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When is DeVonta Smith coming back? Will DeVonta Smith play again this season? Read about DeVonta Smith return date and injury updates for 2026.
The Philadelphia Eagles made the decision to move on from veteran wide receiver A.J. Brown this offseason, a move that signaled that they believed that DeVonta Smith was their WR1 of the present and future. Fantasy managers responded by using a top 36 pick on the Eagles’ pass catcher, hoping for an expanded role in a new offense.
Smith had highs and lows over the first three weeks of the 2026 NFL season, but unfortunately suffered a hamstring injury before Week 4. That injury has sidelined him for the last two games, leaving fantasy managers without a player they expected to be a fixture in their starting lineups.
When will DeVonta Smith be healthy? Can he return in Week 6? Read below to find out.
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DeVonta Smith Injury Update for Fantasy Football
DeVonta Smith became the unquestioned WR1 for the Philadelphia Eagles when the team traded veteran wide receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots before the 2026 season.
Smith was productive in both real life and fantasy football as a complement to Brown in the Eagles’ offense, but the presence of Brown also capped his ceiling significantly. From 2022 to 2025 (Brown’s four seasons with the team), Smith never finished with more than 15.3 PPR points per game or higher than the WR14 in PPR scoring.
Smith suffered a hamstring injury during training camp that forced him to miss time. Thankfully, the injury occurred early enough that Smith was able to (seemingly) fully recover and be on the field for the team’s first game.
The veteran wide receiver made it three weeks before suffering another hamstring injury. He has not played or practiced in Weeks 4 or 5. The Eagles did not place Smith on injured reserve despite initially reporting he would have a multi-week absence, which suggests he should return to the field before he misses four games.
There also seems to be optimism that Smith is close to returning to practice and playing in Week 6. However, fantasy managers need to practice caution given the nature of soft tissue injuries. It is essential to monitor practice reports to see if Smith can log full practices or if the team keeps him out to avoid another hamstring injury.
DeVonta Smith Fantasy Football Outlook
Over the first three weeks of the season, Smith looked up to the challenge of operating as the WR1 for the Eagles and a potential top-12 fantasy wide receiver in 2026. The departure of Brown combined with a new offensive coordinator (Sean Mannion) gave fantasy managers hope everywhere.
Smith was the WR4 in target share (29.5%), but was just the WR9 in targets (26) and WR10 in receiving yards (235) the first three weeks. The result was a WR13 finish over the first three games of the season (16.2 PPR points per game).
The lack of passing volume (87 attempts, 19th among NFL teams) and the struggles of Jalen Hurts in a more traditional passing attack were apparent. Despite that, Smith was able to produce a WR5 finish in PPR scoring in Week 2 (27.7 PPR points) thanks to 13 targets, 10 receptions, 117 yards, and a touchdown. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, this week’s production is greater than his other two games combined (14 targets, nine receptions, 118 yards).
DeVonta Smith wiiiide open for a TD 🦅
PHIvsTEN on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/H0pDJCagPi— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026
Unsurprisingly, the Eagles' passing offense has struggled with their best wide receiver sidelined over the last two weeks. However, Smith has shown that he can put together big games given the lack of target competition in Philadelphia.
There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about this passing offense given the downgrades at offensive line due to injuries (Landon Dickerson and Drew Kendall), trades (Cam Jurgens), and retirements (Lane Johnson) and Hurts’ unwillingness to throw to the middle of the field. But Smith can overcome those issues if he can stay healthy and maintain his 29% target share.
At worst, a healthy Smith is a high-end WR2 who will frequently finish among the top 12 wide receivers when he’s on the field this season.
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Week 6 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 6.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 6 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 6 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 6 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 6 for DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks:
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