Week 1 - Steve Smith Sr. vs. Denver Broncos
Steve Smith Sr. will face the Denver Broncos for the first game of his farewell campaign. Set to retire at the end of the season, he’ll look to make an impact right out of the gate. The Broncos may put their top cover guy, Aqib Talib on Smith, but he should remain the top option in the Ravens passing attack.
The wily veteran should find spots in a Denver pass defense that gave up 29 touchdown passes a year ago, and the Ravens will likely throw the ball a fair amount with their new offense in place against a high-scoring team like the Broncos. At this stage in his career, it’s hard to say Smith will put up elite numbers, but we have him ranked as WR22 this week on our board and he should be considered a solid WR2/3 option to begin the season.
Steve L Smith came back strong last season, putting up over 1,000 yards on 79 receptions in his first year away from Carolina. He had six touchdowns and was easily the most consistent option for quarterback Joe Flacco all year. Smith is 36 years old but showed last season that he can still get downfield and that he still has that competitive fire that has helped him become a WR1 in the league despite lacking ideal size.
Fantasy Upside
Smith will once again be the most proven receiver in Baltimore, which should mean that his starting job and targets aren’t likely to reduce. Additionally, his new offensive coordinator, Marc Trestman, helped Chicago’s receivers put up big fantasy numbers the last couple of years. Smith should benefit from some young talent added around him in rookies Maxx Williams and Breshad Perriman, and while his upside may be limited, Smith is as proven as it gets and has the type of mentality that makes it hard to bet against him.
Fantasy Downside
At 36, Smith has been around a long time and he was often a feast or famine type of fantasy player last season. He blew up at the beginning of the year with four 100 plus yard outings in his first six games, but then didn’t reach the century mark again until the playoff win over the Steelers. With that in mind, it seems unlikely he’ll be able to produce those early season monster games again, and that he may settle back into the kind of supporting role veterans often take.
Bottom Line
Smith isn’t likely to be a WR1 on a consistent basis this year, but he remains the most proven player in the Ravens’ passing game and showed last year he has enough in the tank to remain productive. With limited other options, expect a similar number of targets for the veteran, and he could be a nice value as a reserve WR3 on your roster with his ADP in the 9th and 10th round.
Divisional Round – Steve Smith Sr. vs. New England
Steve Smith Sr. had a nice game in last week’s victory over the rival Steelers, bringing veteran route running and toughness to the Baltimore passing game, and ending up with five catches and 101 yards. Smith is coming off an inconsistent but productive 1,000+ yard season with the Ravens, and he’ll be eager to show up against the Patriots.
He will likely see a lot of Darrelle Revis however, hurting his chances to blow up. Smith has been a little bit feast or famine this year anyway, and I would expect that to continue in this matchup, We have him as a borderline top ten WR this week, putting him in low-end WR2 territory in most fantasy playoff formats.
Wildcard Weekend – Steve Smith Sr. vs. Pittsburgh
Steve Smith Sr. finished the season with an eight catch, 90 yard day against the Browns, putting him over 1,000 yards on the season for the eighth time in his career. Smith cooled off over the second half of the season after a hot start, but he was targeted 12 times last week and remains a focal point in the Ravens passing game.
This week, he faces a Steelers defense that struggled against the pass this year and allowed 30 touchdown passes to opposing offenses over the course of the season. Smith didn’t have big numbers against the Steelers this year, only 11 catches for 107 total yards in two games, but he should be a decent option in the wildcard round this weekend. There’s a crowd at the WR position, but once you get outside that top five guys, Smith is nearly as good of an option as the rest of the group. We have him as a borderline top ten guy this week.
Week 17 – Steve Smith Sr. vs. Cleveland
Steve Smith Sr. had only 49 yards on five receptions last week as the Ravens struggled against the Texans defense. Smith was targeted 12 times though, a good sign for fantasy owners.
This week, he faces the 7th ranked pass defense in the league and the Ravens will likely continue to struggle offensively. It seems like a long time ago that Smith was putting up borderline WR1 numbers at the beginning of the year, and with the way Baltimore has been playing lately, he’s become a risky WR2 in most leagues and is right around 30th in our rankings.
Week 16 – Steve Smith Sr. vs. Houston
Steve Smith Sr. caught all five passes thrown his way against Jacksonville last week, but he only managed 37 yards. Smith has been up and down this season, looking fantastic in good weeks, and disappearing in others.
This week, he faces a Houston defense that ranks in the bottom third of the league in both passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed, which should bode well for the veteran Smith. His inconsistency gives him an element of risk, but with a nice matchup and the Ravens in “must-win” mode, Smith has WR3 fantasy value.
Week 15 – Steve Smith Sr. vs. Jacksonville
Steve Smith Sr. had a nice game last week as the Ravens beat the Dolphins in an important game with potential playoff implications. Smith caught seven passes for 70 yards and a touchdown and he was targeted a team high 11 times.
Smith will face a vulnerable Jaguars pass defense that has actually done a pretty good job keeping receivers out of the end zone this season, giving up only 20 passing touchdowns on the year. He’s been so inconsistent this season that it’s hard to count on him, but he is still a WR2 option, particularly if a knee sprain suffered last week limits fellow Ravens WR Torrey Smith.
Week 14 – Steve Smith Sr. vs. Miami
Steve Smith Sr. was targeted four times last week in a loss to the Chargers, but he only caught one pass for two yards and finished with a dismal fantasy outing. Smith may benefit from the attention fellow Ravens WR Torrey Smith should get this week against Dolphins potential Pro Bowl CB Brent Grimes this week, but he’s been too inconsistent as of late to count on him. We have him in WR3 territory in most leagues, as he’s had only one good fantasy outing in the past six games.
Week 13 – Steve Smith Sr. vs. San Diego
Steve Smith Sr. came back to life a bit on Monday night against the Saints. He was targeted six times, tied for a team high, and caught four passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens ran the ball mostly, and they may do the same thing this week against a Chargers defense that has been better against the pass than the run this year.
Smith should find success against the Chargers, but with how slow he’s been during the second half of the season, it’s too risky to count on him as anything more than a WR3.
Week 12 – Steve Smith Sr. vs. New Orleans
Steve Smith Sr. was targeted seven times against the Titans in Week 10, but he only caught three passes for 17 yards and he has cooled off tremendously in recent games after a hot start to the season in his new Ravens uniform. His last great game was in Week 6, and fantasy owners are starting to look at him with a raised eyebrow. Meanwhile, Torrey Smith has been much better in recent weeks after a slow start and was targeted more than the veteran and former Panther during their last outing.
This week, Smith Sr. should continue to get targets against the Saints, who have been middle of the road against the pass this season. He is a risky start however, with his lack of production over the past several games and should be considered a low-end WR2 or WR3 option in most leagues.
