Start DeVonta Smith or Zay Flowers? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start DeVonta Smith over Zay Flowers in Week 1.

Zay Flowers is priced by the books at 2.6 projected points and DeVonta Smith is not priced at all, so we are leaning on where drafters take them. Drafters take DeVonta Smith at ADP 29 and Zay Flowers at 25.

What the books imply

Player prop markets imply 2.6 fantasy points for Zay Flowers, with 70 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

No sportsbook posted a player market for DeVonta Smith in Week 1.

Week 1 matchups

Zay Flowers and BAL visit IND on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

IND allowed 37.9 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 9th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 229 yards and a touchdown against IND.

DeVonta Smith and PHI host WAS.

WAS allowed 26.1 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 14th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 121 yards and a touchdown against WAS.

By points allowed to the position, Zay Flowers has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Zay Flowers was not on the injury report when the call was made.

DeVonta Smith was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Zay Flowers played 17 games for BAL and scored 243.3 PPR points, 14.3 a game, finishing WR7.

He caught 86 of 118 targets for 1211 yards and 5 touchdowns, with 10 red zone targets and 753 air yards.

He was on the field for 86 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Zay Flowers, Week 18 of 2025 against PIT: 6 targets and 4 catches for 138 yards, 2 touchdowns, 29.8 PPR points.

Zay Flowers, Week 17 of 2025 against GB: 52 of 76 snaps, 5 targets and 4 catches for 30 yards, 1 touchdown, 13.0 PPR points.

Zay Flowers, Week 16 of 2025 against NE: 49 of 55 snaps, 1 carry for 18 yards, 7 targets and 7 catches for 84 yards, 1 touchdown, 21.2 PPR points.

In 2025, DeVonta Smith played 17 games for PHI 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 and 715 air yards.

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

DeVonta Smith, Week 18 of 2025 against WAS: 4 targets and 3 catches for 52 yards, 8.2 PPR points.

DeVonta Smith, Week 17 of 2025 against BUF: 46 of 54 snaps, 5 targets and 2 catches for 25 yards, 4.5 PPR points.

DeVonta Smith, Week 16 of 2025 against WAS: 60 of 70 snaps, 8 targets and 6 catches for 42 yards, 1 touchdown, 16.2 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

DeVonta Smith scored 8.3 PPR points and Zay Flowers scored 26.0.

The call was wrong: Zay Flowers outscored DeVonta Smith by 17.7.

DeVonta Smith, Week 1 against WAS: 52 of 55 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 53 yards, 8.3 PPR points.

DeVonta Smith finished as the week's WR46 in PPR scoring.

Zay Flowers finished 23.4 points above the 2.6 the props implied.

Zay Flowers, Week 1 against IND: 20 of 68 snaps, 6 targets and 5 catches for 150 yards, 1 touchdown, 26.0 PPR points.

Zay Flowers finished as the week's WR7 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Chris Olave over Zay Flowers.
• Start Garrett Wilson over Zay Flowers.
• Start George Pickens over Zay Flowers.
• Start Emeka Egbuka over DeVonta Smith.
• Start Garrett Wilson over DeVonta Smith.
• Start George Pickens over DeVonta Smith.