DeVonta Smith vs Bucky Irving

“Round 5: DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI) Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams was staring me in the face, but with a FLEX spot still available in a PPR league, I couldn’t pass up DeVonta Smith .”

“DeVonta Smith is a terrific receiver, but it might be a mistake to assume that Smith’s 2026 numbers will dwarf those of Lemon, the 20th overall pick in this year’s draft.”

“WR DeVonta Smith will move into the WR1 role on the Eagles and in fantasy. When A.J. Brown has missed games in the past, he steps up.”

“DeVonta Smith (PHI) : ADP 26.5 | WR12 The worst-kept secret in the NFL was the A.J. Brown trade. Smith has taken over as the Eagles’ No. 1 wide receiver with Brown in New England. Last season, he finished as the WR20, averaging 11.9 PPR fantasy points per game.”

“Last season, DeVonta Smith (like the rest of the Eagles’ offense) failed to live up to expectations. It was the former Heisman Trophy winner’s worst statistical season since his rookie year, way back in 2021. This year, the Eagles have made some changes.”

“In 21 games without Brown, Smith has over 1,200 yards and six touchdowns with almost seven targets per game. Now the clear No. 1 WR in Philly, his cost on Fantrax is just far too low.”

“He also pointed to anticipated schematic changes that could create more play-action and pre-snap motion, potentially increasing Smith's efficiency without requiring a dramatic spike in volume.”

“Jake Ciely believes Devonta Smith continues to be undervalued. Smith has already demonstrated that he can produce WR1 numbers whenever he's asked to handle a featured role. Even with other weapons in the offense, Ciely expects Philadelphia's passing attack to remain heavily concentrated, giving Smith another opportunity to outperform his draft position.”

“Smith has averaged over 1,000 receiving yards per season despite serving as a complementary piece to Brown. He is wired for big moments and big roles, and feels more than ready to become the focal point of the Eagles' passing game. He will almost certainly dominate targets in 2026 as long as he stays healthy.”

“Smith has taken over as the Eagles' No. 1 wide receiver with Brown in New England. Smith was outstanding when seeing enough volume, averaging 19.3 fantasy points per game in the seven contests where he had seven or more targets, scoring 20 or more in nearly a third of those outings.”

“Devonta Smith is a wide receiver for your Grand-Dad's democratic party. He used to boast about his open-mindedness to smaller wide receivers and he even mentioned Smith's impressive splits without A.J. Brown.”

“Now the unquestioned top receiving threat for Philadelphia following the departure of A.J. Brown to New England, Smith will see a clear path towards WR1 volume. Smith already has three 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his five-year career playing second-fiddle, so it stands to reason he can take a significant step forward with higher target volume and more plays designed towards him.”

“8 | Diff: +3 Over the last two seasons, with Bucky Irving in town, Rachaad White was a more effective per-touch player, but with Irving out of the lineup last year, he proved again that he can carry the mail (although while being horribly inefficient).”

“Bucky Irving ‘s rookie season was as impressive as they come, considering his draft capital (125th overall).”

“Bucky Irving was the only top-12 drafted RB to miss more than two games.”

“Top-12 Drafted RBs in 2025 RB 2025 ADP 2024 Finish 2025 Games Played Bijan Robinson RB1 RB3 17 Saquon Barkley RB2 RB13 16 Jahmyr Gibbs RB3 RB4 17 Christian McCaffrey RB4 RB1 17 Derrick Henry RB5 RB7 17 Ashton Jeanty RB6 RB12 17 Josh Jacobs RB7 RB15 15 De’Von Achane RB8 RB6 16 Jonathan Taylor RB9 RB2 17 Bucky Irving RB10 RB33 10 Chase Brown RB11 RB8 17 Kyren Williams RB12 RB9 17 2025 RB Health Last season, nine out of 12 top RBs drafted finished as an RB1, resulting in a mostly chalky season at the top for RBs.”

“Bucky Irving checks all the boxes when it comes to identifying a true “buy low” player.”

“After finishing his rookie season as the RB13, averaging 14.4 PPR fantasy points per game, Bucky Irving regressed last year and struggled to stay healthy, missing seven contests. Furthermore, Irving had offseason shoulder surgery and might not be fully ready for training camp.”

“Irving finished dead last in that metric among qualifying running backs last season, which sounds damning, but he ranked sixth in the same metric in 2024. The difference is the offensive line: Tampa Bay’s line ranked second in adjusted line yards during Irving’s rookie season and collapsed to 22nd last year due to injuries.”

“Even before the injury that sidelined him, Irving averaged just 3.3 yards per carry while ranking 32nd in explosive yards, 45th in missed tackles forced per attempt and 33rd in runs for first downs at his position. With Tampa Bay deploying a full rotation of backs, it feels extremely hard to replicate.”

“Bucky Irving is a favorite draft target in the fifth round based on ADP.”

“With his second season being muddied with injuries and mental well-being issues, he enters his third season as a true fantasy question mark. This offseason, the Buccaneers gave Kenneth Gainwell a substantial contract and also brought back Sean Tucker. If both of these backs stick to their respective roles, we are looking at an early-down back in Irving who will be limited.”

“Who would have thought that the best back in the class by far was the sixth one selected on draft day? Taken with the 125th pick by the Buccaneers, Bucky Irving's hard-nosed running for a back his size won over fantasy managers.”

“Irving also has to deal with the arrival of Kenneth Gainwell, who signed a two-year deal with Tampa Bay. Gainwell has garnered plenty of praise this offseason, with head coach Todd Bowles recently saying Gainwell is the 1b to Irving's 1a.”