Devy fantasy football and future rookie value is a combination of talent evaluation and draft capital projection. Those factors change quickly throughout the college football season, so it is important to stay up-to-date and ahead of your league mates.
Week 3 of the college football season featured breakout performances across the country. It also helped us confirm which players aren’t living up to their preseason hype.
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Devy Fantasy Stock Up
Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
Missouri’s Luther Burden (5-11, 208) is the best wide receiver in the country that nobody is talking about. Burden is the heartbeat of the Missouri offense. He pulled in seven receptions for 114 yards and found the end zone twice in the Tigers’ upset win over Kansas State.
Burden is a versatile playmaker. He can stretch the field with his speed and win over the top with separation and ball-tracking ability. Missouri also makes it a point to get him the ball near the line of scrimmage so he can show off his elusiveness and field vision after the catch.
Burden had 45 receptions for 375 yards playing along the boundary as a true freshman in 2022. He moved inside to the slot this season and has 22 receptions for 327 yards in just three games.
Burden is eligible for the 2025 class. He is currently my WR1 in that underrated position group. Missouri will start seeing prime-time action now that they’re starting their SEC schedule. You want to get Burden on your roster before everyone else catches on.
Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
Devin Neal (5-11, 210) is flying under the radar in a talented 2024 running back class. Neal pairs patience with an explosive running style. He totaled 148 yards and three touchdowns on 18 touches this past week against Nevada. Through three games, Neal is averaging 7.6 yards/rushing attempt and 16.4 yards/reception.
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Neal is a four-star recruit who surprised many by choosing to stay close to home and play for a then-ailing Jayhawks offense. Now, he is the centerpiece of a 3-0 team that is drawing national attention. Neal is currently my RB5 in the 2024 class and is on track to being an early second-round selection in next year’s rookie drafts.
Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Malik Nabers (6-0, 200) is a dangerous Z-receiver that has pro-ready hands and explosive route-running ability. He broke out against Mississippi State this past weekend, hauling in 13 receptions for 239 yards (18.4 yards/reception) and two touchdowns.
Stutter and go from LSU’s Malik Nabers and he ends up WIDE open… they simply cannot cover him.
One of the top WRs in the 2024 NFL Draft class, Nabers has 10 receptions for 188 yards and two TDs in the first half today. pic.twitter.com/KxvK0OmWKP
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) September 16, 2023
Nabers is currently my WR2 in the 2024 wide receiver class. His skill set screams quick NFL production, and he projects as a first-round NFL Draft selection. The 2024 class will be carried by the quarterback position, but the value will likely come from quality wide receivers, like Nabers, who will slide to the end of the first round of rookie drafts.
Devy Fantasy Stock Down
Joe Milton, QB, Tennessee
Joe Milton (6-5, 235) is a sixth-year senior at the helm of a potentially explosive offense. Milton has prototypical size and easily has the best arm strength in a talented quarterback class.
Going into the season, the expectation was that Milton could play his way into being a first-round NFL Draft selection if he improved his accuracy, decision-making, and could show off his mobility.
If you looked at just his box scores, you might be encouraged by Milton’s early-season performance. He has completed 64% of his passing attempts for 716 yards, six touchdowns, and just one interception. Milton, though, is a great example of why you need to go beyond the box score when projecting NFL Draft capital.
His Week 3 performance against Florida was very telling. Milton force-fed his wide receivers near the line of scrimmage; the Tennessee coaching staff clearly doesn’t trust him to work through progressions under pressure.
When he did push the ball downfield, he overthrew his targets, consistent with his tape from the Austin Peay and Virginia games earlier this season. Milton also looked stiff against the Gators’ defense; he struggled to move the pocket and Tennessee didn’t call any designed runs the way they did for Hendon Hooker last season.
Milton’s intangibles can’t help him overcome the limitations he has displayed in his early-season tape. He will be drafted this upcoming May, but I expect it won’t be in the top 100 picks.
Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan
Donovan Edwards (6-1, 210) is a well-rounded running back who has proved to be a smooth runner and electric pass catcher. The preseason expectation was that Edwards would split touches with Blake Corum.
Corum (5-8, 213) is also a top-100 NFL Draft prospect in the 2024 class. Edwards has 35 touches through three games, compared to Corum’s 42.
Edwards hasn’t done much with those 35 touches. He is averaging 3.6 yards/attempt and hasn’t found the end zone once. This lack of performance has come in games against East Carolina, UNLV, and Bowling Green (the weakest defenses they’ll face all season). His backfield mate, Corum, has scored six times and totaled 254 yards so far.
Edwards is still in the conversation to be a top running back in the 2024 class, but I am backing off the strong preseason conviction I had for him. If this trend continues, I expect that Edwards will return to Michigan for another season and end up in the 2025 class.