Smart contracts are convenient, but they are good for experienced people. DeFi tokens have been gaining momentum for a long time, their prices grow steadily, I recommend you to have a look at the history of UNI, LEND, COMP.
Regardless of the fact that DeFi tokens don’t enjoy high market cap, they have more prospects in the long-term run, these coins are less vulnerable to inflation. In addition, the system is completely decentralized, you don't have to worry about commissions and transaction intermediaries.
Yes DeFi projects are in a good position in the market as the days go by the demand for them is increasing. Most of the projects are included in DeFi the risk for investing is much lower but market research should be done before that.