2016 Fantasy Football: Early Stock Watch for San Francisco 49ers Players
By Peter Panacy
Good Pick: Wide Receiver Torrey Smith
Wide receiver Torrey Smith posted 33 catches for 663 yards and four touchdowns last season — all career lows.
This likely means you’ll be able to buy low on Smith should you want to round out your depth at wide receiver and/or add a feasible flex-player option to generate you points in favorable matchups.
Here’s a reason to be excited about Smith. He averaged 20.1 yards per reception in 2015, and Niner quarterbacks posted a 97.2 passer rating when throwing to him between the numbers between 10 and 19 yards, per Pro Football Focus. That rating jumps to 158.3 on down-the-middle throws of more than 20 yards.
We should see more of this in head coach Chip Kelly’s offense, per NFL analyst Nate Burleson (h/t Joe Fann of 49ers.com).
“That’s the genius of the offense,” Burleson said. “You have individuals worrying about a place where you’re not going. It’s the ultimate game of distraction. I can point you in one direction and make the defensive line, linebackers and safeties all think different things; all the while I’m going up top to Torrey. But it all has to work in unison. Everyone has to know what’s going on.”
Fann elaborated more:
"Kelly’s high-volume passing attack should also help Smith see more targets than the 62 that came his way in 2015. The coach’s expertise in misdirection could help Smith find more opportunities to take the top off the defense as well."
Joe Soriano of NFL Spin Zone also remarked on how Smith could be a dangerous weapon in Kelly’s offense in contrast to how Smith was used a year ago:
"With a whopping 20.1 yards per reception, Smith was the NFL’s leader in YPR, and it’s a rather inexplicable number…in a good way. While I understand that a low number of targets can help a deep threat’s yards per reception deviate even further from the mean, it’s important to understand just how difficult it is to average 20 yards per catch. In 2013 and 2014, the only wideouts to hit this number were Kenny Stills and DeSean Jackson, respectively, who are also two of the best vertical threats in the game."
A lot of the questions surrounding Smith’s use will hinge on whether or not the team re-signs veteran free agent Anquan Boldin this offseason and/or adds another wide receiver via the draft.
But Smith has the potential to be a late-round steal for your draft, so don’t hesitate to pull the trigger if you’re looking for a gem to round out your team.
Next: Sleeper Pick: TE Garrett Celek