Who Should I Start? DeVonta Smith or Kaleb Johnson

Tuesday, August 19, 11:41 AM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (groin) will not practice on Tuesday, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The severity of Smith's injury is unclear, but it's a potentially worrying sign for Philadelphia, given that they are also currently without star wideout A.J. Brown (hamstring). The Eagles made a trade to acquire wide receiver John Metchie III from the Houston Texans on Monday, which could indicate that the team is at least somewhat concerned about its depth at the position. If Smith and/or Brown were to miss time, Metchie III and Jahan Dotson would likely be heavily relied upon. Assuming Smith's groin injury is minor, he profiles as a high-end WR3 whose value would skyrocket if Brown were to remain sidelined for a significant stretch.

Friday, August 22, 11:18 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson turned five carries into 24 yards and gained two yards on his only reception of a 19-10 exhibition win over the Carolina Panthers. Johnson was productive with most of his touches on Thursday night and did play a few snaps with Pittsburgh's first-team offense. The bad news, however, is that he entered the contest after both Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell got some run. Johnson also had a few opportunities on special teams in the first quarter, returning the opening kickoff and later a punt, both for gains of 22 yards. The rookie's role on offense isn't exactly clear heading into the regular season, but fantasy managers should not plan to deploy him as a reliable RB2 right away. Johnson is better viewed as a bench stash with the upside to become a valuable asset down the stretch.