4 Devy Fantasy Football Risers & Fallers (2024)

Week 2 of the College Football season featured big games, massive upsets and some terrific player performances across the nation. Below, we look at the fallout from the weekend’s action. Who are the week’s biggest devy risers & fallers from the College Football world?

The devy format was first created in the 1990s by Scott Fish of Scott Fish Bowl fame, and it is quickly becoming one of the most popular formats in fantasy football. Devy is often referred to as a “dynasty league on steroids” because you draft and stash collegiate players before they even declare for the NFL Draft.

Devy fantasy football requires a bit more research and projection than your normal dynasty league, but we’ll be here to guide you along the way. Each week, we’ll bring you the biggest risers and fallers from the previous weekend of NCAA Football action and its impact moving forward.

Regarding risers, we refer to players whose perceived value has increased based on their on-field performance. However, when we talk about fallers, we consider several other factors, such as injuries, playing time and even some extenuating circumstances, which can impact a player’s value.

Devy Fantasy Football Risers & Fallers

Devy Risers

Bryant Wesco Jr. (WR – Clemson)

In last week’s Devy Risers & Fallers, I mentioned Clemson freshman wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. as a potential replacement for the struggling Adam Randall. One week later, Wesco Jr. officially supplanted Randall in the starting lineup.

It’s only a one-game sample size, but that’s looking like a brilliant decision by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. In Clemson’s 66-20 beatdown of Appalachian State, the 18-year-old scored a 76-yard touchdown on the third play from scrimmage. By halftime, Wesco Jr. had 130 receiving yards and was given the rest of the night off.

The level of competition certainly played a role in Clemson’s offensive production in Week 2, but having separators like Wesco Jr. and fellow true freshman TJ Moore completely opened up Garrett Riley’s offense. It’s probably not a coincidence that Cade Klubnik (24/26, 378 yards, seven total TDs in the first half) had the most complete game of his career with the dynamic freshmen more involved.

Dylan Sampson (RB – Tennessee)

With Jaylen Wright off to the NFL, junior running back Dylan Sampson has stepped in as Tennessee’s RB1. The early results: 100+ rushing yards in each of his first two starts and five touchdowns on the ground.

Sampson has been a productive backup throughout his career at Tennessee, but seeing him in a full-time role has been eye-opening. Sampson’s speed, patience and elusiveness make him extremely difficult to bring down in the open field, and head Ccach Josh Heupel finds creative ways to get him involved.

Devy Fallers

Riley Leonard (QB – Notre Dame)

Coming off a Week 1 victory over Texas A&M, Notre Dame looked well on their way to a College Football Playoff appearance. After being upset by Northern Illinois, that seems more uncertain for the Golden Domers.

The issues for Notre Dame start at the top. Simply put, transfer quarterback Riley Leonard hasn’t been good enough. Against A&M, Leonard completed 18/30 passes for 158 yards and no touchdowns. This week, Leonard completed 20/32 passes for 163 yards and two interceptions. The final interception set up Northern Illinois’ game-winning field goal.

Dating back to his days at Duke, Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard has been hyped up as a potential first-round NFL Draft pick. Unless something drastically changes this season, that seems like a reach.

John Emery Jr. (RB – LSU)

After battling injuries throughout his career, LSU running back John Emery Jr. looked forward to a healthy senior season. Unfortunately, Emery Jr. tore his ACL in practice between Week 1 and Week 2 and has been ruled out for the season.

It’s heartbreaking news for the former five-star. Although his career never really lived up to the hype, Emery Jr. was expected to have a role in LSU’s offense this season. Now, his football career is on life support, and LSU head coach Brian Kelly is talking about Emery Jr.’s life after football. Tragic.

I hate including injured players in the “Devy Fallers.” In a perfect world, we could turn injuries off like a video game. Unfortunately, they’re a harsh reality of sports – especially football – that must be accounted for in this column.