DeVonta Smith was supposed to be a nice complementary piece to A.J. Brown for the Philadelphia Eagles last season, but he instead proved to be a co-star. Smith capped off a super sophomore season with 100 yards in the Super Bowl and enters 2023 with fantasy football expectations that exceed those of top options in most offenses.
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DeVonta Smith’s Fantasy Outlook
Brown and Smith were one of the most dynamic receiving duos in the game last season (183 catches for 2,692 yards and 18 TDs), and a repeat showing is certainly on the radar, with this passing game largely being the same as it was last season.
The primary difference this year comes in the backfield, where Miles Sanders has been replaced by D’Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny. Both backs carry a checkered health history, but with Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott providing depth, the Eagles are the rare team that can out-bully and out-finesse you.
Will @DeVontaSmith_6 be turning heads in Year 3? 👀 pic.twitter.com/huZsvItRgp
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) August 20, 2023
The only knock on this passing game is the lack of short-range scores … talk about upper-class problems. Half the league struggles to score, and the problem with the reigning NFC champions is how they score!
Is DeVonta Smith a Good Fantasy Pick?
He sure is, and the argument could easily be made that the discount you get on him makes him a better pick than Brown. He posted a higher third-down target share and better catch rate over expectation than Brown.
I’m not willing to call him the alpha in this offense — he’s not — but this isn’t a Batman/Robin situation. It’s more like a Seinfeld situation. Depending on the episode, Jerry or George would be the focal point … it was great TV either way.
No matter how you slice it, you’re not losing your league because you spent an early pick on an Eagles receiver.
- PFN Consensus Rank: 28th overall
- Current ADP: 25th overall