DeVonta Smith vs Travis Etienne

“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.”

“While the additions of Travis Etienne and rookie Jordyn Tyson are cause to question Olave’s target share, what about his previous injuries? How do five documented concussions shape the future outlook for Olave?”

“He lands with New Orleans after a season where he was 11th in snap share, 13th in opportunity share, tenth in weighted opportunities, and fifth in red zone touches. Etienne soaked up 296 touches, producing 1,399 total yards.”

“Etienne Jr.'s momentum skyrocketed with the rest of the Jaguars team after the Week 8 bye. He averaged 17.5 fantasy points per game and scored more than six receiving touchdowns on fewer than 40 receptions. Etienne Jr. will bring life back to this running game and could be the perfect complement if Shough can continue his hot streak.”

“Travis Etienne Jr. bounced back in a big way last season, amassing 1,100 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns for the Jaguars. He's headed into arguably an even better situation in New Orleans, at least in terms of backfield competition. Etienne posted an RB10 overall finish in 2025 with a 65.1% snap share. If that climbs up closer to the 75% range in New Orleans (which feels realistic given the depth chart), I don't see why he can't hit 1,500 rushing yards.”

“The Saints signed Travis Etienne to headline their backfield, but among 43 running backs with at least 150 touches last season, Etienne was 27th in yards per carry (4.3) and 33rd in percentage of rushes that went for zero or negative yards.”

“Etienne is too good a talent for the Saints to put him in a legitimate time share of any kind. Kellen Moore's offense has been capable of producing big fantasy numbers for running backs as well.”

“The team spent the offseason aggressively adding offensive help around Shough. Travis Etienne, Jordyn Tyson, and Oscar Delp were all brought in to strengthen the supporting cast.”

“The Bucs in Week 15 didn't give up a lot in the way of EPA per rush, but they struggled against pass-catching running backs, and Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara are both good options there.”

“Pairing Tyson with Olave and free agent addition Travis Etienne Jr. would form a legitimately strong skill player group for Shough to work with, along with a quietly strong offensive line.”

“Travis Etienne is a free agent in 2026 (signed with the New Orleans Saints). They did draft two RBs in last year's draft, likely knowing they could lose ETN on the open market.”

“Jacksonville's only free agent addition so far is Chris Rodriguez Jr, who joins a backfield that no longer contains Travis Etienne.”

“Saints signed RB Travis Etienne (4 years, $52 million)”