The Philadelphia Eagles will face the Green Bay Packers on Wild Card Weekend. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding WR DeVonta Smith.
Is DeVonta Smith Playing vs. the Packers?
Smith missed Friday’s practice due to back tightness but is still expected to play Sunday against Green Bay.
It remains to be seen if the end-of-week problem is serious enough to warrant any kind of injury designation change over the weekend. Smith wasn’t listed Wednesday or Thursday, and this is the first report of a back injury all season.
We’ll continue to monitor the Eagles’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit DeVonta Smith on Wild Card Weekend?
Smith led the Eagles in catches when these two teams played in Week 1 (7-84-0 on eight targets). That was the beginning of a nice run to open the season (four touchdowns in seven games with over 60 receiving yards in six of them).
Once we got comfortable with him, however, things went sideways during a midseason swoon. That wasn’t a fun stretch for season-long managers, but we appear to be out of it now, and that means you can deploy him with confidence.
- Weeks 9-11: 16% target rate
- Weeks 14-17: 28% target rate
The missed time in the middle was the result of a hamstring injury that appears to be very much in the past. Not only is he back to earning looks at a high rate, but he’s moving down the field like what we’ve seen in previous years (Week 17 vs. Dallas: 14.2-yard aDOT). I prefer A.J. Brown at his cost this week, but with the Packers continuing to work around the Jaire Alexander absence, there’s certainly a path to Smith having a big performance.
He’s a top-10 receiver for me this week.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Wild Card Weekend Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
DeVonta Smith’s Fantasy Points Projection on Wild Card Weekend
As of Sunday, Smith is projected to score 17.5 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 6.1 receptions for 81.5 yards and 0.5 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight on the Packers' Defense
The Packers end the season in the top 10, but on a sour note after seeing their 11-game win streak against the Chicago Bears snapped.
Green Bay finished second in defensive EPA per dropback, behind only the Broncos. That was mostly a byproduct of all the Packers' splash plays, as they ranked third in takeaway rate and 10th in sack rate.
That has led to some massive games, but it also has limitations against the best offenses. Five of the Packers' six losses came against the Eagles, Vikings, and Lions, which bodes ominously for a playoff run that starts in Philadelphia.
The offensive injuries were the bigger concern coming out of Week 18. For the Packers to make a run in the playoffs, they'll need this unit's variance to swing in the right direction.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
DeVonta Smith’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 8:30 AM ET on Sunday, January 12. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Wild Card Superflex Rankings.
Wild Card WR PPR Rankings
1) Justin Jefferson | MIN (at LAR)
2) Puka Nacua | LAR (vs. MIN)
3) A.J. Brown | PHI (vs. GB)
4) Nico Collins | HOU (vs. LAC)
5) Mike Evans | TB (vs. WAS)
6) Ladd McConkey | LAC (at HOU)
7) Terry McLaurin | WAS (at TB)
8) Courtland Sutton | DEN (at BUF)
9) DeVonta Smith | PHI (vs. GB)
10) Jordan Addison | MIN (at LAR)
11) Cooper Kupp | LAR (vs. MIN)
12) George Pickens | PIT (at BAL)
13) Jalen McMillan | TB (vs. WAS)
14) Khalil Shakir | BUF (vs. DEN)
15) Quentin Johnston | LAC (at HOU)
16) Jayden Reed | GB (at PHI)
17) Marvin Mims Jr. | DEN (at BUF)
18) Rashod Bateman | BAL (vs. PIT)
19) Keon Coleman | BUF (vs. DEN)
20) Romeo Doubs | GB (at PHI)
21) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (at TB)
22) Amari Cooper | BUF (vs. DEN)
23) Calvin Austin III | PIT (at BAL)
24) Dontayvion Wicks | GB (at PHI)
25) John Metchie III | HOU (vs. LAC)
26) Jalen Nailor | MIN (at LAR)
27) Devaughn Vele | DEN (at BUF)
28) Dyami Brown | WAS (at TB)
29) Sterling Shepard | TB (vs. WAS)
30) Mack Hollins | BUF (vs. DEN)
31) Mike Williams | PIT (at BAL)
32) Tutu Atwell | LAR (vs. MIN)
33) Diontae Johnson | HOU (vs. LAC)
34) Nelson Agholor | BAL (vs. PIT)
35) Demarcus Robinson | LAR (vs. MIN)
36) DJ Chark | LAC (at HOU)
37) Van Jefferson | PIT (at BAL)
38) Jamison Crowder | WAS (at TB)
39) Troy Franklin | DEN (at BUF)
40) Robert Woods | HOU (vs. LAC)
41) Malik Heath | GB (at PHI)
42) Curtis Samuel | BUF (vs. DEN)
43) Xavier Hutchinson | HOU (vs. LAC)
44) Bo Melton | GB (at PHI)
45) Jordan Whittington | LAR (vs. MIN)
46) Tylan Wallace | BAL (vs. PIT)
47) Derius Davis | LAC (at HOU)
48) Jahan Dotson | PHI (vs. GB)
49) Lil'Jordan Humphrey | DEN (at BUF)
50) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (at TB)
51) Tyler Johnson | LAR (vs. MIN)
52) Ryan Miller | TB (vs. WAS)
53) Devontez Walker | BAL (vs. PIT)
54) Trey Palmer | TB (vs. WAS)
55) Johnny Wilson | PHI (vs. GB)
56) Rakim Jarrett | TB (vs. WAS)
57) Brandon Powell | MIN (at LAR)
58) Ainias Smith | PHI (vs. GB)
59) Anthony Miller | BAL (vs. PIT)
60) Christian Watson | GB (at PHI)
61) Tyrell Shavers | BUF (vs. DEN)
62) Roman Wilson | PIT (at BAL)
63) K.J. Osborn | BUF (vs. DEN)
64) Dennis Houston | TB (vs. WAS)
65) Dayton Wade | BAL (vs. PIT)
66) Parris Campbell | PHI (vs. GB)
67) Dez Fitzpatrick | LAC (at HOU)
68) David Sills V | DEN (at BUF)
69) Cody Thompson | TB (vs. WAS)
70) Brycen Tremayne | WAS (at TB)
71) Cornelius Johnson | GB (at PHI)
72) Kazmeir Allen | WAS (at TB)
73) Lucky Jackson | MIN (at LAR)
74) Drake Stoops | LAR (vs. MIN)
75) Danny Gray | PHI (vs. GB)
76) Xavier Smith | LAR (vs. MIN)
Packers at Eagles Trends and Insights
Green Bay Packers
Team: It was a difficult end to the season, but the Packers posted their second-best point differential during the Matt LaFleur era (+122)
QB: In Weeks 11-16, Jordan Love’s pressured passer rating was 107.2, a number that has plummeted to 53.6 in two consecutive losses to round out the regular season.
Offense: Green Bay is just 3-5 this season when failing to convert over one-third of its third downs (three-of-10 against the Bears in Week 18).
Defense: The Packers lost on Sunday despite allowing just 18.5 yards per drive (they were 5-0 this season when allowing under 25 yards per drive prior).
Fantasy: Josh Jacobs has rushed for a touchdown in a franchise-record eight straight games and is averaging 5.1 yards per carry over his past three games. He’s been able to add value in the passing game, catching each of his past 13 targets.
Betting: Since 2003, unders are 17-6-1 (73.9%) in Eagles playoff games, the second highest rate among franchises with at least five playoff games over that stretch (exception: Titans at 81.8%).
Philadelphia Eagles
Team: The Eagles have lost six of their past eight playoff games outright when favored (four Wild Card games are included in that sample, all losses).
QB: Jalen Hurts (and the coaching staff) is trusting his reads longer, a continued trend from the past few seasons. His quick pass rate in 2022 was 69.8% – it dipped to 61.7% in 2023 and finished this year at 57.3%.
Offense: Philadelphia was outscored by 14 points in the first quarter this season—just one of the past 12 Super Bowl champions has had a negative first-quarter point differential (2020 Buccaneers).
Defense: In Weeks 1-17, the Eagles were 12-0 when allowing 2.0 or fewer points per drive (1-3 otherwise).
Fantasy: Saquon Barkley led the position in top-10 PPR performances this season (10) despite not playing last week.
Betting: From 2013-20, home teams on Wild Card weekend were just 8-17-3 ATS (32%), but since 2021, when the shift to an 18-week regular season began, they have been 11-7 ATS (61.1%).