DeVonta Smith vs Ladd McConkey

“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.”

“Ladd McConkey is my bet for Herbert’s pass-catcher who will benefit the most from better health along the offensive line.”

“After working through it, the analyst landed on preferring McConkey over Tate, citing more confidence in McConkey’s current quarterback situation and offensive environment, along with an already-strong rookie season once his playoff performance is factored in.”

“With Allen no longer on the team, this opens up the opportunity for McConkey to emerge as Justin Herbert's clear top receiver and demand an elite target share. There's a clear path to him earning 150+ targets and hauling in 100+ receptions.”

“There's no denying Ladd McConkey was a massive fantasy disappointment last season. He saw a drop from 15.1 PPR points per game as a rookie down to 11.3.”

“Ladd at ADP 34 is a steep price for a role that could be more complicated than the market is admitting. The Chargers added David Njoku, Charlie Kolar, and Alec Ingold, which points to more 12 & 21 personnel, and that matters for a player who ran 64.0% of his routes from the slot.”

“McConkey's CTCH% dropped from 73% to 62% year-over-year, and that drop, combined with a lower YPC, made a substantial difference in his performance. Much of this can be attributed to the offensive line injuries and subsequent pocket pressure that QB Justin Herbert faced much of the season. Herbert was pressured on 45% of McConkey's targets, and his catchable targets dropped by 10 percentage points. Bringing back a fully healthy offensive line and drafting four additional linemen (including the #1 ranked Center in the class) should make a big difference for this offensive unit.”

“Despite a gaffe-riddled rookie year, QJ showed marginal development in his second season, and Ladd McConkey looked like one of the steals of the draft in 2024. Then Allen, who departed for a one-year sabbatical in Chicago in 2024, returned to Los Angeles for his swan song and mucked the whole thing up! Or did he? The narrative in the fantasy football community has been that Keenan Allen NERFed Ladd McConkey's 2025 numbers, but further analysis shows there were several other factors at play.”

“Ladd McConkey is being drafted just ahead of Josh Allen, who has a late-third-round ADP.”

“Jake Ciely's favorite wide receiver target closes the list. Although Ladd McConkey disappointed many fantasy managers last season, Ciely believes the market has overcorrected. With Mike McDaniel now running the Chargers offense, he expects McConkey to become the clear focal point of the passing game. McDaniel's offenses have consistently funneled targets to their top receiver, and Ciely believes McConkey is perfectly suited for that role thanks to his ability to create separation and generate yards after the catch. If the offense performs as expected, McConkey has a realistic path back into WR1 territory.”

“The biggest boost for McConkey is the arrival of Mike McDaniel as the Chargers' offensive coordinator. Last season, McConkey ran 90% of his routes with three receivers on the field, while just 10% came in 1-WR or 2-WR sets. Compare that to Jaylen Waddle last season under McDaniel, a similar player stylistically, who ran 54% of his routes in 3-WR sets and 46% in 1-WR or 2-WR sets.”

“With the departure of Allen and the addition of Mike McDaniel, there is reason to once again be excited about this offense. McConkey is by far the most talented and should rarely leave the field.”

“Despite the addition of Jim Harbaugh, McConkey's numbers were not dissimilar to those of his rookie season. However, he fell from 1,149 yards to 789 yards on only six fewer targets.”