Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith had 50 receptions for 841 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie in 2011, then followed that up with a virtual carbon copy last season (49 catches for 855 yards and eight touchdowns). He had some big games last season (six catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns against the New England Patriots in Week 3; seven catches for 144 yards in Week 12 against the San Diego Chargers), but Smith also had less than 60 receiving yards 11 times during the regular season.
The Ravens traded Anquan Boldin to the San Francisco 49ers during the offseason, so Smith is now the most accomplished wide receiver the team has. Can he step up in his third NFL season and become a force for fantasy football owners?
Smith has maintained a high yards per catch average over his first two seasons (16.8 in 2011; 17.4 in 2012), and he should still be Baltimore’s primary deep threat this year. But his overall role will surely increase after being targeted 110 times last season (31st among wide receivers), and more opportunities should yield more catches and yardage.
Until he proves he can produce at a high level on a more consistent basis, Smith will not become a legit No.1 wide receiver for fantasy owners. I don’t think that will happen in-full this season, but 60-70 receptions for around 1,000 yards and 8-10 touchdowns is a solid baseline projection. Smith is not a great choice in PPR leagues at this point, but with the opportunity to become Joe Flacco’s top target he has the makings of a WR2 with upside in any scoring format. Just be careful not to overvalue him on draft day based on the fact he is coming into his third season.
Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.
