DeVonta Smith vs Chris Olave

“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.”

“Shough is the unquestioned starter entering 2026, and he’s entering his second season with Chris Olave still in place and Tyson joining the offense”

“They also locked up Chris Olave with a massive contract extension”

“There are a lot of factors to consider when determining the value of a fantasy asset, and it is no different when evaluating the dynasty value of Chris Olave . We can look at the optimistic picture painted by his success with a new QB & new coach, finishing as the WR6 in the 2025 season.”

“After several concussions, most notably two in 2024, Olave returned to form. Olave played 16 games, putting up 100 receptions, 1163 yards, and nine TDs before missing Week 18 due to a blood clot.”

“That has him going ahead of players like Chris Olave , DeVonta Smith and Tetairoa McMillan — all of whom have similar WR1 upside without the same red flags.”

“Chris Olave showed immediate rapport with Tyler Shough , finishing his season on a high note. With Travis Etienne Jr. and Jordyn Tyson , the Saints’ offense should be significantly improved, which will help Olave’s efficiency.”

“Last year, it looked like he was back to form with 100 catches and 1,163 yards. Can we get another full season, Chris? Please!”

“Chris Olave's end-of-season yardage total (1163) looks fine and maybe not as impressive considering he played all 17 games, but he actually ranked #1 in the league in total air yards with 1,820, which tells us that the Saints left a ton of yards on the field as Olave's catch rate (66.2%) and catchable target rate (76.8%) was lower subpar due to poor targets or deep shots that never came to fruition.”

“The cupboards were largely bare at wideout behind Chris Olave.”

“The concern with Chris Olave comes down almost entirely to concussion history. Three straight seasons involving concussions, plus additional issues dating back to college, create long-term dynasty risk that's difficult to ignore, with reports that Olave even contemplated retirement after his latest concussion.”

“New Orleans added three wide receivers and a tight end through the draft, and signed Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency. Olave hauled in 25 percent of the team's receptions, and replicating that number will be dang near impossible.”

“Chris Olave is a slight loser with Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson going to New Orleans at No. 8 overall. It's doubtful that he'll approach 156 targets again with another high-end weapon in the mix.”