Who Should I Start? Allen Lazard or DeVonta Smith

Saturday, September 26, 12:35 PM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) is fresh off of a 10-catch, 117-yard and one-touchdown performance in a Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans, and he will look to carry that momentum into a Week 3 matchup with the Chicago Bears on Monday Football. Smith did not practice on Thursday, and was limited on Friday due to a hamstring issue, but will play on Monday. In Week 2, Smith led the Eagles in receptions and receiving yards and was one of two wide receivers to catch a touchdown pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts, along with Darius Cooper. It was a promising day for Smith, who operates as Philadelphia's No. 1 wide receiver, after a pedestrian Week 1 stat line in which he recorded three receptions for 54 yards and didn't score. Through two games in 2026, Smith leads the Eagles in targets (19), receptions (13) and receiving yards (170). The Week 3 contest against the Bears has all of the makings of a juicy matchup for Smith as he works against cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson (who currently ranks 90th out of 95 cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus), Tyrique Stevenson (who is available but dealing with a hamstring injury and ranks 83rd out of 95 cornerbacks). The Bears gave up 361 gross passing yards in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. That number decreased significantly to 143 yards in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, but the weather helped as it was a rain-soaked Soldier Field. With tight end Dallas Goedert currently out, expect Smith to be heavily targeted this week. He is RotoBaller's No. 7 wide receiver in Week 3 for half-PPR formats, has a good matchup rating of 112.6 and is a strong play in all formats.