9 Top Devy Buys Before the 2026 NFL Season (Fantasy Football)

In Devy leagues, a buy can mean one of two things. It can mean a buy on the trade market, which is what most think of when they think buy. However, when it comes to devy, it also means a player to prioritize in your annual devy draft. Like rookie drafts, devy drafts happen every offseason, usually consisting of three to five rounds, though deeper leagues sometimes go up to seven. We will take a look at players to either target via trade or aggressively in your devy draft. We will be excluding freshmen, because ranking freshmen is not the purpose of this column.

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9 Top Devy Buys Before the 2026 NFL Season (Fantasy Football)

Bryce Underwood (QB – Michigan)

The top quarterback prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, Underwood was a bit of a disappointment as a freshman starter at Michigan. There was enough drama at Michigan over the last couple of seasons that most freshmen would have struggled out the gate, especially without a quarterbacks coach at his disposal. Add to that an abysmal drop rate (12.2%) by his pass catchers, and we can see Underwood did not have much of a chance in year one. Now seen as a potential bust by many, you can land him at a deep, deep discount. Should the market have corrected after a disappointing season? Yes, but the market overcorrected, leading to a unique buy-low window on a massively talented quarterback who appears destined for an eventual first round grade.

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (QB – Cal)

JKS is already an early to mid 1st round pick in C2C leagues; however, in devy drafts, especially those for pre-existing leagues, he is falling through the cracks. Whether rival managers assume he was selected last year (he rarely was, unless your drafts are deeper than five rounds) or they are focusing their efforts on other positions, JKS is a buy as far as devy drafts are concerned. If he is already rostered, his manager likely knows how good he is, so put out a feeler but don’t overpursue. His inclusion here is meant specifically for devy drafts.

Malachi Toney (WR – Miami)

Those of you who also read our devy sells column may be wondering how a player can simultaneously be a buy and a sell. Here’s how: If he is already rostered in your devy league, his value is around its peak, and you may even be able to package him for someone like Jeremiah Smith or Arch Manning. That’s how highly the market currently views him. However, if he is still available (and he is in most devy formats, as he was the 55th-ranked WR at 24/7 Sports), he is an elite buy in devy drafts. Some of the managers in your league, undoubtedly, do not even realize he is available. He has regularly fallen to the mid-to-late first round in devy drafts simply because rival managers assume he must have been selected last season, similar to what we have seen with Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele. There is a strong case for Toney to be the devy 1.01 for pre-existing leagues.

Ryan Coleman-Williams (WR – Alabama)

Most who follow college football know that former devy darling Ryan Williams, now known as Ryan Coleman-Williams, has seen his star fade due to concerns with dropped passes. It should be noted, however, that Germie Bernard is now in the NFL, putting massive passing volume up for grabs in Alabama’s passing game. And while we (painfully) still do not know who will be under center for the Crimson Tide, we know that Williams and Lotzeir Brooks should be the 1a/1b or 1b/1a in this offense. KC Concepcion was a first round pick with serious drop concerns, so if Williams shows enough, he should at least receive a first round grade whenever he decides to come out. He still has three years of eligibility left in the new college 5×5, so he will likely only declare when the NFL advisory committee suggests that he will indeed be going on Day 1. Buy low on Williams where at all possible.

Charlie Becker (WR – Indiana)

Arguably the most talented wide receiver on Indiana’s National Championship team, Charlie Becker will have another season to prove it. He has been joined by Nick Marsh, a transfer from Michigan State, to form what should be one of the more exciting wide receiver duos in college football. Becker is not even rostered in many ocean-deep C2C leagues, so there should be few, if any, devy leagues in which he is already rostered. He is someone to target in the top six of your devy draft this season, alongside JKS, Toney, Savion Hiter, Chris Henry, and Ezavier Crowell, and perhaps Tristen Keys. Becker already boasts elite metrics like 3.41 YPRR, a 77 percent catch rate, top speed of 22.2 MPH, and a 146.8 QB rating when targeted despite 20.0 yards per catch.

Ahmad Hardy (RB – Missouri)

Hardy is another player who also made the devy sell list. If you want to read our discourse on that topic, click here. He is a buy because his offseason troubles have presented a buy-low window for shrewd managers. Hardy was seen as the top runner for the 2027 NFL Draft class, and while he offers little as a pass catcher, his competition in Jadan Baugh and Kewan Lacy will not push him for that title. His inclusion here is all about being able to acquire him at a discount, potentially a deep one, versus what he would have gone for prior to suffering the gunshot wound. Hardy is talented enough to take a risk on in a trade, provided you are able to buy low enough. Put out some feelers to ascertain if his current manager is willing to trade him.

Gideon Davidson (RB – Clemson)

Expected to play a major role in Clemson’s backfield when most of us did our C2C and devy drafts last season, Davidson instead saw just 60 carries due to Adam Randall switching to running back full time ahead of the 2025 college season. With Randall now in the NFL and running backs coach C.J. Spiller firmly behind him, Davidson is expected to have a breakout season. Most C2C managers will know this already. However, devy managers, especially those who do not play C2C, may be willing to trade Gideon at a discount due to disappointment with his performance last season. At the very least, he seems destined for over 1,000 rushing yards at one of the premier universities for visibility, which should allow you to cash in during the offseason if you feel so inclined. He could also force his way into the Day 2 conversation in a college landscape that is short on elite talents who are also producing at an elite level. Test the waters in an attempt to acquire Davidson where possible.

Raleek Brown (RB – Texas)

Raleek Brown is in a position to put himself in the Day 2 mix with a strong season for the Texas Longhorns. Currently viewed as more of a Day 3 prospect, Brown rushed for 1,161 yards at Arizona State last season, but the heightened profile of playing for Texas will buoy his stock if he can have similar success. He will have to contend with Hollywood Smothers this season, and that is a large part of the reason he is a buy-low candidate. Smothers is expected to be the 1a back in this offense, which should give you some leverage if you bring it up in trade discussions with a rival manager. We already know multiple backs can succeed in the Longhorns offense and both project to improve their draft stocks this season, even if Raleek is the 1b or ‘backup’. Take a low cost swing at Raleek in the trade market where possible.

Willie Rodriguez (TE – Kentucky)

Willie Rodriguez impressed as a redshirt sophomore and has firmly placed himself on NFL radars, thanks to a combination of NFL size, in-line blocking ability, and receiving skills displayed in the SEC. The preseason All-SEC selection has been hailed as an ‘NFL player’ and ‘one of the best tight ends in the country ‘ by new head coach Will Stein, who just so happens to be the offensive coordinator who saw Terrence Ferguson go in the second round, Kenyon Sadiq in the first, and has Jamari Johnson projected for the first. Rodriguez has the skill set of a Day 2 tight end and should get there if he stays healthy. He is someone you can target late in your devy draft as he is not rostered in the vast majority of leagues.

Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.