Steve Smith Injury: Fantasy Football Update
August 11, 2009 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under Fantasy Football Advice, NFL Player Analysis
Steve Smith, the star wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, recently suffered a shoulder injury that he initially thought was going to be serious. Thankfully, the diagnosis wasn’t as bad as feared and Smith will likely be able to begin the season on time.
That said, his fantasy football value for the 2009 season drops after this news. The Panthers are secretive about their injuries so it’s never good to have one of their players on your fantasy team who has a nagging injury. Additionally, Smith has had a number of shoulder issues over the last couple of years.
If you decide to pick the 30-year-old wide receiver in your fantasy draft, it’d probably be a good idea to handcuff one of the other wideouts on the Panthers. Muhsin Muhammad is the logical choice, however Dwayne Jarrett could become a sleeper if Smith misses significant time.
This news about Smith also lowers the value of quarterback Jake Delhomme. Without Smith, Delhomme will be short of receiving options.
