Devy Digest: CFB Monday Musings - Week One

Andy Pham covers the first week of college football!

Prelude: Our Monday Musings article will wrap up the week that was. We’ll cover stock up, stock down, and some names to watch who might flirt with the devy landscape. We’ll discuss the waiver wire of your C2C leagues, how to structure each player, and the allocation you should give to each potential pickup, and the reasoning behind it.

Devy Stock Up ⬆️

Clemson WR Antonio Williams (2025)

The 5’11 junior comes off an injury-plagued 2023, which raised concerns about his outlook for the current season. Further questions about the Quarterback play and suspect coaching decisions made Williams one of the more exciting prospects. All of those concerns were washed away when he was the lone bright spot for Clemson. Williams was the starting boundary receiver and operated out wide 66.7% of the time. It continues the trend we saw at the end of the season when Clemson took on Kentucky in their bowl game, where Williams was deployed out wide. Williams's game has primarily been out of the slot, but his skill set sets him up to be a boundary receiver at the next level. Williams is a pure route-running savant, and watching him work his craft is beautiful. He’ll have to contend with Cade Klubnik as his Quarterback for at least one more season, but any concerns about his usage should be alleviated. Williams saw seven targets and came down with six receptions for 76 yards. We saw a more expansive usage with Williams. Williams has been asked to work short area routes, but against Georgia, we saw Williams be given a more expanded route tree, and three of his seven targets were further than 10 yards, including a deep pass that WIlliams came down with. It’s a potentially deep class at the position for the 2025 NFL Draft, but if we continue to see Clemson use Williams properly, he has every right to be in the discussion as a late first-round pick. 

Georgia RB Nate Frazier (2027)

The true freshman was our RB3 of the class and our overall RB25 in the final offseason rankings. Frazier, a converted wide receiver from powerhouse Mater Dei in Santa Ana, California, was the change of pace receiving back and constantly flashed potential. The concern with his profile is he never had a season with more than 95 carries. With Trevor Etienne suspended, Roderick Robinson recovering from turf toe surgery, and Branson Robinson not at full strength due to his injury, Frazier was given reps early and made the most of his opportunity. What I liked about what we saw was that he had a drop and was taken to the sidelines. Instead of sulking, he returned and showcased his skill set, which capped off his day with a touchdown. The freshman made his mark and made a case to be part of the rotation when Etienne and Roderick Robinson return from their separate issues. Frazier will be allowed to work up to getting more touches, and the concern of him not getting so many carries will be lessened by being part of the rotation now and setting himself up for two years in the Georgia strength and conditioning program before he is asked to take on a more significant workload. This past weekend, Frazier was a big winner with 11 rushes for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Oklahoma RB Taylor Tatum (2027)

Tatum comes into Norman as one of the most complete backs in his freshman class. It was speculated that Gavin Sawchuck would be the lead back, followed by a committee that includes Jovantae Barnes and transfer up Sam Franklin. Tatum looked good in his limited touches and led the team in rushing. Tatum showed the talent is there, and Barnes has a history of injuries, including a dead bone in his foot that will always linger for him. That combination with Tatum flashing is a stock-up for the freshman. Tatum was our RB4 of the class and our overall RB29.

Oklahoma WR Deion Burks (2025)

We heard the steady drumbeat for Burks all offseason. Oklahoma has been snake-bit at the position, and Burks proved to be the safety blanket for Jackson Arnold. The two have built a good rapport and Burks could springboard this into good draft capital once he declares for the NFL. Burks was schemed up early and often, with three carries and six receptions; Burks should be the focal point in a potent offense, and Burks showed his electric playmaking ability with three touchdowns against Temple.

Devy Stock Down ⬇️

Texas A&M QB Conner Weigman (2025)

Weigman was simply dreadful. He looked lost on the field, made bad reads, and panicked too quickly. He never looked comfortable in a system that is quarterback-friendly. There’s been buzz about him being a potential top quarterback in this draft class, but with limited action in the past two seasons, it was a massive projection. With Evan Stewart no longer with the program, Weigman didn’t have a playmaker to bail him out. Notre Dame has a good defense, but they had six months to prepare for this game. I understand Weigman has been on the shelf for some time, but there was no growth in his mechanics. Texas A&M has a cupcake next week to rebound before a conference game with Florida.

C2C Waiver-Wire Pickups

I’m more aggressive earlier in the season, as weeks one and two give you information you should adjust to. The most crucial waiver pickups happen early. Too many managers are conservative early on; use that to your advantage and pick up some league winners. The FAAB allocation will be aggressive but will be worth it and secure high-profile assets.

CFF Prospects

North Texas WR Damon Ward Jr (2025)

Ward is rostered in 26% of leagues, and there is a good possibility that he is on your waiver wire. Ward should be a top priority if you’re pushing all in on the CFF side or if you are a possible contender based on your roster construction. This forces you to look at your roster from a macro level and see how competitive you are. There are two circumstances where Ward is a priority. You’re a true contender and want to bolster your lineup and block your main competition. The other is to pick him up and flip him before the trade deadline. You can flip a top CFF asset for a fifth or sixth-round supplemental pick. In limited waiver leagues (six or fewer), Ward is classified as a high-priority add. A true contender should consider putting 50+% of their FAAB. If you know your league and can flip him, 50% off your FAAB for what will end up being a fifth to sixth-round supplemental pick is a good trade-off.

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