NFL

Fantasy Football: 4 Unexpectedly Great Week 1 Performances

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Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

NFL.com Start Percentage: 3.6%

Week 1 Fantasy Points: 31.02

In the very first game of the NFL season, Alex Smith dismantled the New England Patriots, putting up 368 yards and 4 touchdowns. And nobody saw it coming.

For Smith, it was just his seventh 300-yard passing performance in 142 career games. The four passing touchdowns marked just the 15th occasion on which he's had three or more in a single contest.

Unlike Smith himself, the quarterback's weapons are very popular among fantasy owners. According to Fantasy Football Calculator's PPR average draft position data, Kareem Hunt was drafted among the top-10 running backs, Tyreek Hill was taken as a top-24 wide receiver, and Travis Kelce was the second tight end off the board. If fantasy football players think Smith's pass catchers are top options, doesn't it follow that the signal caller who gets them the ball should also perform well?

numberFire projects Kelce to lead all tight ends in receptions this year, and we think Hill could catch more than 75 passes. If that's not enough, we also think Hunt could be this year's top rookie running back. Given the potential caliber of Smith's weapons, it's reasonable to expect them to elevate his play.

Conclusion: While Smith might not hit his Week 1 numbers on a regular basis (or again this season), he's a viable fantasy quarterback when deployed in the right situations. Check for matchup advice before starting him, but Smith has long been a useable streamer, and if his weapons perform as expected, he should be able to meet or exceed his typical numbers this year.