Do you need a new challenge in fantasy football? Devy could be that next step! This article breaks down the basics of a Devy League.
So, you love fantasy football. You have played in redraft and dynasty leagues, but are ready for a new challenge. What could that next challenge be? Well, I suggest you try a devy league! In this series, I will answer all of your questions on how to get involved in this type of league. In this article, I will explain what exactly a devy league is and what to expect.
What is a Devy Fantasy League?
Devy is short for “developmental.” In dynasty leagues, you control your team year to year, making trades and drafting upcoming rookies. What if you really like Breece Hall coming out of college, but don’t have a top-pick?
In a devy league, you do not have to have the top pick. Since you draft players before they are NFL draft-eligible, you get the rights to that player while they are still in college. Once they finally hit the NFL, that player is automatically on your team.
It is the perfect extension to dynasty fantasy football. You get to be involved in football all year long, which makes watching college football even more exciting.
What Does a Devy Roster Look Like?
Most dynasty rosters consist of 10-11 starters and a deep bench consisting of 10 or more players. The difference with devy is that you have an extra set of players that you cannot get points from. Those players will be on a spreadsheet or have a placeholder on your roster. Both examples are shown below, with the placeholder having the name in parenthesis.
Devy and Rookie Drafts
Everyone in fantasy football gets rookie fever and loves the draft season. So, wouldn’t two drafts each year be better than one? Some leagues do a combined rookie/college player draft, but most have two separate ones.
The one drawback of the rookie draft is that, since it will be devy depleted, draft picks don’t always have as much value. On the other hand, there are always surprise risers in the NFL Draft. For example, Kenny Pickett this year and Zach Wilson in 2021.
The order for both drafts is usually done by standings at the end of the season. So the worse a team is, the better the chance for both rookie and college players.
A devy draft consists of players who are still in college, but there are some leagues that allow you to draft high school players. Each devy draft has a set number of rounds every year, so there will be plenty of players still coming through for the rookie draft.
Since some managers may choose to draft college players entering the NFL sooner than others, the number of devy players on each team will vary.
Why Should I Play in a Devy League?
I think devy leagues are more fun and they are the only leagues I am adding this offseason. I love college football but, even if you are a casual fan, this gives you a reason to pay attention to more teams. It also challenges you to test your scouting ability —everyone has tried franchise mode in Madden.
I asked a couple of devy league commissioners to see why they like devy:
The engagement is a lot more because we’re always looking toward the next two to three classes down the road. In normal dynasty leagues, people are absent all off-season and turn their football brains on for rookie drafts and then disappear again until the start of the regular season. People should join a devy league if they want to be active year long and are degenerates of fantasy football.
Devy adds a layer of uncertainty, difficulty, and strategy that cannot be found in simple dynasty leagues. It enhances a player pool that sometimes feels constricted and puts names on all those draft picks. I am no film or analytic analyst. Truthfully, I don’t even watch much college football, it’s just a different version of the game – like redraft vs dynasty.
Thanks for checking out my article, make sure to watch out for the next piece in the series on where to find devy leagues. You can read all my work on my IDP Guys Author Page and find me on Twitter @hayeb3.
