Tag: Steve Smith

Week 1 WR Recap

The most heavily targeted Ram this week was the former second round pick Brian Quick. The 6’3″ 220 pound Quick caught 7 balls on 9 targets for 99 yards. The St. Louis ground game still looks like trash which means plenty of passing attempts for the Rams who are in a tough defensive division. Brian Quick is available in 99% of fantasy leagues.

Justin Hunter is a big play wide out. He caught 4 touchdowns on 18 receptions last year. In week one against the Chiefs he caught 3 balls on 8 targets for 63 yards. Jake Locker turned the corner last year and that can only be good for Justin Hunter and Kendall Wright. Hunter is available in 13-22% of fantasy leagues.

Steve Smith does not look fast out there and he had a few drops against the Bengals but he is still one mean dude. Smith was targeted 15 times on Sunday. He caught 7 balls for 118 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 nasty stiff arm. Torrey Smith is explosive but Smith will do all the dirty work for the Ravens similar to Anquan Boldin a few years ago. Smith is available in 5-28% of fantasy leagues.

Under The Radar- Brandon LaFell

Brandon LaFell caught six balls on eight targets for 90 yards Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. This 90 yard receiving day was only the third of his career and hopefully a sign of things to come for fantasy owners.

Analysis: Brandon LaFell has amassed 155 receiving yards and a touchdown thus far in his first two games this year. His thirteen targets through two games in just two shy of Carolina’s number one offensive threat Steve Smith. Carolina did run the ball heavily in week two but make no mistake, this is one balanced football team.

Brandon LaFell may be a post hype sleeper at this point in his three year career but his emergence this season is legit. To what extent we don’t quite know but he has the size and leaping ability to be one of Cam Newton’s favorite targets in and out of the red zone. LaFell is only owned in a quarter of leagues out there and he just may be ready for WR3 type numbers sooner than later. The New York Giants are up next for the Panthers, so expect a shootout and plenty of targets for the twenty-five year old Brandon LaFell.

Panthers Steve Smith is a Must Start

The Carolina Panthers Steve Smith had 6 receptions for 156 receiving yards in a losing effort against the Green Bay Packers.

Analysis: He’s baaaack.  Fantasy owners were leery to start him in week 2 against a solid Packers defense. He had a 59% start percentage in CBS Leagues and a 38% starting percentage in NFL.com fantasy leagues.  He was roughed up and beat up by the Packers, but finally managed to break out in the 4th quarter when the game was nearly decided.  The Panthers have turned into a pass-happy team with Smith getting plenty of targets.  It looks like the old Steve Smith is back and he remains a must start from now on.