The Devy Fantasy Football Top 100: 40-36

Ja'Tavion Sanders

Rob Willette Posted On May 15, 2023

Summer is often seen as a chance to decompress from fantasy football. The draft hype season has come and gone. Dynasty managers are working through trades, though they have their rookie drafts behind them. Redraft managers are on cruise control until August.

Devy managers have no such luxury. With the constant churn of the transfer portal and unsettled depth charts, you need to keep your head on a swivel if you have any chance of keeping up with the ever-changing landscape. Fortunately, DLF has you covered with its devy content. We look at some of the game’s brightest stars here.

40. Blake Corum, RB Michigan (2024 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: One of college football’s most decorated stars, Blake Corum, is back in Ann Arbor after flirting with the Heisman race prior to injuring his knee late in the season against Illinois. Despite the missed time, Corum rushed for 1,463 yards and 18 scores as the heart and soul of the Michigan offense. On the day two fringe, as the season progressed, the injury raised questions as to how much he would be able to do leading up to the draft, a factor in his decision to return to school.

Corum’s energetic running style is sure to endear him to any coaching staff. He runs tough and utilizes quick feet to make sharp, decisive cuts. His strong lower half allows him to work through traffic despite a frame that may be holding just over 200 pounds. Corum does a lot of things well, always working on his craft to round out his game and provide more value to his team. Even without the profile of a feature back, Corum should contribute to both NFL and fantasy teams.

2023 Outlook: The Wolverines are led by their run game. Corum is one of the nation’s best runners and should come close to matching his 258 touches from 2022, even as he shares work with Donovan Edwards.

39. Michael Penix, QB Washington (2024 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: After flashes of high-end play at Indiana were interrupted by inconsistency and injury, Michael Penix found a home at Washington. He has been a perfect fit for what Kalen DeBoer wants to do, with his live left arm dotting the field with big-time throws. Few quarterbacks look better throwing the football than Penix, an important trait for those of us shallow football fans who value looks over the content of character.

Physically, Penix checks most boxes you would look for in an NFL quarterback. His ability to bounce back from adversity is commendable. Of course, part of the adversity is a lengthy injury history, one which will play a major factor in his draft process. We are obviously not privy to medicals; we will just have to factor it into his evaluation. If Penix can stay healthy in 2023 and demonstrate to Combine doctors that his injury past is nothing that portends future issues, those first-round placements in early mock drafts will look prescient.

2023 Outlook: Penix tore up the Pac-12 last season, throwing for 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns. It was a true breakout season, one which arrived during his fifth season on a college campus. With his weaponry returning and Penix entering his second season in the same offensive system, he is a Heisman candidate for what could be a Top 10 Washington team.

38. Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE Texas (2024 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: There have been rumblings that Texas is back. While this may be a case that fails to pass muster with a jury of peers, the Longhorns are at least producing more of what we care most about, skill position NFL talent. Bijan Robinson went in the Top 10 this year, and the Longhorns now have multiple draftees at fantasy-friendly positions.

One such talent is Ja’Tavion Sanders, a former 5-Star athlete and local product. Sanders could have played on either side of the ball yet has settled in at tight end, offering the skills to detach from the line of scrimmage and make plays after the catch. He is the rare tight end to really stand out statistically at the college level, posting 54/613/5 as a true sophomore, thanks to his competitive playing style and overall athleticism. While Brock Bowers is the prize of the 2024 tight end class, Sanders is the early favorite to be the second off the board.

2023 Outlook: Texas returns Quinn Ewers under center, and he looked much more comfortable in year two in the spring game. The departures of both Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson should lead to Steve Sarkisian leaning more heavily on his prized passer. Even with transfer A.D. Mitchell entering the mix and Isaiah Neyor returning from injury to complement the elite Xavier Worthy, Sanders should have another strong season as a main component of the offense.

37. Jase McClellan, RB Alabama (2024 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: Jase McClellan has bided his time in Tuscaloosa. He has worked behind Najee Harris, Brian Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs at Alabama, never surpassing 126 touches. He should easily put forth his best season yet in 2023.

McClellan is a tough interior runner, one who finishes his runs with power and keeps his legs churning until the whistle rules the play over. He has done a bit of everything for the Tide, showing a competitive spirit in pass protection as well as the ability to operate as a reliable check-down option. It is unlikely McClellan develops into a superstar; he lacks the long speed and high-end receiving skills to really pop on screen. However, as a jack-of-all-trades back, he could be a promising prospect in the mold of a Roschon Johnson.

2023 Outlook: McClellan enters the year as the Tide’s lead back, though Alabama’s other talent will press him. Justice Haynes stood out in spring ball, and Jam Miller and Roydell Williams have the skills to be complementary weapons. This will not be McClellan’s backfield alone, though he should pace the team in touches.

36. Branson Robinson, RB Georgia (2025 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: With a frame ready for the NFL since the time he was 12, Branson Robinson is one of the more physically impressive backs at any level of football. His 5’10” and 220-pound frame carries a ton of muscle, and he uses his size well, brushing past arm tackles and grinding out tough yardage between the tackles. His testing numbers in explosive drills, such as the broad jump and vertical jump, show he is not just a no-nonsense grinder incapable of winning in different ways.

In criticism I can relate to, some have suggested Robinson may be too muscular. His frame is strong yet can create some laborious movements, despite having plenty of juice to make jump cuts and win in tight spaces. You’d rather dial down the work ethic than have to ramp it up, making concerns about his frame nothing more than attempting to fit in every piece of the puzzle at this juncture. A powerful runner with enough of an explosive foundation to continue improving, Robinson could profile as a two-down back early with unlimited upside if he develops into a passing game weapon.

2023 Outlook: As usual, Georgia will rotate a cadre of backs. Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton are experienced runners at the top of the depth chart and should lead this backfield, with Branson Robinson stepping in to spell them and filling in if they miss time. It may not happen in Athens, but Robinson could easily handle a heavy workload for a team, given his physical prowess.