Steve Smith: Sell while you still can (Delhomme done for the season)
Jake Delhomme will undergo ligament-replacement surgery and is done for the season.
While Delhomme’s lost is obviously a blow to any fantasy owner that drafted him, it’s arguably a bigger blow to those owners who spent a first or second round draft pick on Steve Smith; the Panthers star receiver. Given Delhomme’s ADP, it stands to reason most owners drafted him as a fantasy backup; so even if they were playing him in the early going, they should have someone of equivalent value to insert into the lineup.
But Steve Smith is another matter. The consensus #1 ranked fantasy wideout started off the season with a bang:
- Week One: 7 receptions for 118 yards and 1 TD
- Week Two: 8 receptions for 153 yards and 3 TDs
But since Delhomme went down to injury, Smith has fallen on hard times:
- Week Three: 1 reception for 10 yards, 0 TDs [note: Delhomme was injured midway through Week 3]
- Week Four: 5 receptions for 32 yards, 0 TDs
- Week Five: 4 receptions for 47 yards, 1 TD
With David Carr also hurt (and struggling) and unheralded rookie Matt Moore the Panthers backstop QB; the chances of Smith returning to elite form are sketchy, at best. Will Smith perform better than he’s shown in recent weeks? Quite possibly, but if you’ve got any chance of getting substantial value for Smith, it’s now before other owners in your league have the time to revalue Smith’s suboptimal situation.
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