Steve Smith’s may be getting old but he’s always proved his doubters wrong

Week 1 is already way in the rearview mirror as you’re already planning  your lineups for the upcoming games. Last week, there were some pleasant surprises from a few players that weren’t ranked so high (e.g. Theo Riddick and Willie Snead) while a few top end names (Brandon Marshall and Dez Bryant) disappointed.

Each week, we’re asking pundits to help identify players that could break out when Sunday rolls around. Whether it’s a bad matchup or maybe an injury leading to more playing time, they’re giving explanations below on why you should consider starting a lower ranked player. On the flip side, they’re also naming which studs could be duds.

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Q1. Give us a player outside of our top 100 Flex that represents a sleeper start.

Steve Smith (WR – BAL at CLE)
“Picking on the Browns is easy, but determining which Ravens wide receiver will do the most damage isn’t quite as easy of a task. We don’t want to rush to judgment using just one week of data, but right now it’s all we have and it’s telling us that guy is Steve Smith. He led the team in both snaps (66%) and targets (9), and while Mike Wallace converted one of his six targets into a score, your best bet is to lean into the snap/target data instead of the more result-based data of touchdowns when making your decision here.”
– Ryan Noonan (The Fantasy Fix)

“The first name that pops out is Steve Smith. It sure will be tough for the Ravens receiver to do what he did last year after a torn Achilles but the role is still there. Week 1 saw Smith get nine targets and this week he gets an awful Browns defense. If you can’t use Smith now, when can you?”
– Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)

Eli Rogers (WR – PIT vs. CIN)
“Rogers is a name that you should familiarize yourself with, as he is going to be a staple in the Steelers offense for a while. Week 1 was not a fluke, as the Steelers liked him last year before losing him to a foot injury, placing him on the injured/reserve list. Sliding right past Sammie Coates and Darius Heyward-Bey in the offseason was seemingly simple, as is his Week 2 matchup against the Bengals. Cornerback Darqueze Dennard is supposed to be covering the slot for the Bengals, but was hurt and missed last week, allowing Eric Decker and Quincy Enunwa to dominate the slot for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Even if Dennard plays this week, it’s a plus matchup for Rogers, who continues to make waves in the fantasy community.”
– Mike Tagliere (Pro Football Focus)

Cole Beasley (WR – DAL at WAS)
“Forget about outside the top 100, how about outside the top 140! That’s where you’ll find Cole Beasley who Cowboys QB, Dak Prescott, targeted 12 times in Week 1. Beasley converted it into eight grabs for 65 yards. He’s mainly a PPR or Half-Point PPR option, but plays a similar role to Eli Rogers from the Steelers, who caught six passes for 59 yards and a TD against the Redskins in Week 1, the same defense Beasley will face in Week 2.”
– Bill Enright (FFChamps)

Jesse James (TE – PIT vs. CIN)
“Steelers TE Heath Miller, now retired, caught 10 passes in each of his two regular season meetings against the Bengals last year for 171 yards combined. Pittsburgh plays Cincinnati this week and the new guy, Jesse James, caught five passes on seven targets in Week 1. Opportunity is king and using James could become a crowning achievement.”
– Ben Standig (CSN Mid-Atlantic)

Q2. On the flip side, what player inside the top 40 Flex is likely to disappoint fantasy owners this week?

Mike Evans (WR – TB at ARI)
“I’ve been clear this offseason when touting Mike Evans as a legit No. 1 wide receiver on fantasy teams, but this week is not one of them. After lighting up the Falcons for 99 yards and a touchdown, Evans finds himself in a different situation. There were a lot of people expecting Desmond Trufant to shadow Evans in Week 1, but he didn’t, allowing Evans to get free against Brian Poole. In Week 2, though, he’ll face a legit shutdown cornerback who’ll follow him around the field, Patrick Peterson. He was targeted 65 times in coverage last year and allowed just 351 yards and two touchdowns. That is 0.72 fantasy points per target in coverage, so even if Evans gets eight or nine targets, he’ll need to score in order to live up to his top 40 flex ranking.”
– Mike Tagliere (Pro Football Focus)

Randall Cobb (WR – GB at MIN)
“With only one game to sift through, we turn to history for guidance with Packers WR Randall Cobb’s Week 2 matchup with the Vikings. The slot threat is typically a weekly start, but owners should consider looking elsewhere. In seven games against Minnesota, Cobb averaged only 36.9 receiving yards with two touchdowns. The past alone isn’t enough to bench this talented option, but could serve as a tiebreaker for owners with other candidates.”
– Ben Standig (CSN Mid-Atlantic)

Doug Martin (RB – TB at ARI)
“Arizona Cardinals GM and head coach were publicly disgusted with their team’s performance against a backup QB in Week 1 and that should scare the heck out of anyone trying to use a player from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week. Doug Martin will be stuffed over and over again and will not be in any of my lineups. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Charles Sims outscores him this week considering the Bucs will be in catch-up mode.”
– Bill Enright (FFChamps)

Demaryius Thomas (WR – DEN vs. IND)
“There’s a lot to like about Thomas’ matchup against a porous Colts secondary that’s missing it’s lone talent in Vontae Davis, but there are a few reasons to pump the brakes here. First, Thomas is dealing with a hip injury that shouldn’t prevent him from playing, but is limiting him in practice and the details are worth monitoring as we get closer to Sunday. More importantly, the excepted game script here looks like a run-heavy approach from C.J. Anderson and company.”
– Ryan Noonan (The Fantasy Fix)

Todd Gurley (RB – LA vs. SEA)
“I can’t see Todd Gurley doing much against a stout Seahawks defense. Even if Case Keenum weren’t horrendous, this is still a matchup where you truly may have to bench your prized 1st rounder.”
– Kevin Roberts (Breaking Football)

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Thank you to all the experts that contributed their thoughts. For more fantasy advice, be sure to listen to our latest podcast below.

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