Wide Receiver · Philadelphia Eagles
DeVonta Smith — 2026 Fantasy Outlook
Analysis by Shawn Childs, from his 2026 guide — his words, unedited.
The case
- · The loss of AJ Brown clears a WR1 opportunity for Smith.
- · He ranked 19th (228.60), 28th (199.60), and 20th (201.80) in PPR scoring over the past three seasons, compared to 5th (291.60), 20th (216.90), and 12th (220.30) by Brown.
- · Smith has gained over 1,000 receiving yards in four consecutive seasons (95/1,186/7, 81/1,066/7, 84/1,023/9, and 77/1,008/4), with his 2024 season (four missed games) including his playoff stats (16/190/1).
- · The Eagles ranked 24th in pass attempts (497) and 28th in completions (318).
- · Philadelphia has an unproven WR2, along with questionable wide receiver depth, suggesting a career high in targets for Smith.
Question marks
- · Smith scored fewer than 10.00 fantasy points in 10 games last year, leading to an unfavorable floor (29.4%) and impact (11.8%) ratios. Six of his failing outcomes came over his final eight starts.
- · He only had one impact game (9/183/1) in 2025, and that came against the top wide receiver defense (MIN – 149/1,970/8 on 243 targets).
- · Will defenses be able to take him away with A.J. Brown no longer drawing WR1 coverage?
Shawn's conclusion
Barring an injury, Smith without a doubt should have a top 15 wide receiver opportunity. His dismal finish to last season will keep some drafters off his scent. Over his last 63 games, he averaged 5.1 catches for 65 yards and 0.41 touchdowns, adding up to 14.08 PPR fantasy points per game. Smith can’t help but have a 10% increase in his fantasy value in 2026. The Eagles’ new offensive coordinator should attack more in the deep passing game.
More on Smith
Smith's 2023 campaign felt underwhelming to the fantasy market, yet he still finished 19th among wide receivers in PPR scoring at 228.60 points. Four performances carried the bulk of his value (4/131/1, 7/106/1, 9/96/1, and 8/148), and folding in his playoff production (8/148) revealed a season nearly identical to the year prior (89 catches for 1,214 yards and seven touchdowns), worth 252.40 fantasy points in total. His playmaking quietly ticked upward, with a catch rate of 71.8% and yards per reception climbing from 12.6 to 13.6.
The early portion of the season dragged things down considerably. From Week 3 through Week 7, Smith managed just 21 catches for 205 yards on 35 targets, averaging 9.8 yards per reception and 8.30 PPR points per game. He found another gear from Week 8 through Week 16, averaging 17.66 fantasy points per outing, before an ankle injury in Week 17 kept him out of the regular-season finale.
Availability became the defining issue in 2024, as Smith missed four games due to a concussion, a stubborn hamstring problem, and a maintenance day in Week 18. He opened the year with a reliable floor, posting at least seven catches in each of his first three games (7/84, 7/76/1, and 7/79) on 28 combined targets. A quiet stretch followed from Week 6 through Week 11, when Smith saw six or fewer targets in five games and generated just two useful fantasy outings (6/85/1 and 4/87/1).
His year closed strong after returning from a two-game absence, with four consecutive active performances (4/37/1, 11/110/1, 6/51, and 6/120/2). The postseason added four more steady outings (16 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown on 17 targets across four games), despite being held to five targets or fewer in each matchup. Combining Smith’s 13 regular-season appearances with the playoff run produced a full-season equivalent of 84 catches for 1,024 yards and nine touchdowns on 106 targets, a legitimate upper-tier WR2 in PPR formats.
Last season, Smith turned in another steady 17 games, leading to 77 catches for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns on 113 targets. He gained over 100 receiving yards in only two contests (8/114 and 9/183/1). On the downside, Smith scored fewer than 10.00 PPR fantasy points in 10 of his 17 starts. His rocky receiving yards surprising ranked him 20th in PPR scoring (201.80).
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