Should I start DeVonta Smith or Matthew Golden in Week 7?

The market-based projections

DeVonta Smith's market-based projection is 16.2 PPR points a game, built from 3 markets across 12 market sources. That is the 28th highest figure of the 214 players with a market-based projection.

Matthew Golden's market-based projection is 15.8 PPR points a game, built from 3 markets across 13 market sources. That is the 33rd highest figure of the 214 players with a market-based projection.

Where the draft room stands

Live drafts hold no current pick on DeVonta Smith, and the board ranks him 26th overall on the rest of his evidence.

By format he goes standard: ADP 11; 2QB: ADP 28.

Live drafts hold no current pick on Matthew Golden, and the board ranks him 29th overall on the rest of his evidence.

This season through Week 6

Through Week 6, DeVonta Smith has been on the field for 86 percent of PHI snaps, drawn 33 percent of the targets and had 11 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 15 of the offence's 41 third down targets, had 0 of its 8 chances inside the five and seen 10 of its 18 two minute targets.

His 41 targets have averaged 12.2 air yards.

In Week 2 against TEN he caught 10 of 13 targets for 117 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

In Week 3 against CHI he caught 6 of 8 targets for 65 yards and did not score.

In Week 6 against CAR he caught 7 of 14 targets for 75 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

Through Week 6, Matthew Golden has been on the field for 83 percent of GB snaps, drawn 26 percent of the targets and had 17 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 22 of the offence's 64 third down targets, had 1 of its 15 chances inside the five and seen 9 of its 32 two minute targets.

His 57 targets have averaged 14.3 air yards.

In Week 4 against TB he carried 1 time for 6 yards, caught 3 of 7 targets for 21 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

In Week 5 against CHI he caught 6 of 7 targets for 123 yards and did not score.

In Week 6 against DAL he caught 6 of 13 targets for 104 yards and scored 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 DeVonta Smith played 17 games and scored 201.8 PPR points, 11.9 a game, finishing WR20.

He caught 77 of 113 targets for 1008 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 10 red zone targets.

That came to 6.6 targets a game, a 68 percent catch rate and 13.1 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 89 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

In 2025 Matthew Golden played 14 games and scored 70.0 PPR points, 5.0 a game, finishing WR89.

He caught 29 of 44 targets for 361 yards and 0 touchdowns, with 2 red zone targets.

That came to 3.1 targets a game, a 66 percent catch rate and 12.4 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 50 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

DeVonta Smith was available for 3 games more.

Head to head

In 2025 DeVonta Smith scored 11.9 PPR points a game and Matthew Golden 5.0, 6.9 a game between them.

DeVonta Smith finished WR20 that year and Matthew Golden WR89.

DeVonta Smith had 69 more targets than Matthew Golden, 113 to 44.

DeVonta Smith had 647 more receiving yards than Matthew Golden, 1008 to 361.

This season DeVonta Smith holds the bigger snap share, 86 percent against 83 percent.

This season DeVonta Smith holds the bigger target share, 33 percent against 26 percent.

Byes and availability

DeVonta Smith is off in Week 10 and Matthew Golden in Week 11, so either can cover the other's bye.

Matthew Golden is listed as questionable on the injury report.

What would change the answer

0.4 points a game is the entire case. The market restates it every week, and a line that moves moves the order with it.

The draft market is the half that is missing: when live drafts hold these two again they can order them differently from the projection, and this page will follow the drafts rather than the market-based projection when they do.