Devy Fantasy Football Risers & Fallers: Shedeur Sanders, Zachariah Branch, Branson Robinson

After two and a half (Week 0 barely counts) weeks of live action, some early trends are starting to develop across college football. Sounds like a perfect time for the first installment of our devy risers & fallers.

In case you’re not familiar, devy (developmental dynasty league) is a type of dynasty league that goes a bit deeper. In this format, you draft and stash potential NFL prospects years before they enter the league. Scott Fish, the man behind the popular Scott Fish Bowl, created Devy back in the 1990s, and the format has gained popularity ever since.

When we talk about risers, we refer to players whose perceived value has increased based on their on-field performance. However, when we talk about fallers, we take into account several factors, such as on-field performance, injuries, playing time, and even some extenuating circumstances (Free Tez Walker), which can have an impact on a player’s value.

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Devy Risers & Fallers

Risers

Shedeur Sanders (QB – Colorado)

Not many quarterbacks faced more scrutiny than Shedeur Sanders this offseason. Skeptics questioned how much of the quarterback’s success at HBCU Jackson State would translate to the highest level of college football. They assumed his father would flop in his first season taking over a downtrodden Colorado football program.

It took one game for those skeptics to become believers. A school-record 510 passing yards, four touchdown passes, and an 80% completion percentage in a 45-42 upset victory over CFP runner-up TCU will do that.

That impact isn’t only felt on the box score, either. The quarterback’s poise, pocket awareness, and downfield accuracy were on full display in Week 1. This week’s contest against Nebraska was more of a grind in the first half, but Sanders ended the contest with 393 passing yards and three total touchdowns in Colorado’s 36-14 victory. One season after a 1-11 finish, Colorado is 2-0, and Sanders is a legitimate NFL prospect.

Zachariah Branch (WR – USC)

The Zachariah Branch hype has been building for months across the devy community. Somehow, that hype might have been underestimated. The USC true freshman is a SPECIAL football player.

In his Week 0 debut against San Jose State, Branch had 232 all-purpose yards, including a 4-58-1 TD receiving line and an impressive 96-yard kick return touchdown. One look at his college football debut and you’ll see that he moves at a different speed.

USC has a luxury of riches at the wide receiver position, but Branch is making the most of his opportunities on offense and special teams. He has two receiving touchdowns and two return touchdowns in three career games.

Keon Coleman (WR – Florida State)

Year after year, we see an impact wide receiver (or two or three) take a significant step forward thanks to the Transfer Portal. This season’s edition: Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman.

Hardcore devy fans have followed Coleman’s career for years. After all, he led Michigan State in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns last season despite the presence of Round Two 2023 NFL Draft selection Jayden Reed.

Let’s just be honest, though. Coleman’s stock and NFL outlook have drastically improved two games into his Florida State career. No longer held back by bad coaching and quarterback play, Coleman has been the best version of himself in Tallahassee.

In his debut against highly-ranked LSU, Coleman looked like the best player on the field. The wide receiver finished with 122 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions in FSU’s 45-24 victory. He followed that up with a 3-48-1 TD receiving line and an impressive hurdle in the first half of FSU’s 66-13 shellacking of Southern Miss.

Fallers

Branson Robinson (RB – Georgia)

This blurb is tough to write. You never like to drop a player due to injury, but unfortunately, it’s the harsh reality of this business. Not all players and injuries are made the same, but you must adjust to the news as it happens.

After suffering a non-contact season-ending knee injury in late August, Georgia running back Brandon Robinson is the latest victim facing an uncertain future. The former No. 1 ranked running back in the 2022 class now faces an uphill battle to return to form, and his devy stock has taken a plunge.

Devontez Walker (WR – North Carolina)

We’re past the injuries and moving on to NCAA idiocy. We’ve seen a lot of small-minded decisions from the NCAA over the years, but the Tez Walker situation has to be one of the worst.

I’m sure you’ve all seen the story by now. Two days after Walker began classes at North Carolina, the NCAA announced a rule that would crack down on two-time transfers across college athletics.

Instead of using common sense, the NCAA continues to overlook Walker’s individual situation, which includes a canceled football season and personal health reasons pushing him closer to his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.

This week, the NCAA denied Walker’s appeal, meaning he must sit out the entire 2023 college football season. That is not only unfair to Walker, the college football player, but it’s also unfair to Walker’s potential NFL earnings.

Instead of putting out game film this year, Walker has to decide between blindly declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft or waiting an extra year. An extra year that could significantly impact his draft stock. I would say “Do Better” to the NCAA, but we all know this is just who they are.