Fantasy Football Stock Watch: Alex Smith Gets One Last Start in San Francisco

It's a little late in the fantasy season to analyze a quarterback's fantasy stock, isn't it? Well, not if you're one of the few fantasy owners that is playing for a title in Week 17.

If you're one of those fantasy owners, then you know more than anyone else that the fantasy football playoffs are still very much going on.

And if you're still reading this article and wondering about Alex Smith, you're either a huge 49ers fan, or you're in need of some help at the quarterback position.

Whether you want to see Smith go down in flames one last time, prove his doubters wrong or simply do his part in winning you a fantasy football trophy, this is news you'll want to hear.

The 49ers have declared Alex Smith as their starting quarterback going into their season finale against the Arizona Cardinals, three weeks after he got the job back against the Seattle Seahawks, and only one week since he lost it to Troy Smith.

Perhaps the 49ers aren't quite done with Alex Smith yet, or maybe they just realize that, as painful as it is to admit, he gives the team a slightly better chance than Troy Smith to go out on a high note.

Regardless of the reason, I'm here to tell you he gives your team a decent chance at taking home the title.

Let's face it, for most of the season, he's been inconsistent. He's turned the ball over, lost games, and failed to progress and build off a stellar 2009 season. But while he's been disappointing, he's at least shown up against inferior opponents.

Smith displayed his talent once again three weeks ago, with three touchdowns and no picks in a win over the Seahawks.

With a solid fantasy matchup against a normally porous Cardinals pass defense and nothing for either team to lose, there's a good chance we could see a shoot-out. And if that happens, you'll be sad you missed out on what Smith still has left to offer.

There's plenty of options to filter through for the final game, but if you're hurting at quarterback because of injuries, or teams resting players, know that Alex Smith will be back behind center, and his matchup bodes well for your fantasy team.