Quinshon Judkins vs DeVonta Smith

“Overvalued: Quinshon Judkins, Running Back (RB23, Pick 52 OVR) Quinshon Judkins was a great talent coming out of college, but had a shortened offseason thanks to his domestic violence “issues” (a euphemism to say that he beat a woman). He ended his rookie year by destroying his leg late in the season, and is recovering from his leg and ankle injury.”

“Quinshon Judkins (RB – CLE) Judkins was off to a strong start as a rookie before a fractured fibula ended his season. Recovery timelines from that type of injury have been mixed for other NFL players, though Judkins is young enough that he’s had ample time to heal.”

“Even with Dylan Sampson around, Judkins is the workhorse and could get 250+ touches assuming good health for the entire season. Now a second-year running back, Judkins is in the window of time when running backs start to explode.”

“Judkins has three-down upside and should be a target wherever he falls on draft day.”

“Judkins had at least 18 rushing attempts for 110 yards or a touchdown in three consecutive games after making his debut. Furthermore, Judkins averaged 17.4 PPR fantasy points per game in the six contests with 18+ rushing attempts.”

“Judkins finished as the RB26 in PPR formats with 169.8 fantasy points, a baseline he should surpass with a full workload under head coach Todd Monken. There is no reason he can't push into RB1 territory this season and remain there beyond 2026.”

“Quinshon Judkins was trying to overcome a bad offense in 2025 and may see that same dilemma in 2026. Judkins passed the eye test when he was on the field before injury, and he looks explosive right now in practice, too. Even though 67% of his runs went for 3 or fewer yards (worst rate in the NFL), he was still a workload monster who got 34% of the Browns' rush attempts and targets.”

“The video highlights from minicamp showed a spry, healthy-looking Quinshon Judkins. That was a little surprising, given the brutal leg injury he's been rehabbing from.”

“Judkins is in line for ample touch volume again, but the constraints of the Cleveland offense will almost certainly limit his touchdowns and hinder his efficiency. Quinshon Judkins looks like a volume trap.”

“Judkins averaged 18.3 touches a game for the Browns as a rookie, even though he missed training camp, the preseason, and Week 1 due to legal issues. One reason for the discount is that Judkins is coming back from a significant injury. He dislocated his ankle and fractured his fibula in Week 16.”

“Even glancing back to his days at Ohio State, Judkins wasn't used much as a receiver, in favor of his more bruising style. I don't envision him catching more than 35 passes after he saw fewer than three targets per game in 2025, especially given the receiving threats the Browns possess.”

“Judkins is a good player, but his draft day cost assumes a bigger workload than the data suggests he'll get, especially with Dylan Sampson as a better pass-catcher who will likely split carries in head coach Todd Monken's rotation.”

“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.”