College football is a beautiful game; it allows us to watch football from noon to well past midnight each and every week. The high volume of games can be overwhelming, though, and make it hard for devy fantasy football players to understand which games they need to watch to stay ahead of their league-mates.
In this weekly column, I provide you with the most important games to watch from a devy perspective.
Week 3 of the college football season is getting knocked for lacking marquee matchups. I’m looking past that criticism to see four games filled with future NFL stars. This slate of games features 2024 quarterbacks, the top of the 2025 class, and even has an opportunity to get excited about the 2026 class.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Start/Sit Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
Week 3 Devy Fantasy Football Players To Watch
Penn State at Illinois
Prospects To Watch: Drew Allar, Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen
Penn State’s offense looks to be filled with playmakers from the class of 2025. This week, they take on what is expected to be one of the stronger Big Ten defenses on their schedule.
Quarterback Drew Allar (6’5″, 243) has typical NFL size and a five-star recruiting pedigree. Allar has impressed in his first two games against West Virginia and Delaware, throwing from 529 yards and four touchdowns while completing 78% of his passing attempts.
MORE: Latest Injury Updates With PFN’s Player News Tracker
He has displayed arm talent, good decision-making, and a surprising level of mobility for his size. Allar is currently my highest-rated quarterback in the 2025 class, meaning he will be in the 1.01 conversation for the 2025 rookie class.
Nick Singleton (6’0″, 224) and Kaytron Allen (5’11”, 221) are arguably the best running back duo in the country. Singleton, the top running back in the 2022 recruiting class, has lived up to the hype.
He has good vision, displays athleticism, and powers through defenders. Despite being a three-star recruit in the same class as his backfield mate, Allen has carved out an equal role in the Nittany Lions rushing attack. Allen is explosive and navigates the field with decisiveness.
South Carolina at Georgia
Prospects To Watch: Carson Beck, Brock Bowers, Spencer Rattler
This matchup features two 2024 eligible quarterbacks with the potential to play their way into a top-100 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. They’ll be throwing the ball to some of the most dynamic pass catchers in the SEC.
Carson Beck (6’4″, 220) is a four-star recruit who has waited his turn to be at the helm of the Georgia offense. His size, pedigree, and the almost-assured success of his team mean NFL scouts will be paying attention.
In his first SEC start, they’ll want to see him show off his arm talent and command the Bulldogs’ offense with proper decision-making.
Beck’s top targets are tight end Brock Bowers (6’4″, 240) and wide receiver Mekhi Mews (5’8″, 185). Bowers is a dominant two-way tight end that Georgia runs their passing attack through.
He is the locked-in top tight end in the 2024 class and is on track to be a top-five rookie draft selection. Mews is a speedy wideout who has recently emerged. The 2025 eligible wide receiver is under the radar for now but could become a household name with a big performance this week.
Spencer Rattler (6’1″, 217) is back on the NFL Draft radar. He has completed 83% of his passes this season for 698 yards and three touchdowns despite being under constant pressure from opposing defenses.
Rattler’s athleticism and arm talent have never been the question. His leadership and decision-making, though, have made his path to the NFL longer than expected. A big performance against one of the nation’s top defenses would relaunch him up draft boards.
Rattler will be locked in on senior wide receiver Xavier Legette (6’3″, 227). Legette has 15 receptions for 296 yards and a touchdown over the first two games of the season. Antwane Wells Jr. (6’1″, 208) should return from injury this week. He is one of my top riser candidates in the 2024 rookie class.
Washington at Michigan State
Prospects To Watch: Michael Penix Jr., Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan
The Washington passing attack is electric, and fantasy football managers are taking notice. Vegas expects the Huskies to dominate on the road against Michigan State; if that happens, it will be because of Michael Penix Jr. and his weapons.
Penix (6’3″, 213) shredded the Boise State and Tulsa secondaries in his first two games. He completed 73% of his 78 passing attempts, throwing for 859 yards and eight touchdowns.
Penix looks confident in the pocket while picking apart defenses with good anticipation, consistent accuracy, and arm talent that rivals the top tier of 2024 draft prospects. His injury history will limit his draft capital, but Penix will be a popular sleeper target late in 2024 rookie drafts.
Rome Odzune (6’3″, 215) is an explosive wide receiver with great short-area quickness and the ability to churn yards after the catch. Jalen McMillan (6’1″, 192) has consistent hands and can stretch the field well, leading to some highlight reel plays. Odunze and McMillan will be household names in the 2024 NFL Draft conversation.
Colorado State at Colorado
Prospects To Watch: Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, Dylan Edwards Jr.
Plan for that extra cup of coffee and stay up late to watch Colorado shine against an underpowered opponent. Shedeur Sanders and the passing attack will surely be on full display early on, but the game script could allow them to finally put their ground game on display too.
Shedeur Sanders makes this look alarmingly easy. Special talent.
And he's got talent around him on that @CUBuffsFootball offense. pic.twitter.com/TVmKPtYh1m
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) September 12, 2023
Sanders (6’2″, 215) has quickly played his way into the QB3 conversation for the 2024 NFL Draft class. Sanders looks poised in the pocket, is able to work through his progressions, and is accurate in leading his targets around the field. He has completed 78% of his 89 passing attempts through two games, throwing for 903 yards and six touchdowns.
Travis Hunter (6’1″, 185) will inevitably grasp the headlines of this wide receiver group. Hunter is an explosive athlete who displays excellent ball-tracking and contested-catch ability.
Xavier Weaver (6’1″, 180) is a smooth wideout who is averaging eight receptions per game this season. Jimmy Horn Jr. is a sharp route runner with sticky hands; he has been a real headache for defenses.
Hunter isn’t eligible for the 2024 Draft, but Weaver and Horn Jr. are. Right now, they’re both Day 3 selections, but that could change quickly.
MORE: Week 2 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
Dylan Edwards Jr. (5’9″, 170) is a true freshman running back who has made an immediate impact in Colorado’s passing game. He is a sure-handed playmaker who displays good field vision and is twitchy in space.
When Colorado gets up early, we may see them give Edwards Jr. an opportunity to show off his rushing abilities, too. This is a player you want to be ahead of your league mates on.