Week 5 Fantasy Football Start' Em & Sit 'Em: Wan'Dale Robinson vs. DeVonta Smith

Last week, I whiffed on my Quentin Johnston (8/98/1) and DeVonta Smith (2/29) line-up decision, and it wasn’t even close. The Eagles’ passing offense failed to gain momentum in Week 4 after teasing in a chaser game vs. the Rams (226/3). Surprisingly, Johnson led the Chargers in receiving against the Giants last week despite gaining only 203 passing yards on 41 attempts.

I look for redemption with Smith this week while deciding between him and Wan’Dale Robinson, who gets a boost in targets with Malik Nabers out for the season. In my projection in Week 5, I have these two players ranked 24th and 25th in PPR formats.

Robinson – six catches for 64 yards with a 25% chance of scoring
Smith – five catches for 57 yards with a 50% chance of scoring

WR Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants

Before Robinson's big game in Week 2 (8/142/1), he gained only 8.3 yards per catch over his first 39 games of his NFL career (182/1,506/5 with 14 rushes for 104 yards and one score). In essence, he had a running back profile in production while being compared to the wide receiver pool. Over this span, Robinson averaged 4.7 catches for 41 yards and 0.15 touchdowns per game (9.7 FPPG in PPR formats).

Since his breakout showing, he only has four catches for 40 yards on nine targets in games. New York had him on the field for 97% of their plays in Week 4, compared to 76%, 70%, and 77% over his first three starts.

The Saints rank 20th in wide receiver defense (42/574/5 on 60 targets), leading to 129.40 fantasy points in PPR formats. Marvin Harrison (5/71/1), Jauan Jennings (5/89/1), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (5/96/1), and Khalil Shakir (5/69/1) have had the most success.

WR DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

Fantasy Football Boom or Bust Candidate: DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles — Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith (6) in a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Four games into 2025, Smith played well in one matchup (8/60/1) while underperforming expectations over his other three contests (3/16, 4/53, and 2/29 on 11 combined targets). He has been a very good player over his first four years (63 games) in the NFL (308/4,012/27). He averaged 4.9 catches for 64 yards and 0.43 touchdowns (13.88 FPPG). Smith continues to get WR2 snaps for the Eagles, but they are averaging only 25 passes this year.

Denver has the seventh-best defense against wide receivers (50/508/1 on 86 targets), which is driven by allowing a low yards per catch average (10.2) and only one touchdown. Wideouts scored 106.80 fantasy points. CB Patrick Surtain should cover A.J. Brown on many plays, helping Smith’s targets. The Broncos’ number two cornerback, Riley Moss, has played well in coverage this season (15/204/1 on 32 targets), but he does allow some big plays (13.6 YPC). Quarterbacks have challenged him on 32 targets (third-most in the league).

The Verdict: Wan'Dale Robinson Vs. DeVonta Smith

I’m a consistency fantasy games manager, so I don’t like to sit my top players. Smith has a long resume of being a top 24 wide receiver, while Robinson needs volume of chances to offset his small plays and limited scoring upside. I would much rather chase Smith 30.00+ fantasy day than invest in Robinson with a small win this week in fantasy points.

The matchup edge goes to Robinson, and the Giants will throw the ball (37, 41, and 32 times over their first three games) if needed.

WR Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants

WR DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

The Verdict: Wan'Dale Robinson Vs. DeVonta Smith

More Fantasy Sports On SI News: