Navigating the ever-fluctuating landscape of devy fantasy football leagues can be challenging. Whether you’re a seasoned devy league manager looking to optimize your roster or a newcomer searching for effective trading strategies, the key to success often lies in knowing which players to buy low and sell high. In this Devy League advice series, we draw from the insights of experienced devy league experts to help you maneuver your way through the trading waters.
Our panel of experts each share a player they are eyeing for a potential trade and one they’re considering trading away. Their picks, complemented by expert analysis and strategic reasoning, will help you understand the current devy market and prepare for the inevitable shifts the coming season will bring. From unheralded gems ripe for acquisition to overvalued players whose stocks are primed to plummet, these insights aim to provide you with actionable advice and strategic depth.
Improve your devy league performance with our expert-backed suggestions, better understand the dynamics of buying low and selling high, and steer your roster towards success. As the 2023 seasons loom, ensure you’re equipped with the insights necessary to make informed, strategic trades and maximize your team’s potential. Stay ahead in your devy league, understand the players to target and those to let go, and build a winning roster with FantasyPros and our featured pundits.
Be sure to follow our featured experts on Twitter and check out their respective websites (both are linked below their analysis).
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Devy Fantasy Football Advice: Players to Buy Low & Sell High
Which player are you buying low in devy leagues and why? Also, what are you willing to give up to get him?
Damien Martinez (RB – Oregon State)
“As an under-recruited 3-star freshman, Martinez (2025 eligible) took control of the Beavers backfield after week 7 of the 2022 season. He rushed for over 100+ yards in every game the rest of the season, outside of an early exit caused by an injury in the bowl game. At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds with recorded times in the 21+ MPH area, Martinez is a size/speed specimen who is starting his career off on the right track. I’ll need to see continued growth in the receiving game, but with (at least) 2 more collegiate seasons in front of him, he is far from a finished product. I’d snag him before the end of the 4th in startup drafts and prefer him to names like Blake Corum, MarShawn Lloyd or Miyan Williams, all of who are within 10 spots in the consensus RB Devy rankings.”
– Cory Pereira (Campus 2 Canton)
Bo Nix (QB – Oregon)
“Nix is extremely underrated in devy SF leagues right now. He received a Day 2 grade from the Underclassmen Committee and is returning for another year. A former top recruit, Nix can run the ball and is likely a Top 50 NFL Draft pick. He has the potential to be QB3 and a first-rounder, meaning he is worth investing in. I’d be willing to give up Quinn Ewers for Bo Nix and a late devy pick.”
– Shane Hallam (Draft Countdown)
Ladd McConkey (WR – Georgia)*
“I am buying Georgia WR Ladd McConkey. His numbers don’t necessarily pop from a production standpoint. But that’s due in large part to Georgia being a run-first offense. McConkey can do just about everything you’d ask for from a slot receiver. He can uncover quickly. He can run after the catch. He has reliable hands. But his ability to also play outside is also underrated. He can beat press coverage, run double moves, and he shows excellent body control and ball tracking to make contested catches deep along the sideline. Devy analysts get too hung up on recruiting pedigree, which he admittedly does not have. But in reading some of the early 2024 draft reports, you’ll see that McConkey is considered a Day 2 draft candidate. Pick him up late in a devy draft or after the 3rd round of your C2C supplemental drafts. Perfect candidate to be thrown in a larger trade.”
– Felix Sharpe (Campus 2 Canton)
*Editor’s note: we do not yet have a profile for Ladd McConkey.
KJ Jefferson (QB – Arkansas)
“I have been standing atop the KJ Jefferson mountain and screaming for devy managers to acquire the Arkansas quarterback for a while. He is the ECR No. 17 quarterback, and I am way above consensus at No. 4. He checks so many boxes in my model and is basically free in devy. I would offer a third-round devy pick in the 2024 supplemental draft for Jefferson.”
– John Laub (Football Diehards)
Ja’Quinden Jackson (RB – Utah)
“Jackson started his collegiate career as a top-ranked QB for Texas before transferring to Utah and converting to RB. He started getting RB reps in 2021 but did not take over the backfield until the end of 2022, where has showed an insane amount of efficiency over the final 5 weeks with 52-423-7 (that’s over 8 YPC). Jackson is a top-tier NFL athlete with prototypical workhorse size. As a runner, he has superb vision but runs stiff and keeps his arms tight around the ball. He is still very raw to the position, but with one more offseason of getting more comfortable running with the ball, we can see improvement in ball security, stiff arms, and other minor nuisances to the position that makes it even harder for defenders to bring him down. He didn’t catch many balls, but he was out there running routes and caught 4 in the spring game. The upside is insane to think about when you realize all the things he doesn’t do but is already so efficient.”
– Michael Vallerie (Campus 2 Canton)
Carson Beck (QB – Georgia)
“Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (6’4/215) was rated as the 5th overall pro-style quarterback from the 2020 prep cycle, according to 247Sports. Despite UGA bringing in a pair of 5-star QBs in Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton in the subsequent years, Beck outshined both highly-touted signal callers in the spring and is the likely 2023 starter for the back-to-back national champs. Considering former walk-on Stetson Bennett rode the Georgia gig to a 4th round draft selection this year, Beck is in pole position to make a rapid rise up the Devy depth charts this year. In a recent C2C “The Program” supplemental draft, I selected Beck in the 2nd round and view him as a two-year starter who will declare in 2025 and could be mentioned in the same breath as Cade Klubnik and Drew Allar before all is said and done. ”
– Eric Froton (NBC Sports Edge)
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Which player are you selling now in devy leagues and why? Also, what kind of return are you looking for?
Bucky Irving (RB – Oregon)
“Although Bucky (2024 eligible) had a breakout year for Oregon in 2022, a deeper look into his profile raises some red flags. Inefficiency running up the middle, a tendency to bounce runs outside, a lack of play strength, and a historically troubling frame leave his RB19 consensus ranking too rich for my blood. The shifty running back may earn himself a role as a change-of-pace back, given his receiving prowess, but his fantasy upside remains limited. I would personally sell him for a mid-round draft pick, but if you could get Devontez Walker, Cameron Seldon or Malik Benson – all located within 10 overall consensus devy ranking spots – I’d smash the accept button.”
– Cory Pereira (Campus 2 Canton)
Luther Burden (WR – Missouri)
“I’m selling Luther Burden, WR, Missouri. He was a 5* recruit who had just an okay year last year. Burden didn’t flash the pure athletic upside he promised and is likely to fall short against better competition. He is overvalued against WRs such as Barion Brown and Tet McMillan, who I would trade him for.”
– Shane Hallam (Draft Countdown)
TreVeyon Henderson (RB – Ohio State)
“I would consider selling Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson is flashy but lacks running back substance at times. He is a speed back who is at his best with gaping holes. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing in today’s NFL. But I question his ability to do any of the tough running, i.e., lowering his shoulder and shrinking his tackling surface and then recoiling to breakthrough tackles in the trenches. Some devy players may be thinking that they are getting a version of Saquon Barkley when they are actually getting the NFL version of Reggie Bush.”
– Felix Sharpe (Campus 2 Canton)
Evan Stewart (WR – Texas A&M)
“Without any reservation, I am selling Texas A&M receiver Evan Stewart. With zero confidence, coach Jimbo Fisher can develop an NFL-level playmaker. Keeping the Aggie on a DEVY roster is far too risky in my book. He still has tremendous DEVY value, and I would seek a first-round DEVY pick next year.”
– John Laub (Football Diehards)
Rome Odunze (WR – Washington)
“Currently getting first-round buzz this offseason, yet he was outproduced by his teammate Jalen McMillian during the second half of the season. Odunze is a slender 6’3. He’s good off the line and can be deceptive, but he’s more of a straight-line mover and lacks the flexibility to become a true separator. As a physical threat, he’s not overly strong at the catch point and stops moving his feet after the catch, making it easier for defenders to make tackles. Rome is fundamentally fine as a player, but he profiles more as a Day 2 player, and without a more physical playstyle, he can maybe be a WR2/3 for an NFL roster. There’s nothing elite or top-tier about his game. Sell on the first-round hype while you can.”
– Michael Vallerie (Campus 2 Canton)
Will Shipley (RB – Clemson)
“Clemson running back Will Shipley asserted himself as the primary ball carrier early on in his freshman season, which caused his Devy value to skyrocket. While he is undoubtedly a C2C asset thanks to Clemson’s talented OL that returns 4 starters and 99 line starts this year, I have concerns about his NFL viability. Listed at 5’11/205, Shipley benefitted from Clemson’s aforementioned OL clearing the way for his 2.8 yards before contact average, which is an exceptional mark. However, he only gained a pedestrian 2.8 yards after contact with a 16% broken tackle rate on his totes. Compare that with his backfield-mate Phil Mafah‘s 3.5 YAC and Shipley’s lack of a diverse route tree in the passing game (-0.5 average target depth), and I have real concerns about his ability to handle a full-time NFL workload. I prefer Utah RB Ja’Quinden Jackson, Michigan’s Blake Corum or even Alabama’s Jase McClellan over him.”
– Eric Froton (NBC Sports Edge)
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