Who Should I Start? DeVonta Smith or Ja'Marr Chase

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Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts.	Rush. Yds.	Rush TD	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec TD
15.3	0.1	0.0	5.5	73.5	0.4

DeVonta Smith News

DeVonta Smith Primed for Breakout as Undisputed No. 1

Thursday, September 3, 7:30 PM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith could be headed for a breakout season in 2026. The 27-year-old is poised to handle a significantly larger target share after teammate AJ Brown was traded to the New England Patriots. Smith had a total of nine catches and 136 yards across the two games that Brown missed last year, which likely represents his floor for the upcoming season. He is the undisputed No. 1 target in Philadelphia, offering a high-upside weapon for Jalen Hurts in all parts of the field. Perhaps the biggest question mark is whether Smith will take on a larger role around the goal line. He tallied a career-low four touchdowns last year, but he'll presumably get more goal-line targets following the departure of Brown, who scored seven touchdowns in 2025. As it stands, Smith has jumped to WR13 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for 2026. He has an ADP of 31.4, which corresponds to the third round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 14th receiver off the board.

Ja'Marr Chase - Cincinnati (WR)

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Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts.	Rush. Yds.	Rush TD	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec TD
20.7	1.0	0.0	7.2	90.0	0.7

Ja'Marr Chase News

Bengals Feel Good About Ja'Marr Chase Playing in Week 1

Wednesday, September 9, 10:13 AM

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he likes the pace that wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (knee) is on and feels good about him playing in Week 1 on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Jay Morrison of BengalsTalk.com. Chase suffered a hyperextended left knee late in a training camp practice, but he has recovered nicely with some rest and is fully expected to suit up and be a full-go in the regular-season opener this weekend against Tampa. Fellow wideout Tee Higgins (heel), who has been dealing with a minor heel injury, should be a full-go as well, so quarterback Joe Burrow's fantasy managers should have nothing to worry about to open the 2026 campaign. Chase was the first receiver off the board in most fantasy football drafts this summer, and he should be locked into all starting lineups for this weekend's game against the Bucs. The Bengals could list Chase as limited in Wednesday's practice, but that should not set off alarm bells for fantasy managers. Until further notice, Chase is expected to play in Week 1.

DeVonta Smith vs. Ja'Marr Chase

Still trying to decide between Smith and Chase? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that DeVonta Smith is projected to score 15.3 points this week while Ja'Marr Chase is projected to score 20.7 points.