Devy Dynasty Top 75 – ranking the best college prospects for fantasy football

• A cut above: The top four of Marvin Harrison Jr., Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Brock Bowers are in a tier of their own, as Williams and Maye appear to have the makings of quality NFL starters while Harrison Jr. and Bowers are two of the best prospects at their respective positions in several years.
• The 2024 class looks loaded at RB: With players such as TreVeyon Henderson, Braelon Allen, Donovan Edwards and Raheim Sanders (among others) projected to declare, the 2024 RB group looks deep and highly talented.
• Buying the hype on the freshmen?: Expectations are extremely high across multiple college football fan bases as Arch Manning and Nico Iamaleava headline one of the most touted QB classes in recent memory with five recruits earning 5-Star status from multiple sites.

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

You may or may not be aware of the format, but devy leagues as well as the closely related “Campus to Canton” leagues are exploding in popularity among fantasy football enthusiasts.

So what is a devy league? As with standard dynasty leagues, a draft is held yearly for building up your team, but whereas standard dynasty drafts use incoming rookies each season, devy leagues will include college prospects or hold separate college-only drafts along with their yearly rookie draft. These rankings were made with single-QB formats in mind, so adjusting for superflex may require some bumps for the QBs behind Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Additionally, draft classes as stated are based on the earliest year these players can declare, not necessarily the year they will undoubtedly move on from the college ranks.

Not interested in devy? Check out PFF's 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit for more content to help you dominate your leagues. While you’re here though, fantasy football is all about edges, wherever you can find them, and educating yourself on up-and-coming prospects can be advantageous down the road if your league mates aren’t tuned in with the college game.

Strategies in devy leagues vary wildly from team to team and league to league – do you take the chance on the raw but electric QB who doesn’t have a ton of experience at the college level? Or do you focus on older prospects who have steadily developed each year and appear to have a safe floor as an NFL contributor? Moving from college to the NFL is a massive jump, and we’ve seen plenty of players “bust” over the year, as there are countless variables that factor into whether a player develops throughout their college and early NFL careers, making devy a volatile yet extremely rewarding format.

Let's run down the top 75 prospects for devy formats as we head into the 2023 college football season.

Tier 1 is headlined by four of the top players in the 2024 class — namely Marvin Harrison Jr., Brock Bowers, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, each of whom represents the best of the best at their respective positions. Harrison made a case to be considered the best WR in college football last year as a sophomore, posting 3.0 yards per route run and averaging 16.2 yards per reception while posting over 100 yards in seven games last season. Williams and Maye each will have a case to be the first quarterback taken in next year’s draft, and both have the look of successful starters at the next level. Williams is a dynamic talent capable of spectacular off-platform plays while taking care of the ball – his 6.2% big-time throw percentage was 13th among Power Five QBs while no one above him posted a better turnover-worthy play percentage than his 1.6% rate. Maye is just as dynamic in his own right as his 8.5% big-time throw percentage led the Power Five while also accounting for 899 yards on the ground. Bowers may well become the highest-ever drafted TE next offseason – his 7.6 yards after the catch per reception ranked inside the top 20 among all qualifying players (min. 50 targets across all positions) while his 2.37 yards per route run put him on par with 2022 first-rounder Dalton Kincaid.

Tier 2

Tier 2 is dominated by the RB position, headlined by TreVeyon Henderson (RB1), Nicholas Singleton (RB2) and Quinshon Judkins (RB3). Texas' Quinn Ewers (QB3) has as good a shot as anyone outside of Williams and Maye to hear his name called in the first round of next year’s draft, as he looks to build on his first season as a starter. Judkins stormed onto the scene for Ole Miss in 2022, forcing 76 missed tackles on his way to over 1500 yards as a true freshman, and has the potential to vault himself into the top tier by next season. Wisconsin RB Braelon Allen (RB4) stuck out a coaching change in Madison, and Luke Fickell’s more spread-heavy offense should massively lighten opponent’s boxes and allow him to improve on his already solid 37.9% breakaway percentage.

Drew Allar (QB4) steps into the starting QB role in Happy Valley possessing all the desirable measurables and intangibles with a solid supporting cast in place. In limited opportunities as a true freshman in 2022, Allar posted a 71.6 passing grade with a 5.0% big-time throw percentage while not having a single turnover-worthy play to his name. Ewers’ favorite target Xavier Worthy (WR2) and LSU breakout star Malik Nabers (WR4) are both eligible next season and have the potential to find themselves as first-round picks in 2024. Emeka Egbuka (WR3) has been largely overshadowed by the success of his teammates such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr., but he is a dynamic and consistent threat at the intermediate and deep levels of the field with his 2.98 yards per route run and strength at the catch point.

Tier 3

Tier 3 includes a few Clemson Tigers in Cade Klubnik (QB6), Will Shipley (RB8), and Antonio Williams (WR7), who look to recover from a somewhat forgettable 2022. Expectations are high for Klubnik in his first year as a full-time starter after throwing for almost 600 yards with a 67.9% adjusted completion percentage in Clemson’s final two games last season. Michael Penix Jr. (QB5) and Jordan Travis (QB7) were some of the most productive and exciting QBs in the NCAA last season and have a chance to play themselves into the first-round conversation by next spring with strong 2023s. Penix, in particular, stood out as a lefty, leading the Power Five with 4641 passing yards while only accounting for seven turnover-worthy plays. Rome Odunze (WR9) broke out as Penix’s favorite target with 2.51 yards per route run and 15.3 yards per reception and looks primed to be a top-50 pick in 2024 as well.

Evan Stewart (WR6), Antonio Williams and Luther Burden III (WR8) are all coming into sophomore seasons with the potential to dominate their respective teams' target shares. Also included in this tier are the highly touted freshman foursome of Arch Manning (QB10), Nico Iamaleava (QB8), Malachi Nelson (QB9) and Dante Moore (QB11). All four will likely spend the 2023 season learning behind their respective team’s starters, but the future potential is limitless. Incoming University of Texas freshman CJ Baxter (RB10) joins them in the 2023 recruiting class as one of the most touted RB prospects of the last few seasons and looks capable of handling three-down workloads from Day 1.

Tier 4

Texas TE Ja’Tavion Sanders (TE2) leads off Tier 4 as an explosive seam stretcher who should be the second TE off the board next spring. His 1.76 yards per route run and 8.2-yard average depth of target profile well to a role as a mismatch weapon that NFL coaches are clamoring for. A multitude of young RBs, including Jaydn Ott (RB11), Kaytron Allen (RB12), and Damien Martinez (RB13), outperformed their team’s expected starters as freshmen and look to continue their momentum into their true sophomore seasons. Ott showed remarkable patience and vision for a true freshman at Cal, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and breaking 49 tackles behind one of the worst run-blocking offensive lines in the FBS while also catching an impressive 46 passes for 321 yards. Penn State’s Kaytron Allen was one of the surprises of the 2022 season, as he forced a timeshare with highly touted fellow freshman Nicholas Singleton.

Oklahoma freshman Jackson Arnold (QB13) was the last of the prized QBs out of the 2023 recruiting class and may find himself starting as early as this season with his moxie and ability to extend plays. The 6-foot-5 Tetairoa McMillan (WR13) exceeded expectations for Arizona as a true freshman, showcasing impressive movement skills for someone of his size with the catch radius one would expect from a long and explosive athlete of his caliber. McMillan’s 16.2-yard average depth of target and 18.0 yards per reception are a testament to his potential playmaking ceiling. WR Devontez Walker (WR15) looked primed to elevate his stock with a season catching passes from Drake Maye as a transfer from Kent State, but a currently declined hardship waiver may push his NFL aspirations back another season.

Tier 5

Tier 5 encompasses the best of the rest, including young unproven talents as well as 2024 prospects with enough concerns to prevent them from being ranked higher. Freshman QB Jaden Rashada (QB16) dominated the recruiting headlines this past winter after spurring Florida for Arizona State, reportedly due to a failed massive NIL deal. Dual-threat QBs can be incredibly hard to project even at the college level, but his natural ability and intangibles are evident, and it is easy to root for a guy who bets on himself. The highly touted pair of Carnell Tate (WR18) and Brandon Inniss (WR21) look to take on the mantle of being the next great Ohio State WRs. Likewise, Zachariah Branch (WR22) and Makai Lemon (WR23) come into USC to provide immediate depth and develop alongside Malachi Nelson (who Lemon played with in high school) while the 6-foot-6 hybrid TE/WR Duce Robinson (TE5) hopes to make an immediate impact with his ball skills and ability after the catch. LSU’s Mason Taylor (TE3), son of Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor, and Georgia’s Oscar Delp (TE4) round out the TE rankings as they look to build off solid yet unspectacular freshman campaigns with increased opportunities in 2023. Both have the athletic ability and inline tenacity to profile as impact options at the next level.  

At RB, sophomore Ja’Quinden Jackson (RB18) looks ready to carry the load for the Utah offense this season after making a position change midseason from QB. Jackson made a name for himself among college football fans down the stretch, posting over 80 yards rushing in four of his last five games and forcing an impressive 0.38 missed tackles per rushing attempt. Adonai Mitchell (WR19) looks to rebound from losing most of the 2022 season to a severe ankle sprain as he transfers from Georgia to Texas.  Mitchell has posted less than spectacular metrics in his two seasons of college ball, but hopes are high that a move away from a run-heavy offense allows him to truly break out as he immediately pops off the tape with his combination of size, athletic ability, and strength at the catch point. Memphis’ Blake Watson (RB23) makes an appearance as the highest-ranked Group-of-Five RB after transferring from Old Dominion. Watson posted a notable 0.38 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt, with 727 of his 921 rushing yards coming after contact last season while also impressing as a receiver with 37 catches at an 8.5-yard per reception clip.