the kids would call – “a dog”. He is a nightmare to bring down when he gets a head of steam and has enough juice to turn the corner and hit a big play. He can operate as a workhorse who wears defenses down with the upside to be more than a grinder if his physical profile continues to grow.

2023 Outlook: Notre Dame’s offense is undergoing a transition in 2023. They welcome in transfer quarterback Sam Hartman and have elevated Gerad Parker to offensive coordinator after an odd saga to replace the departed Tommy Rees. Estime should remain the rock of the offense, aiding both Hartman and Parker in their transitions. He should easily clear his 165 touches from 2022 and become one of the nation’s more productive runners.

93. Jalin Conyers, TE Arizona State (2024 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: Few tight ends closed the year as on fire as Conyers. After a modest first two months, he caught six or more passes in four of his final five games and scored five times as he became a prominent weapon for the Sun Devils. It was a reminder of why Conyers was such a coveted prospect out of high school.

The Oklahoma transfer has always had talent. He entered college looking like the classic hybrid tight end/receiver and has since added 40 plus pounds to bring his frame to 6’4” and 265 pounds, ample size for a tight end. He still demonstrates the movement skills which made him a promising pass-catching prospect and can make plays with his athleticism both before and after the catch. Tight ends are a difficult position to master, and Conyers is on the upswing. Despite limited name value, he could crash the day two party in 2024.

2023 Outlook: The Sun Devils have mercifully ended the Herm Edwards Era. Enter Kenny Dillingham, a gifted offensive mind who should at least make Arizona State interesting. New coaches always bring question marks when it comes to returning talent, but there is no reason to turn away from Conyers after he produced a breakthrough season. If the offense takes any steps forward, Conyers could become a star in the Pac-12.

92. Arch Manning, QB Texas (2026 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: The most ballyhooed recruit – well, ever – Arch Manning arrives at Texas with massive NIL opportunities and a heavy heaping of hype. The nephew of our favorite Monday Night Football duo, Manning is the top player in the 247 Sports Composite for this class and brought several recruits to Austin with him. He has his uncles’ size – standing at 6’4” – and the natural arm talent that made the Manning brothers number one overall selections.

What is in a name? Perhaps a lot. Manning’s perch atop the 2023 quarterback rankings was seemingly never in jeopardy despite a strong push from others in a loaded quarterback class. Acknowledging he has tremendous tools and upside, I am not there with this iteration of the Manning quarterbacks and prefer others in the class. This is not to say, however, I am down on him. It is easy to see the tools which made him a premier prospect without the benefit of his last name. Smooth motion. Excellent anticipation. The foundation is strong, even if the competition throughout high school was up and down. A ton of ink will be spent on him over the next few years, so I will not waste much more. He is a huge story that will assuredly flood the front pages.

2023 Outlook: Manning’s arrival makes it easy to forget Quinn Ewers was a mega-recruit in his own right. Despite ups and downs in 2022, Ewers has the leg up in this competition. The pressure, of course, will be high early. Any struggles and Manning could push for reps despite being a true freshman.

91. J. Michael Sturdivant, WR UCLA

Profile: UCLA badly needed some help at wide receiver given their personnel losses, and they landed a big fish in Cal transfer J. Michael Sturdivant. Sturdivant broke out in 2022, grabbing 65 balls for the Golden Bears one year after redshirting. The 6’3” receiver has a track background which shows on the field, allowing him to get vertical and chew up yardage after the catch. His loss is a big one for a Cal program looking to gain traction in the Justin Wilcox Era.

He arrives at UCLA looking to build his draft stock in his first year of eligibility. A well-regarded recruit who performed well in his second year on campus, Sturdivant is positioned to make a leap. If he can add quickness and strength to his sinewy frame, he has the tools to become a factor in the 2024 draft.

2023 Outlook: The Bruins two most productive receivers in Jake Bobo and Kazmeir Allen are off to the NFL. Sturdivant best fits the mold of Bobo, a big receiver who operated as security blanket for Dorian Thompson-Robinson yet had the ability to threaten vertically. Despite his status as a newcomer Sturdivant is the early leader to pace the Bruins in receiving, operating as your prototypical ‘X’ receiver.