Week 12 vs. Denver
Alex Smith is only a good fantasy option when he has a favorable matchup, and even then he doesn't deliver. So considering he faces one of the league's toughest pass defense this week, it'd be wise not to consider him as an option.
The Broncos are very difficult to pass against, making Smith pretty much an irrelevant choice. There are plenty of better quarterback to pick from in fantasy this week. If you don't believe me, just look at last year when he averaged under 200 yards and had a combined one touchdown to two interceptions.
Week 11 vs. Tampa Bay
As expected, Alex Smith had a poor game last week against the Panthers. He had 178 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. He's now averaged 173 passing yards in his last three games, which doesn't amount to fantasy points.
He'll try to bounce back this week in a favorable matchup against the Bucs. Still, we expect the Chiefs will find success on the ground this game instead of relying on Smith. He should play well, but is nothing more than a QB2 play.
Week 10 vs. Carolina
Alex Smith will return this week after missing a game due to being in the concussion protocol. As a welcoming gift, he gets a favorable matchup against the Panthers who have struggled to defend the pass after the departure of Josh Norman.
But, as we all know, Smith isn't someone who is going to throw 50+ times for 300 yards and three touchdowns. He should be just fine in this game, and can be a potential bye week replacement, but overall we're not huge fans of Smith as a fantasy option this week.
Week 8 vs. Indianapolis
Alex Smith played well against the Saints last week, but still managed to just cross the 200-yard passing mark against one of the worst defenses in football. We all know what Smith is, and that's a good quarterback who won't put up huge numbers.
Expect a similar performance from Smith this week in a favorable matchup against the Colts. Indianapolis has allowed two passing touchdowns in four consecutive games, and Smith is very capable of continuing that streak.
He's not an elite option, but if you need help with a bye, Smith wouldn't be a bad filler. He's a low-end QB1 play this week.
Week 7 vs. New Orleans
Alex Smith only had three incompletions last week, but he finished with no touchdowns. He now has just three touchdowns in his last four games, and has thrown for less than 300 yards in each of those performances.
However, Smith is capable of putting up big numbers when he has to and that could be the case this week against New Orleans. The Saints are actively involved in offensive shootouts, so Smith may need to toss the ball more often to keep up.
Given the extremely favorable matchup, we like Smith as a low-end QB1 this week. Smith is a good quarterback who needs good matchups to succeed, and there's a chance for that in Week 7.
Week 6 vs. Oakland
Outside of Week 1, Alex Smith has performed like we expect him to. Limited turnovers, somewhere between 200-300 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers may see a slight bump this week, however, as Smith gets a favorable matchup against the Raiders as Oakland has allowed the third most fantasy points to opposing QBs this season.
Still, the Chiefs' game plan mainly relies on the rushing attack and that gets improved this week with a healthier Jamaal Charles. We expect Smith will play well, but that may not lead to big fantasy numbers. He's a solid QB2, but doesn't have much value in a typical one-quarterback league.
Week 4 at Pittsburgh
Alex Smith put up numbers we expect him to last week. He finished with 237 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. The Chiefs had to rely a little more on the passing game last week as the running game struggled a bit.
This week Smith will get a favorable matchup against the Steelers. Pittsburgh has allowed 300-plus passing yards in every game this season. We don't expect Smith to get quite that high, but it bodes well for his potential.
Smith is a middle-of-the-road quarterback option this week. If you need a bye-week filler, he'll do just fine.
Week 3 vs. New York Jets
As expected, Alex Smith didn't relive his Week 1 passaganza, and instead settled for a 186-yard passing performance in Week 2. He also finished the games with no touchdowns, which is a stat line we're more likely to see from Smith this season.
To his credit, Smith played a tough Texans defense last week. He'll face a Jets defense in Week 3 that's allowed 300-yard passing games in each of the first two matchups, so it's possible Smith goes bonkers again, although we don't expect it.
Smith has a good matchup, but there are better quarterback options out there this week, which makes the K.C. passer a low QB2 play.
Week 2 vs. Houston
The Chiefs trailed 24-3 at halftime, which led to Alex Smith having to actually throw the football. The experiment worked, and Smith finished as one of the best fantasy quarterbacks of Week 1 with 363 passing yards, two touchdowns in the air and a third touchdown on the ground.
We don't expect Smith to have 48 pass attempts again, especially against a tough Texans defense in Week 2. Look for K.C. to try and control the game on defense, and then manage the game on the ground and through short passes.
Smith was a stud last week, but that was due to circumstances. He's not a quarterback prone to 300-yard games, and therefore, shouldn't be viewed as a strong option in Week 2.
Week 1 vs. San Diego
Alex Smith is consistently average, never throwing for too many yards, but also not committing too many mistakes to hurt you. He'll get the division rival Chargers in Week 1, a team he didn't have too much success against last year. In the two games combined he had 444 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
To his credit, Smith did have 33 rushing yards and 40 rushing yard in those two games, which is always a nice added boost. Although there's still no reason to feel as if Smith's numbers will change a whole lot more this season.
Smith should be viewed as QB2 with limited upside.
