Coming off from a Heisman Trophy winning season with Alabama, DeVonta Smith entered the NFL subject to sky-high expectations.
And as a rookie, Smith had a solid year. He finished with 64 receptions for 916 yards and five touchdowns. His receiving yards set a new Philadelphia Eagles record for a first-year player. Those numbers show some promise, and Smith has a good chance of taking a significant leap in the next few seasons.
But is promise enough to make him a good fantasy football pick?
With that being said, here is the fantasy outlook for DeVonta Smith in the 2022 NFL season.
DeVonta Smith 2022 Fantasy Football Outlook
One of the biggest questions surrounding DeVonta Smith when he entered the league was his size. At 6'0 and 170 pounds, some questioned if he would have problems facing bigger, stronger NFL defenders. Even though he does not have ideal physical strength, Smith overshadows it with his other abilities.
His high-level route-running was used very often by the Eagles in 2021. Smith was primarily a perimeter receiver, finishing above the 75th percentile against man, zone and press coverages, including the 84th percentile against press, according to Reception Perception.
He also had a target share of 22.8% and averaged 8.8 yards per target and 2.0 yards per route run, according to SportsInfoSolutions. The former Crimson Tide was just the fourth rookie in the last five seasons to achieve such numbers, the others being Terry McLaurin and Pro Bowlers Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson—not bad company.
However, Smith's rookie campaign flew under the radar due to the Eagles' low passing attempts. At 492 throws, Philadelphia finished second-to-last in that category, which signals that even though Smith had a good first year, it could have been even better if the team further committed to attacking defenses through the air.
There was one big offseason move Philadelphia made that could work both for and against Smith: The acquisition of A.J. Brown.
By having a wide receiver like Brown on the roster, it might incentivize the Eagles to use more of the passing game, which could make a Smith-Brown duo one of the scariest of the league. However, it could also mean that Brown becomes the undisputed focal point of the Eagles' passing game, removing some of Smith's presence in the offense.
Either way, Philadelphia fans should be excited to see both together. But how did Smith perform in fantasy football last year?
He finished as WR29 and WR41 standing in points per game. Starting in Week 7, Smith failed to see more than six targets a game. He had a total of 121.6 fantasy points, with his best game coming in Week 10, when he scored 18.6 points on the back of multiple touchdown catches.
One thing that could help Smith produce many fantasy points in this upcoming season is how Philadelphia uses the deep ball. The team's 21.7% deep-ball rate ranked second in the league. Because of that, even if he receives fewer targets, Smith's overall production could be similar.
At only 23 years old and entering his sophomore year in the NFL, Smith still has ample room to grow, and the Eagles' likely increase in passing attempts should intrigue fantasy football team owners. He can also learn from Brown, which could mean major in-season development as they work together.
Overall, Smith is an intriguing player to have on a fantasy team, but owners should perhaps look after more experienced players with an established history of putting up big numbers. He is projected to be available around the seventh round in most traditional league formats.
Fantasy owners should will no doubt have many wide receiver above Smith on their draft board, but nabbing him in the later rounds could yield a very pleasant surprise.
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