DeVonta Smith
Smith has taken over as Philadelphia's clear passing-game focal point, running a route on nearly every dropback and drawing a 38% target share once Dallas Goedert went down and the offense shifted to more 11-personnel dropback football. He's coming off back-to-back double-digit-target, double-digit-catch games, but a Thursday hamstring absence has put his Week-in-question status front and center for Monday's game against the Bears.
Early in the window, FantasyPros and Fantasy Football Today flagged a worrying dip in slot rate and rising average depth of target, wondering if Philly was leaning on him for boom-or-bust shots rather than schemed-up volume. That concern evaporated after the 10-catch, 117-yard, one-TD explosion once Barkley and Goedert exited a game — Yahoo's Matt Harmon, Rotoworld, and Fantasy Football Happy Hour all pivoted hard, calling him a top-five receiver and a 'ride or die' start, with FantasyPros floating him as a target worth more than George Pickens in trade talks. The one crack in the consensus now is Yahoo's Josh & Hayden, who rank him WR13 for the Bears game over game-script worries that a heavy Barkley workload could cap his ceiling even as RotoWire and FantasyPros still peg him as a top-five play if the hamstring checks out.
The line: Locked-in WR1 target share once healthy — trust the role, just check Friday's injury report before you finalize lineups.
▲ Dynasty Nerds Podcast | Dynasty Fantasy Football: Projected as the likely 1.1 overall pick in the next rookie draft given how poorly the Giants/Jets-type lottery teams are performing. listen ↗
▼ Rotoworld Football Show – Fantasy Football: Leads in air yards and first-read target share but ranks near the bottom of the league in EPA per target, raising doubts about whether he's miscast as a true WR1 without A.J. Brown. listen ↗
▲ Yahoo Fantasy Forecast with Matt Harmon: Continues to win 50-50 balls and is the clear top receiver in a struggling Eagles passing game. listen ↗
▲ Dynasty Nerds Podcast | Dynasty Fantasy Football: Hosts speculate he could be the first overall pick in the next draft (college prospect), noting Vegas may be pricing itself out of the sweepstakes by winning games; Miami/Tampa Bay/Tennessee floated as landing spots. listen ↗
▲ Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry: Best bet for Monday Night Football over 70.5 receiving yards given a 33% target share and a leaky Bears secondary. listen ↗
▶ Fantasy Football Today: Confirmed to play. listen ↗
▼ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Dealing with a hamstring injury and didn't practice, a tough break given a favorable Bears matchup. listen ↗
▶ Fantasy Football Today: Missed Thursday practice with a hamstring issue but was reportedly just without pads; hosts want to see Friday's report before fully trusting him. listen ↗
▲ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Hosts call him a top-five receiver play this week and advise against trading him now, waiting for his stock to rise further after a big game. listen ↗
▲ RotoWire Fantasy Football With Theo Gremminger: Ranked as a top receiver for Week 3 given a Bears defense that plays heavy man coverage; coming off a career-high 13 targets. listen ↗
▼ Yahoo Fantasy Football with Josh & Hayden: Ranked lower than consensus (WR13) due to concern the Eagles won't need to pass much and Saquon Barkley could dominate game script, despite a great individual matchup. listen ↗
▶ Yahoo Fantasy Forecast with Matt Harmon: Injury status uncertain heading into Monday night game; impacts Dontayvion Wicks' and DeVonta Smith's flex value. listen ↗
▲ Dynasty Nerds Podcast | Dynasty Fantasy Football: Bounced back from a quiet Week 1 to a 27.7-point outing highlighted by sideline catches, benefiting from Dallas Goedert's injury; hosts think he becomes a high-end WR2 while Goedert is out. listen ↗
▲ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Coming off a big game with Dallas Goedert out for a month; hosts view him as a rising WR1 and someone they'd trade George Pickens for straight up. listen ↗
▲ Yahoo Fantasy Forecast with Matt Harmon: Running a route on 96% of dropbacks and playing like a top-five receiver as the Eagles shift to a pass-heavy, 11-personnel offense due to their struggling run game. listen ↗
▲ Rotoworld Football Show – Fantasy Football: Commands a huge 56% share of Eagles air yards and should benefit further as Philly is forced to throw more with a shaky run game. listen ↗
▶ The Audible: Embracing the number one receiver role and says he can be that guy, but hosts and Matt Waldman are skeptical of consistent WR1 weeks, projecting him more as a high-end WR2 (Dave Kluge ranks him WR13). listen ↗
▲ Establish The Run Fantasy Football: Put up 25.7 FanDuel points, third-most among skill players, reinforcing the pay-up-WR tournament thesis. listen ↗
▲ Fantasy Focus Football: Smashed with 10 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets after Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert exited the game. listen ↗
▲ Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry: Had 10 catches for 117 yards and a TD with a 38% target share through two games; hosts feel great about him as a true 'ride or die' option. listen ↗
▲ Rotoworld Football Show – Fantasy Football: Posted his third 10-catch game with 117 yards and a touchdown, targeted early and late; hosts believe this explosive version is close to the 'real' Smith going forward. listen ↗
▲ FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast: Suggested as a buy-low target in return for AJ Brown, seen as undervalued after a modest Week 1. listen ↗
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