Should I Start DeVonta Smith?

Tuesday, June 2, 5:25 AM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith has seen his dynasty cost rise throughout the offseason as rumors of an A.J. Brown trade grew louder and more credible. With the deal finally becoming official on Monday, and Brown heading to New England for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, Smith steps into a role at the top of the depth chart in which he's thrived with limited opportunities. In three of the four games Smith has appeared in without Brown over the past two seasons, he's earned at least a 29% target share. A limited snap count in last season's finale is all that kept him from going four out of four, but his extrapolated full-season pace across those four contests is 98 receptions for 1,237 yards, legitimate WR1 numbers. Obviously, the trade was not made in a vacuum, as the Eagles planned for this moment by signing Hollywood Brown, trading for Dontayvion Wicks, and drafting Makai Lemon and tight end Eli Stowers, but Smith should be the most significant benefactor of Brown's absence, as he has been in a small but impressive sampling. Smith is RotoBaller's dynasty WR27, but that ranking could continue to rise as the season draws closer.