When Is DeVonta Smith Coming Back - Week 9 Fantasy Football Injury Return Update (2026)

November 5, 2026

When is DeVonta Smith coming back? Will DeVonta Smith play again this season? Read about DeVonta Smith's return date and injury updates for 2026.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith has long been a favorite of the fantasy community, even while splitting opportunities in the passing attack with A.J. Brown. Fantasy managers expected Smith to become a locked-in WR1 after the Eagles traded Brown to the New England Patriots this offseason.

Unfortunately, things have not gone as planned. Smith suffered a hamstring injury in training camp and has repeatedly aggravated the injury. As a result, he’s missed four games this season, including both Week 7 and 8.

Will DeVonta Smith return in Week 9? What will his role be when he returns? Let’s dive in.

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DeVonta Smith Injury Update for Fantasy Football

DeVonta Smith was expected to ascend in both real life and fantasy football thanks to the trade of veteran wide receiver A.J. Brown this offseason. Instead, fantasy managers have been frustrated by lingering injuries throughout the 2026 season.

Smith initially injured his hamstring during training camp, but was able to recover enough to play Week 1. Unfortunately, he has suffered setbacks on two different occasions during the early season. Smith missed both Week 4 and 5 after aggravating the injury, returned in Week 6, but was limited to just 65% of the team’s snaps before leaving that game with another hamstring injury.

We have not seen Smith since, including during Wednesday's practice. The veteran wide receiver has now missed four games this season and doesn’t have a clear return date or recovery timeline. Head coach Nick Sirianna has told reporters that the team has no intention on shutting Smith down for the season, but has not indicated when he will return.

DeVonta Smith Fantasy Football Outlook

The 2026 season has been tumultuous for the Eagles. The offensive line, a strength for years, has seen significant turnover thanks to the retirement of Lane Johnson and the trade of guard Cam Jurgens. Jalen Hurts was placed on injured reserve with a blood clot issue and isn’t expected to return. Sean Mannion’s offense has struggled to unlock the passing game after a poor 2025 with Kevin Patullo.

Unfortunately, Smith couldn’t escape the chaos either, which has capped his fantasy production in the early part of the season. The veteran wide receiver showed his promise in the first three games of the week, finishing as the WR13 in PPR points per game (16.2) while catching 19 of 27 targets for 235 yards and a touchdown.

DeVonta Smith is too smooth.

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Unfortunately, Smith aggravated the hamstring injury, which caused him to miss Week 4 and Week 5. He was able to return in Week 6, finishing as the WR8 with 14 targets, seven receptions, 75 yards, one touchdown, and 20.5 PPR points. He played just 65.6% of the snaps before hurting his hamstring again. He has not played since.

Smith paced the Eagles passing attack in Week 6 (with Tanner McKee under center) with a 26.7% target share and 51.8% air yards share despite running a route on just 70.8% of the team’s dropbacks due to his injury. 35.3% of his targets were first-read targets.

We have proof of concept that Smith can be a top-15 wide receiver in fantasy football without Hurts under center thanks to volume. We just need Smith to get and stay healthy in order to realize that potential. Joe Milton III is slated to take over QB1 duties in Philadelphia, which may slightly cloud Smith's outlook.

However, on pure volume, he should remain a weekly starter even with the questions under center.