2025 Devy Rankings with John Laub | 2024 Fantasy Football

by John Laub · Featured

These are the 2025 DEVY Fantasy Football Rankings!

Have you tried playing in a DEVY league? Why not? After playing fantasy football for 36 years, I place DEVY among the preeminent formats. In 2014, I started writing NFL Draft prospect profiles, and finally, joined a DEVY league five years ago. DEVY unites scouting and fantasy, and I am now addicted.

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New Devy League

Last year, I kicked off a new DEVY league to expose first-time players to the format and raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I might never have a better draft. I selected out of the eighth spot and grabbed WR Malik Nabers, LSU. In the second round, I acquired WR Rome Odunze, Washington, followed by RB Trey Benson, Florida State and concluded with RB Jace McClellan, Alabama. 

In order to assist PlayerProfiler readers to get a head start on their research, the 2025 DEVY rankings are based on a production model and include personal observations from last season. Over the upcoming summer, one or two players will be scouted every day, scribbling notes and breaking down the competitors’ traits and skills in order to update the rankings.  

Hit Link to see the DEVY Rankings 

2024 Gridiron Scholar’s DEVY Rankings

When drafting freshmen prospects, every DEVY player must make their own risk-return calculus. Readers will observe that I rate freshmen much lower than other DEVY analysts. I prefer to draft sophomores and shorten the window to NFL stardom.

DEVY Quarterbacks

Last summer, most DEVY draftniks gave Caleb Williams (USC) and Drake Maye (North Carolina) first-round grades and debated if a third quarterback would become a first rounder. Very few identified Jayden Daniels (LSU), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), Michael Penix, Jr. (Washington), or Bo Nix (Oregon) as franchise-changing quarterbacks. One season can drastically change perspectives in prospect analysis. Of course, the journey from the Senior Bowl to the NFL Draft provides more data points to illuminate the top competitors. 

After spring practices commenced across the nation, I identified two quarterbacks who are clearly first-round talents: Carson Beck (Georgia) and Jaxson Dart (Mississippi). Both are SEC signal callers on teams with CFP playoff aspirations and displayed high-level traits in 2023. Beck profiles as a classic pocket passer while Dart is more of the dual-threat playmaker with over 1,000 career rushing yards.

The national media is promoting Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) as the top pick at the position next April. I respectfully disagree: Have the experts really watched the film or placed him under the microscope? He does not manage the pocket well (taking far too many sacks), does not display anticipatory throws and has extremely limited rushing upside. Currently, I have a second-round score on Deion Sanders’ son. I need to see vast improvement in 2024. Check out the other 20 DEVY quarterback prospects in my QB model in the link above.

Scholar’s QB DEVY Notes

High School Rankings

– 12 were 5-star recruits in high school

– 5 were 4-star recruits in high school

– Only 3 prospects kicked off college career at a non-P4 school

Quarterback Over 1,000 Career Rushing Yards

– KJ Jefferson, UCF: 1,876

– Grayson McCall, North Carolina State: 1,113

– Dillon Gabriel, Oregon: 1,060

– Jaxson Dart, Mississippi: 1,046

Negative Career Rushing Yards

– Shedeur Sanders, Colorado: -77

– Kyle McCord, Ohio State: -77

– Garrett Nussmeier, LSU: -58

Most Games Played

– Dillon Gabriel, Oregon: 50

– Grayson McCall, North Carolina State: 40

– KJ Jefferson, UCF: 36

Highest Passer Rating

– Grayson McCall, North Carolina State: 178.4

– Carson Beck, Georgia: 166.9

– Jalen Milroe, Alabama: 164.3

– Dillon Gabriel, Oregon: 159.8

Biggest QBs in the Rankings

– KJ Jefferson, UCF: 245-pounds

– Drew Allar, Penn State: 241-pounds

– DJ Lagway, Florida: 241-pounds

– LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina: 240-pounds

Smallest QBs in the Rankings

– Malachi Nelson, Boise State: 190-pounds

– Garrett Nussmeier, LSU: 198-pounds

DEVY Diehards on Fire!

DEVY Running Backs

For over a year, Dynasty managers pontificated on the poor class of running backs. Despite the popular narrative, there are interesting rookie runners in the NFL. After the NFL Draft in April, one or two are likely to impact fantasy teams over the next couple of years. Some runners landed in optimal spots to provide fantasy production: Kimani Vidal in Los Angeles, Trey Benson in Arizona, Jonathon Brooks in Carolina, and Blake Corum in Los Angeles.

When plugging in the numbers for the 2025 RB Class, I could not believe the depth at the position and how many ball carriers are listed over 200 pounds. Next year’s cadre of runners looks like the most prolific group since 2017 with Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon and Alvin Kamara. Dynasty owners should begin trading for 2025 second-round draft picks.

Currently, two runners have first-round grades (TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State) and Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State)) and three with second-round scores (Nicholas Singleton (Penn State), Omarion Hampton (North Carolina), and Ollie Gordon (Oklahoma State). The five prospects average 5-11 and 212-pounds and have accumulated 12,733 yards from scrimmage and 210 receptions. 

All five profile as three-down bell cows despite the NFL evolving into more committee backfields. It will be fascinating to see how the league values these top-tier prospects as the NFL Draft process unfolds after the upcoming campaign. Draft these ball carriers with confidence in DEVY leagues this summer and check out the other 25 ball carriers in my model.

Scholar’s RB DEVY Notes

Top 10 Running Back Prospects

– 9 weigh over 210 pounds

– 2 were 5-star recruits in high school

– 4 were 4-star prospects in high school

Most Career Receptions

– Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech: 74

– Roman Hembry, Maryland: 72

– Jaydon Ott, California: 71

– Donovan Edwards, Georgia: 68

Most Career Scrimmage Yards

– Devin Neal, Kansas: 3,534

– Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech: 3,401

– Tre’Veyon Henderson, Ohio State: 3,314

– Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State: 3,006

DEVY Diehards on Fire!

DEVY Wide Receivers

In rookie drafts, the Dynasty community benefited from the best wide receiver class of prospects since 2014. It is nearly impossible to replicate the talent and depth of last year’s group. Upon first impression this year, there are no prospects in the same tier as Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. None of the current college wideouts warrant a top 10 selection in next year’s NFL Draft.

I do have first-round grades on three prospects: Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona), Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State), and Luther Burden (Missouri). In order to increase their draft stock, each of the receivers need to address concerns over the next 11 months. Is McMillan an elite athlete like Nabers and Odunze? Can Egbuka rebound to replicate his 2022 production after an injury-plagued campaign? Excelling predominantly inside (slot) last year, can Burden expand his route tree and be employed on the outside of the formation successfully? In DEVY drafts, all three are rated as first-class picks. Yet, they have not reached the ceiling of last year’s top 3.

Outside of the top 10, only two receivers from non-P5 teams are in the rankings (Tory Horton (Colorado State) and Ricky White (UNLV)) and both are among the top returning college playmakers in the nation. Horton and White both graduated high school in 2020 and are entering their fifth season on campus. 

Three second-year players (Eugene Wilson, III (Florida) Kevin Concepcion (North Carolina State) and Zachariah Branch (USC)) are among the cream of the crop, and three true freshmen (Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), Micah Hudson (Texas Tech) and Ryan Wilson (Alabama)) immediately kickoff their college careers in the rankings. 

Scholar’s WR DEVY Notes

Among Top 10 DEVY WRs

5 were 5-star recruits in high school

2 were 4-star prospects in high school

All top 10 receivers play for P5 programs

Career Receiving Yard Leaders

Tory Horton, Colorado State: 3,262

Tez Johnson, Oregon: 2,991

Tre Harris, Mississippi: 2,512

Ricky White, UNLV: 2,325

DEVY Diehards on Fire! 

Career YPC Leaders

CJ Daniels, LSU: 18.4

Tetairoa McMillian, Arizona: 16.3

Elic Ayomanor, Stanford: 16.3

Tre Harris, Mississippi: 15.7

Career Reception Leaders

Tory Horton, Colorado State: 239

Tez Johnson, Oregon: 227

Tre Harris, Mississippi: 160

Ricky White, UNLV: 149

Freshman Receivers (Class of 2024) in the Rankings 

Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Micah Hudson, Texas Tech

Ryan Wilson, Alabama

DEVY Prospects: P5 vs. non-P5

When ranking prospects in DEVY, a factor that weighs heavily is the level of competition. Researching productive fantasy runners in the NFL, I examined the top 24 ball carries (PPR format) over the past four seasons. The numbers clearly illuminate that ball carriers weighing over 200 pounds from P5 (now P4) programs are more likely to be productive as professionals. Over the past decade, I learned the hard way in Dynasty drafts with Kenneth Dixon (Louisiana Tech) Darrell Henderson (Memphis), and Rashaad Penny (San Diego State), who failed to meet expectations as professionals.

Wide receivers who suit up at P5 schools are also far more productive as NFL fantasy producers. There are always exceptions to the rule i.e., Davante Adams (Fresno State) and Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington). Last year, rookie Puka Nacua dominated the fantasy universe from BYU. Yet, it is important to remember that the Rams’ playmaker originally enrolled at Washington (a P5 school) before transferring to BYU. And Tyreek Hill signed with Oklahoma State (a P5 school) before leaving the program for off-the-field challenges. Whenever ranking DEVY prospects, I always consider where the competitor played in college. See charts below:

Top 24 RB Fantasy Finishes

RBs Power 5 vs. Non-P5 

Season P5 % Non-P5 %
2023 22 92% 2 8%
2022 18 75% 6 25%
2021 19 79% 5 21%
2020 18 75% 6 25%
Total 77 80% 19 20%

RBs Over 200 Pounds

Season > 200 % < 200 %
2023 21 87% 3 13%
2022 24 100% 0 0%
2021 24 0% 0 0%
2020 22 0% 2 0%
Total 91 95% 5 5%

Top 24 WR Fantasy Finishes

Season P5 % Non-P5 %
2023 20 83% 4 17%
2022 21 88% 3 12%
2021 20 83% 4 17%
2020 19 79% 5 21%
Total 80 83% 16 17%

Top 36 WR Fantasy Finishes

Season P5 % Non-P5 %
2023 29 81% 7 19%
2022 29 81% 7 19%
2021 29 81% 7 19%
2020 28 78% 8 22%
Total 115 80% 29 20%

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