DeVontaSmith

News: 2 days agoSmith brought in seven of 14 targets for 75 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles' 25-14 loss to the Panthers on Sunday.

Spin: Smith had an eventful day in his return from a two-game absence, leading the Eagles in receptions, receiving yards and targets on the afternoon. He also worked around getting briefly shaken up following a long incompletion where he appeared to have taken a blow to the chest area, and he added his second touchdown reception of the campaign via a 19-yard grab early in the fourth quarter. Smith displayed solid chemistry with fill-in signal-caller Tanner McKee, which certainly is a welcome development considering Jalen Hurts (IR, calf) is sidelined indefinitely.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: It's generally tough for a former Heisman Trophy winner and first-round draft pick to fly under the radar, but that has been the case for Smith in recent years. With all eyes on A.J. Brown, Smith has finished no lower than 30th among receivers in fantasy PPG in each of his five seasons (top 30 in PPG each of the last four). The "slim reaper" saw a big dip in touchdowns last season (four, after at least seven the prior three seasons), but remained very efficient (career 9.1 yards per target and 2.1 yards per route run). Smith has handled roughly one-quarter of the Eagles' targets throughout his career, and that may rise slightly after Brown was traded to New England. Smith, 27, is the Eagles' No. 1 receiver for the first time as a non-rookie and is well positioned for a strong WR2 campaign.