DeVonta Smith or Drake London: Who Should You Start?
Preliminary board2026 Week 1 · deterministic head-to-head · Verdicts based on PPR scoring.
Verdicts sharpen as practice reports land.
Smith's scoring environment offsets London's stronger role
DeVonta Smith gets the better scoring environment: Philadelphia's 26.0 implied points gives his WR1-caliber outside role more paths to a useful PPR day than London's Atlanta setup. London answers with the stronger weekly role—primary target, bigger snap and target footprint—and that volume keeps the matchup level despite Atlanta's lower team expectation. Smith is the cleaner choice if you want touchdown and game-script access; London's risk is that Atlanta's offense limits the value of even elite involvement, while Smith can lose out if Philadelphia spreads production.
What flips it: Atlanta moving materially closer to Philadelphia in implied scoring.
AI editor
In standard scoring this flips to Smith.

DeVonta Smith
9.512.114.8 Projected Points

Drake London
9.012.115.1 Projected Points
Why DeVonta Smith
StartWR1-caliber outside receiver. Elite route technician with reliable hands and high target volume.
Start — every-week WR start at consensus WR11: WSH is the 10th-softest matchup vs WRs, 26.0 implied team total.
- Philadelphia's favored scoring environment gives Smith more ways to cash in than volume alone suggests.
- His polished outside role fits a game where the Eagles should have more chances to finish drives.
Why Drake London
StartWR1 and primary target. Big-bodied X receiver who wins contested catches at the catch point with elite ball skills.
Start — every-week WR start at consensus WR8: PIT is the 8th-softest matchup vs WRs, 31% target share in 2025.
- London's primary-target role protects his floor, even when Atlanta's offense is less likely to sustain scoring.
- His contested-catch skill gives him a path to overcome a difficult game script without needing manufactured volume.
Head-to-head stats
| Metric | DeVonta Smith | Drake London |
|---|---|---|
| Projected points | 9.512.114.8 | 9.012.115.1 |
| Consensus rank | WR11 | WR8 |
| Opponent vs position | WSH · 23 of 320-game sample | PIT · 25 of 320-game sample |
| Receptions | 25 of 32 | 30 of 32 |
| Receiving Yards | 27 of 32 | 28 of 32 |
| Receiving TDs | 22 of 32 | 22 of 32 |
| Targets | 23 of 32 | 29 of 32 |
| Anytime TD | 18 of 32 | 18 of 32 |
| Target share | 24%(2025) | 31%(2025) |
| Reception share | 24%(2025) | 29%(2025) |
| Implied total · spread | 26.0-5.5 | 19.8+3.0 |
| Depth chart | WR1 | WR1 |
| Snap share | 84%(2025) | 91%(2025) |
Signal breakdown
- 14.8 vs 15.1 projected PPR pointsDrake London +
- Rank 11 vs 8Drake London +
- Opponent DvP rank 23 vs 25 (32 = softest)even
- Implied 26.0 vs 19.8 team pointsDeVonta Smith +
- No injury designationseven
- 84% vs 91% snap shareDrake London +
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