Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett, Steve Smith Sr. Post-Week 7 Fantasy Advice

The Baltimore Ravens fell to 1-6 and are a long shot, at best, to make the playoffs in this disaster of a season after their 26-18 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, but at least their offensive playmakers provided solid fantasy production for owners who were looking for a Monday boost.

Quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Justin Forsett both picked up touchdowns, while wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. notched a team-high mark in receiving yardage against a formidable opponent. 

With that in mind, we'll take a look at the final tallies and some reactions for each player.

Joe Flacco

Completions	Passing Yards	Touchdowns	Interceptions	Two-Point Conversions	Fantasy Points
26-of-40	252	1	1	1	14.08

Flacco’s interception on the final drive not only ruined his team’s chances at victory, but it also ended an otherwise decent fantasy performance.

He had to throw 40 times because of the deficit Baltimore faced throughout the game, which was what fantasy owners were looking for in the final contest of Week 7. Still, he threw for only one touchdown, and the lack of big plays until the final drive was concerning.

Flacco has nine touchdowns and eight interceptions in seven games, which is a worrisome pattern in fantasy circles. The 1-6 Ravens are falling behind in contests. As a result, Flacco is taking more chances, which is leading to the boom-or-bust plays.

At least the yardage has been consistent, considering Flacco has thrown for more than 300 yards three times and more than 200 in two other games. Those totals are not surprising, considering his average of 41 pass attempts per game on the year.

If you are relying on a quarterback with that much usage, you are going to get a mix of big yardage and interceptions, which is what Flacco has provided in the early going this season. Owners need more touchdowns if Flacco is going to be a legitimate fantasy weapon in the second half of the year.

Justin Forsett

Carries	Rushing Yards	Catches	Receiving Yards	Total Touchdowns	Targets	Fantasy Points
12	36	3	8	1	4	10.4

Baltimore fell behind in the first half and faced a 26-10 deficit by the middle of the fourth quarter, which didn’t give Forsett many opportunities to rack up fantasy points.

That was disappointing for Forsett owners because he combined for 333 rushing yards, 88 receiving yards and a touchdown in his team’s other three October games.

At least he found the end zone Monday and ended up cracking the double-digit scoring barrier. What’s more, Forsett was the clear-cut No. 1 option when it came to carries, with 12 compared to Javorius Allen’s three. 

Forsett is a featured player in the Baltimore attack after his 1,266-yard campaign in 2014 and a few impressive showings in October. Keep him in your lineup moving forward, although Baltimore’s tendency to fall behind and turn away from the running game while in comeback mode is concerning for his value over the rest of the season.

Steve Smith Sr.

Catches	Receiving Yards	Touchdowns	Targets	Fantasy Points
5	78	0	9	7.8

Patrick Peterson shadowed Smith throughout the game. Peterson is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and has made a career of shutting down the opposition’s best receiver, but Smith had a mildly productive evening, although he didn’t find the end zone.

Even at 36 years old, Smith has already topped 130 receiving yards in three different games this season and has three touchdowns on the year. His nine targets were a team high Monday despite Peterson’s coverage, and Smith is averaging 11 targets per game in 2015. He is the top receiver in an offense that consistently throws the ball, which will lead to plenty of fantasy points all year.

Smith figures to be better moving forward without Peterson serving as a mirror, and his next two games will come against vulnerable secondaries: the San Diego Chargers (16th in total passing yards allowed) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (24th in total passing yards allowed).

Smith is a must-start for the foreseeable future.