DeVonta Smith or Drake London: Who Should You Start?

Preliminary board

2026 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

DeVonta Smith

WR11PHIvs WSH

Projected Points

Start
Drake London

Drake London

WR8ATLvs PIT

Projected Points

Start

Why DeVonta Smith

Start

WR1-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

Start

WR1 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

MetricDeVonta SmithDrake London
Projected points
Consensus rankWR11WR8
Opponent vs positionWSH · 23 of 320-game samplePIT · 25 of 320-game sample
Receptions25 of 3230 of 32
Receiving Yards27 of 3228 of 32
Receiving TDs22 of 3222 of 32
Targets23 of 3229 of 32
Anytime TD18 of 3218 of 32
Target share24%(2025)31%(2025)
Reception share24%(2025)29%(2025)
Implied total · spread26.0-5.519.8+3.0
Depth chartWR1WR1
Snap share84%(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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