Fantasy Football 2026: Choosing Between Rashee Rice & DeVonta Smith

Rashee Rice is a High-Reward Target for Fantasy Managers If He Can Stay on the Field

After a season cut short by injuries and a suspension, Rice finished as WR60 in most standard leagues. However, if he can stay healthy and avoid further legal trouble, Rice possesses clear top-10 fantasy upside. Playing alongside an elite QB like Patrick Mahomes gives him a massive advantage. If he remains on the field, fantasy owners can expect a substantial return on their investment, especially for those who have him in dynasty and keeper formats.

Last season Rice recorded 53 receptions, 571 receiving yards with five touchdowns in just eight games. His projected totals across a full 17-game season translates to be 96 receptions, 1,133 receiving yards with 9 TDs. Those totals would've placed him among the top-five overall WRs in fantasy football, cementing him in the elite tier at the position. According to YahooSports.com, Mahomes is currently on track to return in time for Week 1. The Chiefs are usually among the best offensive units in all of football, but last year was disatrous by the Chiefs' standards. Lack of execution, roster changes and injuries to key personnel all played a part. Rice would be the ideal candidate in PPR formats as he is heavily targeted on slants, crossing patterns and underneath routes in Andy Reid's complex scheme.

Don't write off Rashee Rice 📈 pic.twitter.com/JwjuPTrac9
— Fantasy Life (@MBFantasyLife) July 8, 2026

The advantage Rice has is his ability to gain yards after the catch (YAC) and take a simple 5-yard pass the distance. If he had been able to maintain that pace over the course of a whole season, Rice would have comfortably been among the top two WRs in that category. He also is a favorite of Mahomes whenever the Chiefs are in the red zone. As one of his most trusted WRs, Rice had a 61.6% red zone catch percentage, ranking him eighth overall among NFL WRs.

A Proven Producer Despite a Changing Offense

After A.J. Brown was traded earlier this offseason, one would assume that DeVonta Smith would slide into the vacated WR1 role. He has proven himself time and time again, and shown how productive he can be regardless of the matchup. Smith offers one of the safest fantasy floors as Eagles QB Jalen Hurts consistently finds him for big plays downfield. Even when Brown wasn't lined up on the field with him, Smith proved that he could handle the workload of a true WR1. Smith became even more efficient with the increase in volume as a result.

The Eagles also have a lot of new WRs after taking Makai Lemon in the first round of the draft. Marquise Brown and Dontayvion Wicks were also signed, and even though those players are expected to lower Smith's volume ceiling, their presence will protect his high-end floor as WR1. While the new WR's cap Smith's chances of receiving around 160 targets, Lemon and Brown being on the field ensures that he'll get more high-value touches and cleaner looks in coverage. As one of the NFL's cleanest technicians, Smith has quick feet and ultimate body control.

The Eagles are implementing a new offensive scheme after hiring Sean Mannion as their new offensive coordinator. The system is a product of the Shanahan/McVay coaching tree, and is designed to shift the running game to a wide-zone concept in order to set up play-action. Mannion's scheme will focus on creating chunk plays through timing, pre-snap movement and horizontal stretching. While the idea of a new system in Philly is something for fans to be excited about, it may leave doubts in the minds of fantasy owners. The offense will be similar to the one Jordan Love operated when Mannion was the QB coach in Green Bay. While Love put up fantastic numbers, he spread the ball around to multiple receivers, which is probably the reason he's never had a WR with a 1,000 yard season. That may not be the case with Hurts and Smith, as Hurts has connected with him in clutch situations and on crucial third downs. While his ceiling may not rival some of the NFL's fantasy WRs, Smith's reliability makes him an ideal target for fantasy owners looking to minimize risk on draft day.

Fantasy owners really can't go wrong with either option. Depending on what type of league you are drafting in really depends on which WR you should choose. Rice should be the choice if you've already drafted an established WR1 and searching for a player with league-winning upside. Draft Smith if you need a stable WR2 who can deliver consistently each week.

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