FANTASY FOOTBALL NEWS

DeVonta Smith Beats A.J. Brown in Return

By Matt Schauf | Updated on Sun, Dec 8 2024 10:59 PM UTC

Eagles WR DeVonta Smith came off a two-game hamstring injury to draw a team-high 6 targets in Sunday's win over the Panthers. That led A.J. Brown by two, though they caught a matching four passes. Brown tallied 43 yards to Smith's 37, but Smith snagged the only TD between them -- one of two Jalen Hurts threw for the game.

2024 Fantasy Football Impact

There's nothing to worry about with Brown off this game. He entered the weekend drawing a 30% target share, and Sunday marked just the second time all year that he fell short of 5 receptions -- despite Philly attempting the fewest passes in the league.

Although a 4-37-1 receiving line for Smith it's huge, the usage was positive.

He played just as much as Brown and drew a target on 28.5% of Hurts' 21 pass attempts.

Philly placed TE Dallas Goedert on IR ahead of the Carolina game, which should help Smith's target share over the next three games as well.

A tough Pittsburgh defense figures to be primarily focused on stopping the run in Week 15. If the Steelers manage to limit Saquon Barkley, that could enhance passing volume.

Ultimately, though, you're betting on continued receiving efficiency over a boost in volume if you play Smith.

Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.