DeVonta Smith vs Josh Jacobs

“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.”

“At 170 pounds, the physical toll of intermediate, over-the-middle target volume is a major durability risk. Furthermore, Hurts has historically avoided the middle of the field; if he refuses to pull the trigger on timed crossers or in-breaking routes, Smith's ceiling could be capped.”

“31 10 21 James Cook 13 5 8 Josh Jacobs 7 15 -8 Saquon Barkley 2 13 -11 Bucky Irving 10 33 -23 In past years, so many top RBs have gotten hurt that the Zero (or hero) RB draft strategies have become popular.”

“Running Back For the RB1 cutoff, one analyst goes as deep as Josh Jacobs around RB15, while the other draws the line one tier earlier at Derrick Henry.”

“Josh Jacobs (RB – GB) Josh Jacobs finds himself in a similar situation to Saquon Barkley, but for very different reasons. Unlike Barkley, who has a new offensive coordinator and is on a team primed to bounce back from top to bottom, Jacobs finds himself in a very similar situation to last season.”

“The swift decline in Josh Jacobs' market value has everything to do with the legal cloud hanging over him. He was arrested in late May on domestic violence allegations. While he was later released, prosecutors say the investigation is still ongoing.”

“With starting running back Josh Jacobs entering his age-28 stride, and also being the alleged perpetrator of domestic violence, Lloyd may finally get a shot to play meaningful snaps for the Packers.”

“Josh Jacobs might be the biggest value in early fantasy football drafts. Despite finishing as a productive fantasy back last season, Jacobs is currently being drafted outside the top 12 running backs in many formats. The case is simple: Green Bay trusts Jacobs near the goal line, he remains heavily involved as an early-down runner, and his receiving floor is underrated.”

“Josh Jacobs at 299 [college touches] is one of only two other backs who had fewer than 400 college touches and were first-round picks.”

“Josh Jacobs' legal situation makes things a bit cloudy for the upcoming season, but it's never a bad thing to stockpile running backs.”

“Jacobs will be subject to the league's personal conduct policy and will likely face a suspension ahead of the 2026 season, pending the league's internal investigation.”

“Jacobs' attorneys announced that their client "vehemently denies" the allegations against him: "Josh vehemently denies the allegations, and this matter is in the early stages of investigation with important evidence that has not yet been made public."”

“Jacobs turned himself in to the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department in Wisconsin after the incident occurred on Saturday, May 23.”

“Josh Jacobs was arrested on Tuesday and charged with five counts of domestic abuse, including Battery–Domestic Abuse, Criminal Damage to Property–Domestic Abuse, Disorderly Conduct–Domestic Abuse, Strangulation and Suffocation, and Intimidation of a Victim.”