Who Should I Start? DeVonta Smith or Luther Burden III


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
15.4 0.1 0.0 5.5 73.8 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.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
11.6 2.5 0.0 4.2 55.9 0.2

Luther Burden III News

Luther Burden III Could See Bigger Role in Week 1

Friday, September 11, 6:57 PM

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III is without an injury designation for his team's opening game against the hosting Carolina Panthers. Burden sustained a groin injury in early August that derailed his preseason, but he returned to practice ahead of Week 1 and did so at full capacity. The 22-year-old's late-2025 surge jettisoned him up draft boards this Summer, and rightfully so considering his talent and participation in an ascending, young offense. He'll get a Panthers squad to open the year that has made some improvements on the defensive side, but is by no means a scary matchup. More so, Burden could be in line for a heavier target share if fellow wideout Rome Odunze (calf) is hampered by a soft-tissue issue picked up last week. For now, fantasy managers can roll out the Missouri native as a high-upside WR3/flex, with the innate ability to break off a big play at a moment's notice. Burden is RotoBaller's PPR WR27 for the first week of play.


DeVonta Smith vs. Luther Burden III

Still trying to decide between Smith and Burden III? 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 15.4 points this week while Luther Burden III is projected to score 11.6 points.