Week 4 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Quentin Johnston vs. DeVonta Smith

Week 4 fantasy football start/sit spotlight: Should you trust Quentin Johnston or DeVonta Smith?

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith (6) in a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Finessing the backend of the wide receiver pool in fantasy leagues is full of poor decisions and hours of losing debates. Ultimately, consistency with talented wideouts is the best course of action, but sometimes drafts take us down different paths. 

In this exercise, should I start Quentin Johnston or DeVonta Smith? 

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) takes a pass play to the 15 yard line in the first half against the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Johnston was an avoid for many drafters this year due to the addition of Tre’ Harris to the Chargers’ offense and his questionable hands. Once Keenan Allen was added to Los Angeles’s roster, the waiver wire was the home for Johnston. He kicked in the fantasy door in Week 1 (5/79/2 on seven targets), followed by two productive games (3/69/1 and 6/89). The Chargers gave him WR2 snaps in all three of his matchups, leading to 7.7 targets per game (6.1 in 2024).

A big part of his increased opportunity this year has been more pass attempts by Justin Herbert (36 per game – 29.6 in 2024). 

The Giants’ defense this year allowed the second-most catches (46) and receiving yards (587) on 67 targets with three touchdowns. Deebo Samuel (7/77), CeeDee Lamb (9/112), George Pickens (5/68/1), and Tyquan Thornton (5/71/1) had success against New York this season. 

New York’s CB Paulson Adebo (17/200/1) has allowed 14.33 fantasy points per game in PPR format based on Pro Football Reference stats. He was also a liability over seven starts in 2024 for the Saints (39/529/1 on 65 targets). 

DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

Last season, Smith missed four games, but still posted competitive stats (84/1,023/9 on 106 targets) when adding in his four playoff starts. He had a floor of six catches in seven matchups. His ceiling was compromised due to the Eagles' finishing last in the NFL in passing attempts (26.4 per game). 

Smith saw his receiving stats improve in each game this season, highlighted by his last contest (8/60/1 on nine targets). He has 15 catches for 129 yards and one score, putting him on pace to catch 85 passes for 731 yards and six touchdowns. The Eagles seem to be on the same path in passing attempts (77) this season, and Jalen Hurts is gaining only 6.2 yards per pass attempt.

DeVonta Smith winning the slant with foot-fire and a violent jab at the breakpoint pic.twitter.com/Zkbq7PDWPy

— Receiver School (@ReceiverSchool) September 24, 2025

CB Zyon McCollum has already allowed three touchdowns, with receivers catching 14 of their 22 targets for 142 yards. Wide receivers have 37 catches for 382 yards and three touchdowns on 63 targets.

The Verdict: DeVonta Smith Vs. Quentin Johnston

This week, I have Smith projected to score 15.72 fantasy points in PPR leagues, compared to 10.77 for Johnston. In these decisions, touchdowns are a key indicator of a player's ceiling (Smith – 50% and Johnston – 25%). 

Ladd McConkey should be more active against the Giants, and Los Angeles should try to grind out more runs with New York starting a rookie quarterback. 

After last week’s game, Jalen Hurts hinted that Philadelphia needed to be more aggressive offensively. I read his comments as more attacking balls thrown in the passing game. Tampa should move the ball and score at least 20 points this week, even with Mike Evans out of action.

The winner here is DeVonta Smith. He has a better career resume, and Quentin Johnston is due for a down outing.