DeVonta Smith vs Terry McLaurin: Who Should You Start?
The gap between DeVonta Smith and Terry McLaurin is smaller than most fantasy managers think. Separated by just 0.1 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 Terry McLaurin posted 9.5 with the Washington Commanders in 10.
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 Terry McLaurin drew 60. That workload gap usually translates into a higher weekly floor for DeVonta Smith, even in weeks where Terry McLaurin 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 Terry McLaurin rests in Week 14. 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.
