DeVonta Smith Is The Fantasy Football WR2 Steal Everyone’s Overlooking In 2025

In this story:
DeVonta Smith may not have lived up to lofty expectations in 2023 or 2024, but a deeper dive into his production reveals a reliable WR2 with untapped upside heading into 2025. With improved health, consistent target volume, and a potentially more pass-heavy Eagles offense, Smith is shaping up to be one of fantasy football’s best draft-day bargains.
DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
In 2022, Smith's opportunity grew by over 30%, resulting in an exceptional year (95/1,196/7 on 136 targets). He caught 69.9% of his chances while being an impact player from Week 15 to Week 17 (5/126, 8/113/2, and 9/115) when fantasy championships were on the line. He gained over 100 yards in three other matchups (8/169/1, 5/102/1, and 7/100).
His season started with a goose egg on four targets, with emptiness in four other contests (3/17, 5/23, 2/22, and 2/36). Over his final 12 starts (including the postseason), Smith had 70 catches for 951 yards and six touchdowns on 105 targets. He ranks 9th in wide receiver scoring (255.60 fantasy points).
Smith gave the fantasy market a disappointing year in 2023, but he still finished 19th in wide receiver scoring (228.60 fantasy points) in PPR formats. His best play came in four games (4/131/1, 7/106/1, 9/96/1, and 8/148). By adding back his playoff stats (8/148), Smith, in essence, had almost the same year (89/1,214/7 – 252.40 fantasy points) as the previous year. His catch rate (71.8) pushed higher, with a bump in his yards per catch (13.6 – 12.6 in 2022).
Genuinely don’t believe DeVonta Smith is human. pic.twitter.com/cqiEgK610z
— Victor Williams (@ThePhillyPod) July 20, 2025
From Week 3 to Week 7, Smith only had 21 catches for 205 yards (9.8 yards per catch) on 35 targets while averaging only 8.30 fantasy points in PPR formats. He upped his fantasy output to 17.66 FPPG from Week 8 to Week 16. An ankle injury in Week 17 led to Smith missing the final game of the regular season.
The Eagles were without the services of Smith for four games last season due to a concussion, a lingering hamstring issue, and a day of rest (wrist) in Week 18. He opened the year with a floor of seven catches in three games (7/84, 7/76/1, and 7/79) on 28 combined targets. From Week 6 to Week 11, Smith had six targets or fewer in five matchups, leading to two playable outcomes (6/85/1 and 4/87/1).
Philadelphia upped his opportunity in his final four contests (4/37/1, 11/110/1, 6/51, and 6/120/2) after missing two games. Smith had four catches in all four playoff games (16/190/1 on 17 targets) despite only having five targets in one matchup. His postseason outcomes, added to 13 regular games, essentially added up to a full year of starts (84/1,024/9 on 106 targets) or an upper-tier WR2 in PPR formats.
DeVonta Smith 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
The perception of fade in Smith’s game and chances in 2025 led to him ranking 25th at wide receiver this summer. I see a buying opportunity, while understanding the Eagles could throw the ball more this year. He should be treated as though his floor is an 80/1,000/7 season, creating some value in his early price point.
More Fantasy Sports On SI News:

With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
Follow Shawn__Childs