DeVonta Smith vs Mike Evans: Who Should You Start?
The gap between DeVonta Smith and Mike Evans is smaller than most fantasy managers think. Separated by just 0.9 PPG in 2025, this is one of those wide receiver decisions that comes down to context, not name recognition. DeVonta Smith averaged 9.6 PPG with the Philadelphia Eagles across 17 games, and Mike Evans posted 8.7 with the San Francisco 49ers in 8.
When two wide receivers are separated by less than two points per game, the decision shifts to weekly context. Who has the softer defense? Who is trending up over the last month? Which team is projected for more total points? Those are the tiebreakers that actually matter.
Target volume is the story here. DeVonta Smith saw 113 targets in 2025, while Mike Evans drew 61. That workload gap usually translates into a higher weekly floor for DeVonta Smith, even in weeks where Mike Evans posts the bigger ceiling game. Consistency-minded managers lean toward target share; boom-bust managers chase the upside.
DeVonta Smith has his bye in Week 5, and Mike Evans rests in Week 9. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at wide receiver for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
