BAL WR Steve L Smith - Week 17, 2016 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 17 vs. Cincinnati

Steve Smith Sr. had a nice game against the Steelers last week, catching seven passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. It was his second straight week finding the end zone, and he’s been targeted at least six times in four straight games.

This week, he’ll face a Bengals defense that has been above average against the pass this year. While Smith has a fairly high floor (over 50 yards in all but five games this season), he is fairly touchdown dependent since he’s only had one game over 100 yards this year. Fantasy owners should consider him a low-risk, low-reward WR3 option to close out the season.

Thursday, December 29, 2016 - 7:04pm
BAL WR Steve L Smith - Week 16, 2016 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 16 vs. Pittsburgh

Steve Smith Sr. had only two catches for 40 yards last week, but he scored a touchdown and was targeted a team-high seven times. Smith continues to be an active part of the Baltimore passing game, despite no longer being a threat to put up consistent WR1 fantasy numbers at his age.

This week, Smith faces a Pittsburgh defense that ranks 14th in passing yards allowed per game, but is tied for sixth with only 17 touchdown passes given up all year. Expect Smith to once again rack up targets, but to end up around the 50-60 yard mark with an outside shot at a touchdown. Those likely put him as a low-end WR3 option in most leagues.

Thursday, December 22, 2016 - 12:42pm
BAL WR Steve L Smith - Week 15, 2016 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 15 vs. Philadelphia

Steve Smith Sr. had four catches for 57 yards last week against the Patriots, and he was targeted six times. Smith is third on the team in receptions and targets and he continues to be an active part of the passing game. Although he lacks significant upside each week, he does have a level of security that makes him viable each week in many fantasy leagues due to his reliable targets.

This week, Smith faces a very average Philadelphia pass defense. The Eagles rank 13th in the league in passing yards allowed per game. Expect the usual 50+ yards and 4-7 catches from the veteran and a decent, albeit unspectacular day. He’s a high floor, low ceiling player.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016 - 7:44pm
BAL WR Steve L Smith - Week 14, 2016 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 14 vs. New England

Steve Smith Sr. only had 53 yards last week against the Dolphins, but he caught six passes and was targeted 10 times. Smith is long past the point in his career where he can be counted on for elite production, but with that many targets, he’ll continue to have fantasy value each week.

Against the Patriots this week, Smith may struggle but should still rack up a ton of targets. New England will likely keep Baltimore throwing the ball, which should equal plenty of work for the receiving corps. Smith is a reliable safety valve for Joe Flacco, making him a viable low-end WR2 option in PPR league formats.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016 - 7:21pm
BAL WR Steve L Smith - Week 13, 2016 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 13 vs. Miami

Steve Smith Sr. had only four catches for 20 yards against the Bengals last week, a disappointing output for a pretty good matchup. While Smith has scored twice in his last three games, he has only eclipsed 100 receiving yards once this season and has limited upside at this point in his career.

This week, Smith faces a Dolphins defense that has improved over the course of the year and ranks ninth in the league in passing yards allowed per game. He should get some guaranteed targets, giving him some low-end WR3 value, but owners should be looking somewhere else at this point in the season to a guy with a better matchup and more upside.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016 - 6:43pm
BAL WR Steve L Smith - Week 12, 2016 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 12 vs. Cincinnati

Steve Smith Sr. had a nice game against Dallas last week, putting up 99 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions. He was targeted nine times and has been the most consistent option in the Baltimore passing game. He now has a touchdown in each of his last two games.

This week, he’ll face a Bengals pass defense that has allowed 19 passing touchdowns this year and should be a good matchup for the Ravens. If Smith continues to get his usual 7+ targets this week, he should be good for low-end WR2 numbers at least, and is a nice high floor option for fantasy owners, especially in PPR league formats.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016 - 2:19pm
BAL WR Steve L Smith - Week 11, 2016 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 11 vs. Dallas

Steve Smith Sr. had a nice game against the Browns last week, catching five of the seven passes thrown his way for 60 yards and a touchdown. He looks healthy and ready to go after missing time with an injury. While his explosiveness isn’t the same as it once was, he has the trust of Joe Flacco and is heavily targeted when active.

The Cowboys have been better against the run than the pass this year, but this game looks like a grind-it-out contest between two surprisingly effective defenses. If I trusted Joe Flacco more, Smith would get a bump, but he’s more likely to be a low-end WR3 with high floor than he is to put up legitimate fantasy numbers. If you need some guaranteed points, you could do worse than Smith, especially in a PPR league, but if you want a little more upside, you should look somewhere other than Baltimore.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016 - 6:46pm
BAL WR Steve L Smith - Week 10, 2016 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 10 vs. Cleveland

Steve Smith Sr. was finally healthy again last week against the Steelers, and he wound up with 47 yards on four catches. It was a good sign that he led the team with seven targets, and he should continue to be prominently featured in the Baltimore passing game for as long as he can stay healthy.

This week presents a great matchup for Smith, as the Browns have given up the second most touchdown passes in the league this year and just gave up three to rookie Dak Prescott last week. Smith doesn’t have the same explosive capability that he used to, but he should be good for low-end WR3 numbers in a great matchup this week.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016 - 8:50pm
BAL WR Steve L Smith - Week 5, 2016 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 5 vs. Washington
Steve Smith Sr. had a great game against Oakland last week, catching eight of the 11 balls thrown his way for 111 yards and a touchdown (including a 52-yard reception that showed off his ability to still be a playmaker at his age). Smith leads all Ravens in targets with 9.3 per game, and should be considered a solid week-to-week option in all league formats.

This week, he has some potential against a Washington defense that has allowed 281 passing yards per game to opposing teams. Smith has some risk as Josh Norman will likely line up across from him, but expect him to continue to be targeted heavily and be a nice high-floor option -- especially in PPR leagues.

Thursday, October 6, 2016 - 2:56pm
BAL WR Steve L Smith - Week 4, 2016 Fantasy Football Outlook

Week 4 vs. Oakland
Steve Smith Sr. was targeted a team-high 11 times last week against the Jaguars, catching eight passes for 87 yards. He and Mike Wallace are the clear starters on the team, and QB Joe Flacco trusts the veteran, as he leads the team in targets through three weeks with 8.7 per game. While he’s averaging only 56.7 yards per game and hasn’t scored yet this year, his usage and targets make him an interesting option for fantasy depth.

This week, Smith might have a chance at low-end WR2 or WR3 numbers against the Raiders. Oakland ranks dead-last in passing yards allowed and they’ve given up seven touchdown passes this season, tied for fourth most.

Thursday, September 29, 2016 - 1:12pm

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