DeVonta Smith Injury Update Clouds Fantasy Football Outlook

A lot of promising rookies will make their NFL debut this season, including Philadelphia Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith. The Eagles have high hopes for the 10th overall pick at the 2021 NFL Draft, however, things hit a snag when it was announced that he suffered a sprained knee during training camp over this past weekend.

Now that he's listed as week-to-week, this injury update has certainly clouded Smith's fantasy outlook going forward.

DeVonta Smith Fantasy Outlook

Knee injuries can be concerning, especially before a player even gets to hit an NFL field for the first time. While there are still about six weeks for Smith to heal before the Eagles' season opener, players recover at different rates, so it's understandable if some fantasy owners are worried about drafting him. As it stands, he's listed as WR31 on Fantasy Pros.

While it seems like he'll be available for the season opener, losing practice time is an issue for any player, especially a rookie.

Still, Smith proved that he has the potential to be a top receiver in the NFL judging by his collegiate resume. A two-time CFP National Champion and 2020 Heisman Trophy winner, he recorded 185 receptions, 3,112 receiving yards and 37 touchdowns in his last two seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

However, people may have already been wary about how that would translate on an Eagles team that had an abysmal passing offense last season. Philadelphia averaged just 207.9 passing yards (28th) and 1.4 passing touchdowns (24th) per game in 2020. Couple that with Smith's knee injury fantasy managers may second guess themselves before drafting him around his average draft position (80.8).

Smith is listed as WR38 on The Duel's fantasy football rankings.

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