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DeVonta Smith is entering his second year of a five-year contract via that three-year, 75 million-dollar extension that keeps him in midnight green until after the 2028 season. He signed last offseason after helping the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl in his home state of Louisiana this past February.
The Slim Reaper is one of those underrated receivers in the league today, as he has been productive for most of his career up to this point, and looking at the potential upside for him is going to be a huge asset not only in 2025 but also a huge impact in Dynasty leagues for years to come is something that you should keep in mind this fantasy season. Here’s a look at why Smith is a great option in fantasy for years to come.
DeVonta Smith 2024 Fantasy Production
DeVonta Smith’s fantasy production in 2024 was a slight dip because of games that he missed and the Eagles’ shift to the running game, primarily with the superstar Saquon Barkley being in the mix with the 2000-yard season that he had. Smith had 68 receptions for 833 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns in 2024 for 199.4 fantasy points on ESPN fantasy.
Smith had enough production to be ahead of guys like DK Metcalf, Marvin Harrison Jr., George Pickens, and Jaylen Waddle as the Eagles’ WR2 in a pass offense that finished in the bottom half of the league in passing last season. Smith is still one of those guys who can make impact plays and have elite games of fantasy production, so let’s look at his 2025 projections.
DeVonta Smith’s 2025 Fantasy Projections
The Slim Reaper is going into 2025 as the WR28 (57 overall player) in ESPN PPR projections with the following stat line projection: 81 receptions, 902 yards, and five touchdowns with a total FPTS projection of 201.94 points. Smith is going to be one of those guys in 2025 who is going to be a strong wide receiver two in fantasy this season, as Yahoo Sports has him ranked as the 52nd player on their board in standard leagues. Fantasy Pros has Smith as the projected 56th overall pick with their ECR rankings.
The Slim Reaper could reach that 1,000 mark once again if he stays healthy, especially if the passing game gets going like in Super Bowl LIX. Smith is one of those guys who can go off and has trust with Jalen Hurts, along with Brown. The potential move of Dallas Goedert in the offseason might bolster both Smith and Brown’s numbers in the passing game if Goedert is dealt in the offseason.
DeVonta Smith Dynasty Outlook
If DeVonta stays on track in terms of not only health and production he should be a solid WR2 in Fantasy for years to come as he is currently the best WR2 in the league today in my estimation as people would say Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins would be the best and that’s a good debate to have. Smith can catch any ball and run any route on the route tree, especially when it comes to the deeper routes down the field.
Also, his body control is elite, especially with his feet on the sideline, making the catch a lot of the time, making him a great candidate for a guy who could have high reception numbers throughout the rest of his career if these trends keep going. I look for DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown to anchor the receivers for a long time in Philadelphia, as they are both locked to this team for a while.
Final Thoughts on DeVonta Smith
DeVonta Smith did have his career high in touchdowns in what was technically a down year for the former Heisman trophy winner. If he can stay on the field like he did his first three years, Smith will be back to the production he had in 2022 and 2023 easily.
That will only happen if the Eagles’ passing game reflects the improvements from last season throughout this offseason, along with the balance of the run game led by Barkley in 2025. Total Apex Fantasy will have more NFL player dynasty outlooks over the rest of the offseason. Total Apex Fantasy will also have more DFS advice on the NBA playoffs and MLB regular season over the next couple of months.
More must-reads:
- Five best NFL offseason value signings on offense: Bills get great deal with RB extension
- Bears make big decision amid concerning Caleb Williams reports
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Patriots have big Drake Maye concern surface at Vikings' joint practice
Defense ruled the day during the joint practice between the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings. Per Chad Graff of The Athletic, the Patriots defense did a masterful job of disrupting Vikings second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy at Wednesday's practice. However, New England's offensive line was unable to allow Drake Maye to have enough time to finish plays. "Even with four new expected starters up front following last year’s debacle, Wednesday suggested that there will likely be some bumps ahead for this offensive line," Graff wrote. "Sure, going up against the Vikings was always going to be a difficult task. Greenard has been wrecking his own team’s practices in training camp, and everyone in New England knows how good Flores’ scheme can be. But the domination was so thorough by the Vikings’ front seven that three straight plays at one point would’ve resulted in a sack." Maye showed flashes of promise when he had time to throw downfield or was able to use his legs to buy time or scramble when pressure came. The concern is that the offensive line won't allow Maye enough time to even scramble, so he can make throws. Graff has noticed the same issues that happened on Wednesday have been a constant at training camp against the Patriots defense. With a new-look offensive line that includes first-round pick Will Campbell at left tackle, the Patriots are expected to have some bumps at training camp and in September. New England's offense probably won't look great out of the gate while the offensive line develops in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' scheme. If and when the offensive line improves, Maye will have a chance to show off the arm that made him the No. 3 pick in 2024. For now, the offensive line is a concern much like it was last season.
NASCAR makes decision on victory celebrations after Connor Zilisch fall
One of NASCAR's brightest young stars in Connor Zilisch could miss time after falling in Victory Lane following his victory in the Aug. 9 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen. Zilisch slipped on the door of his No. 88 Chevrolet before suffering a hard fall in Victory Lane and breaking his collarbone. He underwent successful surgery on Tuesday, with a timetable for his return yet to be announced. Even in light of the viral incident, NASCAR will not restrict drivers from celebrating in a certain way moving forward, per NASCAR's Mike Forde. Drivers have long climbed on the roof or door of their vehicles on the frontstretch and in Victory Lane to celebrate victories, but accidents stemming from that action are rare. After winning the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen on Aug. 10, Shane van Gisbergen — who will likely be Zilisch's Cup Series teammate at Trackhouse Racing in 2026 — carefully climbed out of his No. 88 Chevrolet — something he does regularly, not just in response to Zilisch's fall. Zilisch did not race in the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen due to his injury. The Xfinity Series will return on Aug. 22 at Daytona International Speedway, with Zilisch leading the regular-season standings by seven points.
Bears make big decision amid concerning Caleb Williams reports
Second-year Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and other starters were spectators for Chicago's preseason opener versus the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, first-year Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed things will be different when his club hosts the Buffalo Bills for an exhibition matchup this coming Sunday evening. "Everyone's going to play," Johnson said, as shared by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. Johnson added that how many snaps Williams will take versus the Bills is "to be determined." The Bears will first host the Bills for a joint practice on Friday. Johnson came to this decision following multiple reports detailing the supposed struggles that Williams has endured throughout training camp. Most recently, Monday’s practice was allegedly "a low point for" Chicago's first-team offense and featured "Williams and receiver Rome Odunze both looking frustrated" after some failed connections. "I've been pretty consistent with the thought of reps, reps, reps are the most important thing to get [Williams] up to speed," Johnson explained. "And by the plan that we had a week ago, we were able to get him probably somewhere between 80 and 100 more reps than we would've been able to do had he played in the game. This week, it's a different schedule. Different length of time in terms of in between games and all that. And so, our plan right now is the guys that sat out last week, they will be playing this week." Those running the Bears hope that the hiring of Johnson, an advertised offensive guru, will help Williams become a top-tier quarterback after the 23-year-old won only five of 17 starts during his rookie season. However, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic is among those who have mentioned that Williams has been responsible for a noteworthy number of inaccurate passes this summer. "I think the trust that we've been talking about from the get-go, that's really where that comes into play," Johnson added about risking the health of his starters by playing them against Buffalo. "We haven't been here with this group as a coaching staff. That trust has been earning, and we've been developing that amongst each other. It's not a one-way street. It goes both ways. And so I think that's just another step in the progression, you know?" The Bears will wrap up the preseason with a game at the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 22. It's unclear if Williams or other Chicago starters will see any action that Friday night.
Browns HC sends message to Myles Garrett after latest speeding incident
Cleveland Browns All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett became the subject of headlines when it was learned that he was cited for driving 100 mph in a 60 mph zone on an interstate in a Cleveland suburb several hours after the Browns opened the preseason with a 30-10 win at the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. While speaking with reporters ahead of the club's joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday morning, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski sent a clear message regarding his feelings about Garrett's latest speeding incident. "Coming from a team leader, extremely disappointing," Stefanski said about Garrett, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. "It's been addressed with Myles -- with the football team. He needs to slow down for his safety and the safety of others." Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer mentioned that Garrett has had at least eight speeding citations in Northeast Ohio since Cleveland made him the first overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Back in the fall of 2022, Garrett missed a game after he was involved in a single-car accident following a team practice. The Ohio State Highway Patrol ultimately issued Garrett a citation following that crash after it was determined he was using an "unsafe speed for the type of roadway being traveled." Cabot added that Stefanski declined to say if Garrett will be disciplined this summer. Earlier in the week, Cabot wrote that Garrett could "be fined for conduct detrimental to the team." Back in early February, Garrett requested a trade from the Browns coming off the club's 3-14 season. However, he later accepted a four-year, $160M contract extension that included $123.5M guaranteed to stay with the organization. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam revealed during the NFL owners meetings in the spring that he had "challenged" Garrett "to become a real leader of the team." Haslam made that comment after a March report shared that it's "well known within the Browns that Garrett is frequently late to the facility" and "has skipped mandatory team activities on multiple occasions." It remains to be seen how the 29-year-old will respond to Stefanski's comments about an incident that occurred after Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders was cited for speeding twice in June.
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