The Devy Fantasy Football Top 100: 5-1

Marvin Harrison Jr

Rob Willette Posted On July 10, 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 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.

5. Brock Bowers, TE Georgia (2024 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: A tight end in the top five? You have to be a special player to disrupt the general hierarchy of rankings, and Bowers has proved special from day one. He burst onto the scene as a true freshman with 882 yards and 13 scores and built on his sensational debut with 942 yards and seven scores as a sophomore. Both of his years have ended with the Bulldogs hoisting the championship trophy.

Bowers – of course – is a special player. He moves like a wide receiver and creates chunk plays due to his explosive skills in the open field. He can back down defenders in jump ball situations like a 90’s NBA player and possesses hands that were created to catch footballs. At 6’4” and 230 pounds, there will be obvious concerns about how he holds up in pass blocking, but we are fantasy managers; we would be content if our tight ends never even put their hands on a defender. Bowers has demolished the SEC for two seasons and figures to test like a high-end athlete. He is cruising towards the top ten in 2024.

2023 Outlook: There is nothing else for Bowers to accomplish. He would have been a first-round pick in 2023. Georgia does have turnover at quarterback – allowing Bowers a chance to thrive with someone other than Stetson Bennett – but the proof is in the tape. He is an elite talent.

4. Nicholas Singleton, RB Penn State (2025 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: It is wonderful when a plan comes together. Singleton entered college football with the expectation he would become a superstar. Mission accomplished.

Few backs possess the gear Singleton has when he hits the open field. If he sees a sliver of daylight, it is game over. Turn off the lights and lock up after yourself. He is a powerful, downhill runner, a back who thrives in space. Limited receiving exposure is his biggest bugaboo at this juncture, though he looked comfortable in his opportunities in 2022. A big-bodied back with elite athleticism, Singleton stands alone as devy’s top runner and could earn Heisman votes before his time in Happy Valley is over.

2023 Outlook: Singleton is part of perhaps the nation’s best running back duo along with Kaytron Allen. Both are a big part of what the Nittany Lions do and figure to feature heavily as Penn State breaks in a new quarterback. His 1,061 rushing yards from 2022 are likely his floor if he remains healthy.

3. Drake Maye, QB North Carolina (2024 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: It is difficult to overstate just how much was on Maye’s plate in 2022. He had to put the Tar Heels on his back week after week, lifting a team that had ample struggles on defense and whose best rushing attack was often having him scramble for daylight. Maye answered every challenge thrown his way, throwing for 4,321 yards while rushing for another 698.

At 6’4” and 220 pounds, Maye has a prototype frame that allows him to drive the football down the field and hang tough in the pocket. In fact, hanging in the pocket is often seen as a weakness for him; he is liable to try to make too many things happen and can often allow a defense to engulf him instead of getting the ball out quickly. It is partly a result of how much was required of Maye and partly an indicator pocket presence is an area for improvement. The tools, however, are immense. Maye has a plus arm and can create out of structure. While not an elite runner (his rushing numbers were more a result of circumstance) he can make plays with his legs when needed. He can destroy defenses from the pocket when given ample time and has enough creativity to be a threat in all situations. In many years, he would college football’s best quarterback and its best devy prospect.

2023 Outlook: Maye is already meriting well-deserved Heisman hype. His skillset will be appealing to NFL teams even if he fails to take a major step forward in 2023. One of Maye’s weaknesses is experience, a weakness which should be erased with another high-volume season as the triggerman for the Heels.

2. Marvin Harrison Jr, WR Ohio State (2024 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: It is fair to wonder if Georgia is back-to-back champions if Harrison Jr. had not left the College Football Playoff semifinals. As he did all season, Harrison Jr torched the Bulldogs with a rare combination of athleticism and power. Despite being much larger than his dad – Marvin Harrison for the sleuths in the audience – the junior version still plays the position with elite technical skills and has excellent footwork.

Harrison Jr has outstanding body control which is apparent on every reception and moves his 6’4” frame effortlessly, showcasing burst off the line and the long speed to torment defenses downfield. While no prospect is perfect, many of the critiques of Harrison Jr’s game is nitpicking; he checks all the boxes and has all the makings of a future star. He would have been the number one receiver in this class with a bullet and may be the best receiver to come out of Ohio State in recent memory, which is a heavy statement given the talent they have been pumping into the NFL.

2023 Outlook: Harrison Jr had no issue taking over as Ohio State’s top weapon in 2022 and should only build on his game in 2023. While Ohio State loses CJ Stroud, there is little reason to believe the Buckeyes will lose much on offense with either Kyle McCord or Devin Brown. He could shatter records this fall.

1. Caleb Williams, QB USC (2024 Draft-Eligible)

Profile: College football’s star and the Heisman winner also checks in at number one on this list, an honor Williams will always cherish over all of his other accomplishments. The Oklahoma transfer was born to play in Lincoln Riley’s offense. He has physical talent. He has a flair for playmaking. Teammates gravitate towards him. There is a reason we will be talking about NFL teams tanking during 2023.

Few quarterbacks at any level thrive as creators like Williams does. He can make throws on the run. He can break off long runs in the open field. He can work through the muck to make something happen when the play appears all but over. Williams hunts the big play – which can be both a positive and a negative – and can dot the field with big-time throws. He lacks a prototypical build at 6’1” and 218 pounds yet has a sturdy build, allowing him to play a high-octane style without worrying about wearing down physically. He is a quarterback who works in superlatives; the breathtaking plays quickly make you forget about the negative ones. Williams will become a dynasty QB1 from the day he hits the NFL and could quickly become one of the game’s more valuable players.

2023 Outlook: A reigning Heisman winner has few heights he cannot reach. Williams will continue to be the nation’s most electric player as he races towards the top overall selection in 2024. The final feather in his cap would be a USC playoff berth, a step that is entirely possible if the Trojans offer him more support on the other side of the ball.