Who Should I Start? DeVonta Smith or Rashee Rice

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
13.4 0.1 0.0 4.8 63.7 0.4

DeVonta Smith News

Nick Sirianni Calls DeVonta Smith a "Special Player"

Thursday, July 23, 7:23 AM

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni called wide receiver DeVonta Smith a "special player" and said he's excited about the extra opportunities coming his way in 2026 now that A.J. Brown is in New England, according to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports. "I'm excited for the extra opportunities that DeVonta is going to get his way," Sirianni said. "And I know every time that we've given him extra opportunities, he's always taking advantage of those. And so now he's going to get more of those." Brown had over 5,000 receiving yards in just four seasons with the Eagles, but Smith, 27, has gone over 1,000 receiving yards in three of his five NFL seasons and has averaged 111 targets per season. If the 27-year-old former 10th overall pick from the University of Alabama in 2021 gets up to 140-150 targets in 2026, a monster year could be in store. The Eagles appear to be all-in on Smith as their new WR1, so his expanded target share alone should prop him up as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 in fantasy with a strong floor. RotoBaller currently has Smith ranked as the No. 12 fantasy WR with Brown out of the picture in 2026.

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Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.		 Rush.
Yds.		 Rush
TD		 Rec. Rec.
Yds.		 Rec
TD
13.7 1.8 0.0 5.2 59.2 0.4

Rashee Rice News

Rashee Rice a Potential Week Winner Being Drafted as a WR2

Friday, July 24, 5:49 AM

On a per-game basis, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has become one of the most consistently dominant fantasy performers, though unfortunately consistency is not often a word associated with the fourth-year player. Injuries and suspension have caused Rice to miss 22 of his team's last 30 games, though he finished as a top 10 fantasy receiver in five of his eight appearances in 2025, four times topping 19.5 half-PPR points. Dating back to the end of his rookie season, Rice has scored at least 14 points in 12 of his last 18 games, twice falling short of that mark in games he left early with injury. The Chiefs made no drastic changes to their wide receiver room this offseason, and with two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes II potentially wanting to get the ball out quickly as he regains trust in his surgically repaired left knee, Rice could again see heavy volume as a trusted underneath target. At RotoBaller's WR16, it's possible that Rice's off-field concerns and checkered injury history are shading his draft profile more than the product he's actually delivered when on the field, and he could prove to be one of the biggest steals of 2026 drafts.

DeVonta Smith vs. Rashee Rice

Still trying to decide between Smith and Rice? 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 13.4 points this week while Rashee Rice is projected to score 13.7 points.