RADIO
Here’s some good news for fantasy football players who own Steve Smith Sr. The Baltimore Ravens wide receiver practiced on Friday and is expected to play in Week 8 against the San Diego Chargers despite a knee injury.
Smith Sr. has had a great season thus far. Through six games he has hauled in 41 passes for 588 yards and three touchdowns. Although he’s 36-years-old, he’s still playing like one of the best receivers in the game, and he’s by far the best weapon quarterback Joe Flacco has in the passing game.
While Smith Sr. is expected to play, team beat writer Jamison Hensley did say that the receiver seemed to run with “a little hitch” in practice on Friday. Regardless, he can be considered a WR2 against the Chargers as long as he’s active on game day.
The big question with Smith Sr. isn’t whether or not he’ll play in Week 8, but whether or not he’ll actually retire at the end of the season. The Ravens are reportedly trying hard to convince him to stick around for at least one more season. And the way he’s been playing, I can’t blame the team for wanting him to stick around.
In other news, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy has said that backup running back James Starks has looked good in practice this week despite dealing with a hip injury. McCarthy said he “hope he plays” in Week 8 against the Denver Broncos.
That’s bad news for Eddie Lacy fans. Earlier in the week the team said Lacy was finally 100 percent healthy and he would have received a full workload with Starks out. Now that Starks is expected to play, one has to wonder whether or not he’ll continue to steal touches from Lacy.
To Starks credit, he has played well when given the opportunity. He has 63 carries for 286 yards and one touchdown. He has added 11 receptions for 75 yards and another touchdown.
If Starks plays he can be considered very low-end RB3. Meanwhile, Lacy can be considered a low-end RB2. The Broncos have a good defense, but they should be more focused on stopping Aaron Rodgers and the Packers passing game. This will hopefully open up some nice holes for Lacy and Starks out of the backfield.
One thing is for sure: The Broncos-Packers game is definitely must-see television on Sunday night!
