With Week 10 in the rear-view mirror, Week 11’s college football stock report looks ahead to the week’s biggest matchups, including undefeated showdowns in Minneapolis and Tuscaloosa. Both matchups have considerable implications in both conference standings and the College Football Playoff.
In Minneapolis, the undefeated Minnesota Golden Gophers host a Penn State team fresh off being named the #4 team in the initial college football playoff rankings. With the recent report that star Ohio State defensive end Chase Young will miss this week’s matchup against Maryland and possibly more, this week’s game between the Gophers and the Nittany Lions could have an even more significant national impact than initially anticipated.
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and LSU play in a game that will shape the college football landscape for the rest of the season. The winner of the SEC showdown is well on their way to the college football playoff, while the loser should still have a chance to sneak into the final four with a little help.
With Week 10 of the college football season in the books, it’s time for our weekly stock report and a preview of the best devy fantasy football matchups in Week 11.
Stock Up
Standout players that saw their devy stock increase from the previous week include:
Travis Etienne
Clemson running back Travis Etienne rushed for a career-high 212 yards and three touchdowns in Clemson’s 59-14 drubbing of in-state FCS opponent Wofford. Etienne only needed nine carries to reach his career-high in the same game where he became the all-time rushing touchdowns leader (48) in Clemson football history.
Etienne rushed for over 200 yards for the first time since Clemson’s Week One victory over Georgia Tech. After Etienne’s outstanding performance on the opening night of the college football season, the Clemson running back went through a bit of a September slump with four straight games of less than 80 rushing yards. Clemson’s bye week came at the perfect time as Etienne has now rushed for over 100 yards in four consecutive contests since the break.
As an excellent inside runner with tremendous acceleration, Etienne remains my RB1 in the 2020 NFL Draft and a top-five devy asset in college football. Etienne is an improving pass-catcher with 19 receptions, 184 yards, and one receiving touchdown so far this season. That’s quite the improvement for the Clemson running back that had 17 receptions, 135 yards, and two receiving touchdowns in the previous two seasons combined.
Dyami Brown
University of North Carolina wide receiver Dyami Brown has been a steady cog in the Tar Heels passing attack all season. The speedy Brown has over 50 receiving yards in every game, but he had yet to reach the 100-yard mark all season.
That changed drastically in the Tar Heels 38-31 defeat to the Virginia Cavaliers. Brown had a career-high 202 receiving yards and three touchdowns on only six receptions in a losing effort. Brown is now averaging 21.2 yards-per-catch while leading the Tar Heels with 679 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions so far this college football season.
Brown is a dynamic college football receiver that will face question marks about his size once he enters the NFL Draft pool. The 2021 prospect is only 6’1″ 195 pounds, but we’ve seen plenty of undersized players excel in the slot where they can hide from press-coverage. Look for Brown’s devy stock to rise right along with sensational freshman quarterback Sam Howell.
Stock Down
Disappointing players that saw their devy stock decrease in the previous week:
George Pickens/Dominick Blaylock
Much-hyped 2022 NFL Draft prospects George Pickens and Dominick Blaylock disappointed in Georgia’s 24-17 win over SEC-rival Florida. The pair of true freshman wide receivers combined for seven receiving yards in a game that saw both players largely overshadowed by Miami transfer Lawrence Cager.
Even with this performance in mind, don’t let one game sway your opinion of the Georgia duo. Both players are elite college football wide receiver prospects with the size and ball skills to excel as WR1’s in the National Football League.
Pickens is a former five-star high school recruit that has been on devy fantasy football radars for years. Blaylock is a former four-star recruit that will grow with Pickens for the next two and a half seasons. Look for both wide receivers to be drafted in the early rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft, so grab them now at a value in devy drafts before their stock rises too high.
Ian Book
Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book’s inclusion on this list is more about his overall play on the football field than his performance in Week Ten. Book’s completion percentage has dropped to a paltry 58.2% this season, down 10% from a season ago.
Book is a boring game-managing quarterback that elects to not lose the game rather than catalyze the win. Book is perfectly capable of winning 8-10 games every college football season. Still, the Notre Dame quarterback has so far shown zero signs of being able to translate that to the National Football League.
While Book will undoubtedly get a chance in the NFL, he isn’t worth a draft pick of any kind in devy fantasy drafts. I’d be shocked if Book even made it as a career backup on the next level. Book’s devy fantasy football stock is pretty much nonexistent at this point in his career.
Devy Matchups to watch in Week Nine
Penn State @ Minnesota
Penn State: WR K.J. Hamler (2020), RB Noah Cain (2022), WR Justin Shorter (2021), RB Ricky Slade (2021), RB Devyn Ford (2022), TE Pat Freiermuth (2021)
Minnesota: WR Tyler Johnson (2021), WR Rashod Bateman (2021), RB Mohamed Ibrahim (2020)
LSU @ Alabama
LSU: WR Ja’Marr Chase (2021), QB Joe Burrow (2020), RB John Emery (2022), WR Justin Jefferson (2020), WR Terrace Marshall Jr. (2021)
Alabama: WR Jerry Jeudy (2020), QB Tua Tagovailoa (2020), RB Najee Harris (2020), WR Henry Ruggs III (2020), WR Jaylen Waddle (2021), WR Devonta Smith (2020)
Clemson @ NC State
Clemson: RB Travis Etienne (2020), QB Trevor Lawrence (2021), WR Justyn Ross (2021), WR Tee Higgins (2020), WR Joe Ngata (2022), WR Frank Ladson (2022), RB Lyn-J Dixon (2021), WR Amari Rogers (2020)
NC State: WR Emeka Emezie (2020)