ESPN shares golden ticket for which Eagles playmaker will win fantasy leagues

As the 2025 NFL season is set to kick off this Thursday, fans may have already begun focusing on their own roster building for their fantasy football teams.

As fantasy drafts continue until Thursday's kickoff, ESPN's NFL Nation reporters have compiled a guide for each team's greatest assets, concerns, and predictions to help you win your fantasy championship. For the Eagles, ESPN believes that DeVonta Smith is the key piece for fans to win their fantasy matchups this year.

"The wide receiver has finished each of the past three seasons as a top-20 WR in PPR scoring. Yes, the offense in Philly is run-heavy with Barkley, and Smith will remain the No. 2 receiver opposite Brown. However, Smith averaged 7.1 targets per game in 2024 while averaging 14.4 PPG, including four games with 22 or more points. He is a fantasy WR3 in an offense that will move the ball and produce touchdowns."

How Smith can help fantasy owners dominant the competition in 2025

While fans may be concerned to select Smith due to the possibility of playing "second fiddle" in the Eagles ' run-heavy offense, along with being Philadelphia's WR2 behind A.J. Brown, Smith still managed to average 7.1 targets per game, averaging 14.4 points per game. In 2024, Smith finished with over 22 points four times, while also finishing in the top 15 of wide receivers.

While the hesitation of Smith is highly understandable, when healthy, Smith continues to be an extremely valuable option, despite missing several games last season, ranking as the 27th best wide receiver in fantasy. This season, Smith is currently ranked 25th among wide receivers, according to ESPN. With additional weapons in the Eagles' offense added to Jalen Hurts' arsenal, Smith could "pop" for the 2025 season.

Several media outlets have Smith projected to catch between 70 and 85 receptions, 850 and 1000 receiving yards, and seven to nine receiving touchdowns, combining for 197 to 237 fantasy points in 2025. If Smith can consistently put out between 11.6 to 14 points per week (PPR), fantasy owners rostering Smith can expect a decent amount of success from their WR2/FLEX position.

While Smith scared some fantasy owners this week as he was nursing an injury, as of Monday, he was officially taken off the Eagles' injury report and currently has no injury designation. Smith and the Eagles will take on the Cowboys Thursday night to kick off the 2025 NFL season.