Steve Smith was expected to have help in the receiving game after the Baltimore Ravens drafted Breshad Perriman and Maxx Williams, but the former will sit out, and the latter is designated to a backup role.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 1: Steve Smith
The Baltimore will need all hands on deck to keep up with the Denver on Sunday, and it all starts with Smith. We break down the fantasy implications.
As a result, Smith should find himself monopolizing Joe Flacco's targets in wake of Torrey Smith and Owen Daniels' departures, and that should be the case right away vs. the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Against an explosive Broncos offense, the Ravens will likely have to play catch up at some point, taking deep shots and feeding their receivers in the passing game. No one on the Ravens is better equipped for that workload than Smith.
Fantasy Spin: Though Smith will undoubtedly be peppered with targets, he will certainly have his work cut out for him against two of the NFL's best corners in Chris Harris and Aqib Talib. The Ravens will have to get creative in getting their targets to Smith, who the Broncos will key in on. Offensive coordinator Marc Trestman is capable of making this happen, but the upside is capped vs. this defensive unit.
Smith remains a volume-dependent WR3 for Week 1, but should have much smoother sailing throughout the season than this difficult draw in Week 1.
