Fantasy Football Draft Debate: Emeka Egbuka vs. DeVonta Smith

Going over who is the better fantasy draft pick in 2026 between WR for the Philadelphia Eagles, DeVonta Smith, and WR for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Emeka Egbuka.

Jan 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Two WR2s from a season ago will now have the role of WR1 for their respective teams in 2026: Emeka Egbuka and DeVonta Smith. They could finish among the best WRs in fantasy football with their heightened spot on the depth chart. With them having similar ADPs, here is a breakdown of who is the better draft pick between the two in fantasy football this season.

DeVonta Smith

Jun 9, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) runs drills during minicamp at Jefferson Health Training Complex. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Eagles lost a key weapon in their skill group from last season, WR A.J. Brown, who is now on the New England Patriots. They addressed Brown leaving in the 2026 NFL Draft by spending their first-round pick on WR Makai Lemon from the University of Southern California.

Makai Lemon man… sheesh 👀 pic.twitter.com/8Ki38XmQit

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) June 17, 2026

He has shown well in training camp and is sure to play a meaningful role in the Eagles' offense in his rookie season. But his skill set, being more of a slot WR, limits what he can do in replacing a dynamic yards-after-catch vertical threat like Brown was. The primary player in filling that playstyle is Smith.

In 2025, Smith had 77 receptions, 1,008 receiving yards, and four TDs. In PPR fantasy formats, he finished as WR20. With his new role at WR1, Smith’s fantasy ceiling greatly increases. There is proof of that with Brown’ success in that role while he was with the Eagles.  Brown, in two of the four seasons he played in Philadelphia, finished as WR8 or better in PPR formats.

Emeka Egbuka 

Aug 6, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the bigger rookie breakouts last season in 2025, Egbuka is looking to have another breakout in the 2026 season. In 2025, Egbuka logged 63 receptions, 938 receiving yards, and six TDs. These stats led him to finish as WR23 in PPR formats for fantasy football.

Egbuka will be the WR1 in Tampa Bay after long-time WR1 for the Bucs, Mike Evans, signed in free agency with the San Francisco 49ers. With QB Baker Mayfield’s aggressive playstyle and the WRs behind Egbuka, he is set up pretty well to have a memorable 2026 fantasy season.

Tampa Bay’s WR room outside of Egbuka has promise, but there are serious concerns attached to players that could lead them to have underwhelming fantasy seasons in their own right, which could then raise Egbuka’s fantasy ceiling.

WR2 Chris Godwin Jr. is coming off his second straight season where he played less than 10 games. When he was on the field in 2025, he had 30 receiving yards or less in six of the nine games he played. WR3 for the Bucs, Jalen McMillan, has a lot of potential, but injuries are also a major concern for him. He only played four games in 2025 and already suffered a minor injury in training camp this season.

Final Verdict

When it comes to who is a better fantasy draft pick between Smith and Egubka, Smith gets the slight edge. With the proven chemistry that Smith has had with his QB, Jalen Hurts, which especially showed in 2022, when he finished as WR9 in PPR, Smith has a higher floor than Egbuka, making him a slightly better draft pick.