Week 14 vs. Oakland Raiders
Alex Smith came back in a big way last week with a monster game. He finished with 366 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 70 rushing yards. It was a dramatic shift from performances we've seen from him recently, but a mirror of what we saw from him at the beginning of the year.
He'll look to continue his success this week in a favorable matchup against Oakland. The Raiders have given up four 300-yard passing games, and have allowed the 10th-most passing touchdowns in the league.
Last week, Andy Reid gave up his playcalling duties, and it appeared to work in a big way. On Wednesday he said he'd consider keeping the same person as the play-caller, so if everything continues, expect Smith to be a strong QB1.
Week 13 at New York Jets
Alex Smith put up a stat line last week we often saw last season, but what has been a rarity in 2017. He finished with 199 yards, 1 touchdown, and an interception, giving him two bad games in a row. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what's gone wrong, but the Chiefs just aren't playing as well as they were early in the year.
He'll face a decent Jets defense this week, which has allowed some big games, but that has played well as of late. Earlier in the season, Smith was a trustworthy start, but now he carries some risk with him. He's not a bad play, but he should be viewed as a low-end QB1.
Week 12 vs. Buffalo Bills
We expected Alex Smith to have a solid game last week, but instead, he delivered his worst game of the season. Smith finished with just 230 yards with 0 touchdowns (a first this season) and 2 interceptions (he had just 1 interception the entire season before this game).
Smith should get back on track this week against the Bills. Although Buffalo hasn't given up many passing yards in recent weeks, that's mostly due to the fact teams have been running so much against them. Smith should be able to bounce back from his poor game last week and deliver QB1 numbers in Week 12.
Week 11 at New York Giants
Alex Smith is fresh off of a bye week as he looks to continue his MVP-worthy season. We've seen a much different Smith at quarterback this season as he's on pace to shatter his career-highs in passing yards and touchdowns. He's been one of the top QBs in fantasy this year, and he gets a juicy matchup against the Giants this week.
New York has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing QBs this season as the Giants are tied for giving up the most passing TDs (20), including 9 in their last three games. Smith should be viewed as a strong QB1 this week.
Week 9 at Dallas Cowboys
As expected, Alex Smith took a step back last week in a tough matchup against the Broncos. Denver's defense is never easy to pass against, and that's why Smith finished with just 202 passing yards and a touchdown. He did add 33 yards on the ground, which helped, but overall it was not a standout performance.
He should be able to bounce back this week in a decent matchup against the Cowboys. Dallas is allowing the 10th-best QB rating in the league this season, which means quarterbacks aren't having much trouble passing against them. Considering Smith's season so far, it's safe to say he'll be just fine this week. Smith should be viewed as a strong QB1.
Week 8 vs. Denver Broncos
Alex Smith continued his insane season last week, throwing for 3 touchdowns and 342 yards. He's already matched his number of passing touchdowns from last season (15) and he's on pace to beat his career-high in passing yards by over 1,000.
This week, though, he gets a bit of a tough matchup as he faces the Broncos. Denver hasn't been the shutdown defense they were a season ago, allowing a multi-touchdown game to passers every week but one. While we expect Smith's averages to drop a little after this week, he can still be viewed as a low-end QB1 option.
Week 7 at Oakland Raiders
As expected, Alex Smith didn’t have a great game last week in a tough matchup against the Steelers. He had his second-lowest yardage total of the season, and (by far) his worst QB rating. He also finished with just one score.
He should be able to bounce back this week in a decent matchup against the Raiders. Although Oakland has been stingy of late, allowing just two scores to quarterbacks in the past three games, the Raiders’ pass defense is allowing the second-best QB rating in the league. With all of the weapons at Smith’s disposal, he should be just fine this week and viewed as a QB1.
Week 6 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Alex Smith continued his impressive season last week with a 324-yard passing game with 3 touchdowns, and he yet to thrown an interception through five games this season. He's now had four multi-touchdown games this season, which has been a much different story than most of his career.
His numbers will likely take a dip this week in a brutal matchup against the Steelers. Pittsburgh has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season with a stifling pass defense. The Steelers have allowed the fewest passing yards along with the fewest yards per attempt. And quarterbacks have only thrown 3 touchdowns against them all season.
Smith has a surprisingly good option in fantasy this year, but he certainly carries some risk in this bad matchup. Since he's been so good, he should still be viewed as a low-end QB1, but don't be surprised if he struggles.
Week 5 at Houston Texans
Alex Smith had another solid game last week, falling just shy of 300 yards passing and finishing with 2 touchdowns (1 passing, 1 rushing). He now has 9 total touchdowns on the season with no turnovers.
His success should continue this week in a decent matchup against the Texans. Houston has had an odd season, shutting down some quarterbacks while allowing others to have huge games. We expect Smith will be just fine and continue to play well. He will be a good option this week, especially with several QBs on bye.
Week 4 vs. Washington
Alex Smith has played well this season, throwing 7 touchdowns and no interceptions, but it hasn't been all great for fantasy. He only finished with 155 passing yards last week, which won't win you many games as a fantasy owner.
Don't be surprised if his low passing numbers continue in Week 4 in a difficult matchup against Washington. Washington is only giving up 210 passing yards per game and has only allowed four scores through the air all season.
Smith should be a serviceable quarterback this week, but he should finish with just mediocre stats. He's a middle-of-the-road option in Week 4.
