Chris Olave vs DeVonta Smith: Who Should You Start?
Two wide receivers who will land on plenty of the same rosters in 2026. Chris Olave (New Orleans Saints) finished the 2025 season averaging 13.7 fantasy points per game in 16 games. DeVonta Smith (Philadelphia Eagles) came in at 9.6 PPG over 17 games. The gap is real but not insurmountable with the right matchup.
Chris Olave carries a 4.1-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Target volume is the story here. Chris Olave saw 156 targets in 2025, while DeVonta Smith drew 113. That workload gap usually translates into a higher weekly floor for Chris Olave, even in weeks where DeVonta Smith posts the bigger ceiling game. Consistency-minded managers lean toward target share; boom-bust managers chase the upside.
Bye weeks matter for roster construction: Chris Olave sits Week 12 while DeVonta Smith is off Week 5. If you are deciding between the two as a season-long roster hold, the staggered byes actually work in your favor.
