DeVonta Smith On The Cusp Of A WR1 Breakout Fantasy Football Season
Ian Hartitz projects a big season for Philadelphia Eagles WR DeVonta Smith, who is the top target after the A.J. Brown trade.
We've heard plenty how Skinny Batman has been playing Robin pretty much since he entered the NFL in 2021. Not anymore. There's no taking a backseat now for DeVonta Smith after the big trade of A.J. Brown to the Patriots. The WR1 mantle in Philly is completely Smith's. Can he take his game to another level? Ian Hartitz breaks it down as part of his Philadelphia Eagles Team Preview.
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Is DeVonta Smith poised to do HUGE things as WR1?
- WR1: DeVonta Smith (WR14 in Fantasy Life ranks)
- WR2: Makai Lemon (WR41)
- WR3: Dontayvion Wicks (WR82)
- WR4: Hollywood Brown (WR97)
- WR5: Darius Cooper
Hell yeah, brother.
The numbers tell you that Smith has worked as the WR25 in PPR points per game since entering the league in 2021. That's sandwiched between Jaylen Waddle and DJ Moore. The man is really good. That's not up for debate. But you know what? My eyes tell me the man is actually already GREAT.
And now I will direct you to an interesting tidbit that Fantasy Life's fearless leader Matthew Berry heard at the combine:
"Regarding A.J. Brown, the Eagles are undecided on keeping him or not. They are definitely listening and are open to moving him as has been widely reported. But one thought around Brown possibly leaving that I hadn’t heard before was that the Eagles LOVE DeVonta Smith. They think, as good as he’s been in the NFL, he still hasn’t reached his full potential and has “another gear” he can get to. That, if Smith were given the same kind of target share as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he could have that kind of year. They believe in his talent that much and that’s among the many reasons they would be OK moving Brown."
Interesting. VERY interesting.
Now, Smith will have to prove that he's capable of dealing with a defense's full attention, but his previous auditions with AJB sidelined sure went fine:
DeVonta Smith with A.J. Brown out in 2024:
- Week 2, 2024: 7 receptions-76 yards-1 TD (10 targets)
- Week 3, 2024: 7-79-0 (10)
- Week 8, 2024: 6-84-0 (9)
- Week 18, 2024: 3-52-0 (4), pulled in second quarter after clearing 1,000 yards
It sure seems like a career-high workload is on the table for someone we've seen play the position at a high level over the years. Borderline WR1 treatment is warranted and encouraged.
Also note: Makai Lemon profiles as the No. 2 target here, although there's at least some question regarding whether he'll be trusted in two-WR sets based on his primary-slot usage at USC. Now, he should be! I literally wrote a scouting report on Lemon last March that dubbed him, "Not your Grandad's Slot Receiver." The Bilentnikoff Award Winner is an ultra-competitive YAC demon capable of winning at all three levels of the field. Still, this is a run-first offense lacking a top-tier pure passer under center–Lemon projects and ranks as a WR4 ahead of Year 1, even if 1.05 treatment in superflex rookie drafts is more than reasonable. … Dontayvion Wicks flashed some tantalizing separation ability during his time in Green Bay, but also dealt with plenty of issues in the hands department. He'll battle with the artist known as Hollywood for the WR3 job, although that role likely won't be any better than the nominal No. 5 pass-game option inside this run-first offense.
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