Fantasy football is a constantly evolving game. It’s hard to imagine the creators of fantasy football could ever have predicted the game’s various iterations that would emerge. One of the more recent versions is Devy. What are Devy leagues, and how do they differ from more traditional dynasty fantasy football leagues?
What is Devy?
At this point, it feels like just about every conceivable version of fantasy football exists. Devy fantasy football involves drafting an entire collegiate roster in addition to your standard NFL roster.
How do Devy fantasy football leagues differ from traditional dynasty leagues?
In traditional dynasty fantasy football formats, managers supplement their rosters each offseason with a rookie draft. Devy leagues don’t have a typical rookie draft. Instead, there is a draft of incoming college freshmen (and other unrostered college players). Once a college player is drafted into the NFL, he becomes part of your dynasty roster.
The primary difference is instead of waiting for college players to enter the NFL draft before fantasy managers draft them, you’re drafting them while they’re in college.
Devy fantasy football leagues pose a whole different challenge for fantasy managers. You don’t have the benefit of watching a player play in college before deciding if you think he will make a productive pro. Fantasy managers need to have a vast knowledge of players and try and find the next superstars before they prove themselves on a college football field.
How does a Devy draft work?
Each offseason, fantasy managers will draft a specific number of unrostered college players onto their Devy rosters. How many players are allowed is entirely up to your commissioner. Some leagues may only have a couple. Others may have as many as 10. There’s no hard and fast rule governing how many players can be on a Devy roster.
Will there still be a rookie draft?
It depends. Odds are there will be players every year that emerge as potentially productive NFL players that aren’t on Devy rosters. Your league needs a way to inject these players into the player pool.
I would recommend having a separate rookie draft in addition to a Devy draft. The rookie draft can be as short as 1-2 rounds. It will consist of college players entering the NFL draft but not already on Devy rosters.
Do Devy players accumulate fantasy points?
The next evolution of fantasy football beyond Devy is what is known as Campus to Canton leagues. In this format, the performance of Devy players matters because you have an entire college portion of your fantasy football league.
However, in Devy leagues, your college players are merely placeholders. They are there, waiting in the wings to be called up to your NFL roster if and when they make it to the pros. Devy players’ college performance only matters to the extent it suggests future productivity at the NFL level. Their actual college stats do not impact your fantasy point total.
Should you join a Devy fantasy football league?
I’m not of the belief that hardcore fantasy gamers need to play in the most hardcore leagues. It’s entirely up to you and the investment you want to make in this game we all love.
Dynasty fantasy football leagues test your ability to predict how players will perform throughout their NFL careers. Devy leagues start that clock from the moment a player enters college.
Do you consider yourself an expert college scout? If not, do you want to become one?
We’ve all pinpointed breakout stars in fantasy football before. If you find that feeling immensely rewarding and want to compound it tenfold, try calling a future stud when he’s just an 18-year-old kid. If this is something you find appealing, perhaps now is the time to dive into your first Devy fantasy football league. And, if so, here’s a primer on how to play Devy fantasy football.