Fantasy Football Dynasty Watch: Top College Fantasy Football Players Week 12 (2023)

Mike Marteny takes a look at 2023 breakout collegiate stars that will be available in your fantasy football dynasty drafts within the next year or two. Who shined in Week 12 of the 2023 season?

We had another fun weekend of college football, but we as fans also got robbed of seeing Jordan Travis finish the season. He suffered a leg injury that will not only end his college career, but it will delay his NFL career as well. Best wishes, Jordan Travis. I've really liked watching you play!

We will help you get acclimated with these college players earlier than many of your fantasy football league mates. We here at RotoBaller are all about giving you an advantage.

I will highlight one quarterback, one running back, one wide receiver, and one tight end every week of the college season who put up some really big numbers. I'll let you know what it means for your dynasty leagues. Do these guys have NFL futures? You'll find out!

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
• Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• NFL rookie fantasy football rankings
• Best ball fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Fantasy Football Dynasty Watch: Quarterbacks

Jayden Daniels, LSU (25-30, 413 yards, 6 TD; 10 carries, 96 yards, 2 TD) vs. Georgia State

Stats like that are a dime a dozen for Daniels. Once again, he proves that he is the single best college football player of the 2023 season. Team wins don't tell the entire story.

This is a loaded quarterback class, but Daniels is my QB1 in dynasty leagues. I'm not even sure that I care about which team drafts him. I felt that Bryce Young wasn't the QB1 this year. I don't feel like Caleb Williams is in 2024 either. That's not to say that Williams won't be an All-Pro. I just think that Daniels will ultimately be better. That's how great this draft class is at the top.

Honorable mention: Frank Harris, UTSA; Bo Nix, Oregon; Josh Hoover, TCU

Fantasy Football Dynasty Watch: Running Backs

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, New Mexico (21 carries, 209 yards, 2 TD) at Fresno State

The current surge of the Lobos has coincided with Croskey-Merritt's evolution into a workhorse back for a team that routinely plays multiple quarterbacks. He is the only continuity on that offense right now. His 16 rushing touchdowns lead the entire country!

Croskey-Merritt is tough to bring down at 5'11" and 204 pounds. He has great lower-body strength but is still a shifty runner. Playing for a Mountain West school shouldn't discount him. Many great backs have come from that conference. Croskey-Merritt isn't a great receiver, so he profiles as an early-down back at best in the NFL. He's still going to need a strong showing at the Senior Bowl to get noticed by most scouts.

Honorable mention: Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech; Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State; Jahiem White, West Virginia

Fantasy Football Dynasty Watch: Wide Receivers

Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State (15 receptions, 189 yards) at Houston

Yes, he didn't score a touchdown. So what. This is about targets, volume, and raising his team from the depths. Presley has always had good hands and was expected to break out this year. Oklahoma State using three quarterbacks for the first month hampered his growth, but Presley is getting comfortable at the right time.

The 5'8", 175-pound senior profiles as a slot receiver. Presley, while he does have good speed, isn't the asset that's going to set him apart in the NFL. It's his hands and route running that only comes with experience.

Honorable mention: Joshua Cephus, UTSA; Ricky White, UNLV; Xavier Restrepo, Miami

Fantasy Football Dynasty Watch: Tight Ends

Jared Wiley, TCU (7 receptions, 154 yards, 2 TD) vs. Baylor

This was a career game for Wiley that might have seemed to come out of nowhere, but he had 10 receptions in the prior two games. This has been coming for a while now. Josh Hoover is comfortable with Wiley more than his other receivers right now.

At 6'7" and 260 pounds, Wiley was primarily known for his blocking. However, he has some receiving chops, too. Wiley has an NFL future due to his blocking ability, but he is also increasing his draft stock with his recent run of games. Scouts are going to give him a longer look and see if his receiving prowess is sustainable.

Honorable mention: John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming; Maliq Carr, Michigan State

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