DeVonta Smith is ready to take the league by storm 🌪 pic.twitter.com/KyqpacWA8P
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) August 11, 2021
DeVonta Smith is currently on the mend with a knee injury, but that hasn’t stopped the preseason hype training from continuing for the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Pro Football Focus’s fantasy football expert Sosa Kremenjas broke down which rookie wideout is best set up for immediate success.
Smith landed in front of his SEC rival, Ja’Marr Chase at No. 1 on the list.
1. DEVONTA SMITH, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: WR38 (77.5 ADP)
Philadelphia got very little production from its receivers in 2020. No Eagles wideout crossed the 80-target threshold last season, and Travis Fulgham led the team with just 539 receiving yards. While the situation may not sound intriguing, Smith is likely to enter this season as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver.Smith is a totally different prospect than the Eagles are used to. The Alabama product dominated college football in his final season (playoffs included):
145 targets (1st)
117 receptions (1st)
1,856 receiving yards (1st)
23 touchdowns (1st)
4.39 yards per route run (4th, min. 25 targets)
He also won nearly every award possible, including the Heisman Trophy. Smith should be the unquestioned top receiver for quarterback Jalen Hurts, who averaged the second-highest average depth of target (10.1 aDOT) among quarterbacks with 100-plus attempts last year.Everything is lined up for Smith to have a monstrous season. PFF’s strength of schedule metric ranks the Eagles’ wide receiver schedule as the easiest in the NFL.
Smith is mature for his age, surgical in his route running, and expected to elevate the play of guys like Jalen Reagor, Travis Fulgham, and Dallas Goedert.
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