Fantasy Football Rankings Week 3: Ravens Should Start Torrey Smith over Evans

In one quarter of football on Sunday against the St. Louis Rams, Baltimore Ravens rookie receiver Torrey Smith did more than veteran Lee Evans has done in a single game in his career: rack up at least 133 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Yes, that's right, Smith, a second-round pick out of Maryland, caught three balls for 133 yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter on Sunday against the Rams.

Smith, who was largely seen as a borderline first-rounder in the 2011 NFL Draft, made it all the way to the 26th pick of the second round this year, and the Ravens may have just found an answer to the loss of veteran Derrick Mason in the offseason.

Now, let me be clear, Evans has certainly had some great games in his career, but he's always struggled to be regarded as a true No. 1 receiver because he's always been so inconsistent. It's part of the reason the Buffalo Bills let him walk in the offseason in favor of up-and-comer Stevie Johnson.

On top of that, Evans is 30 years old and doesn't exhibit the same explosiveness as he once did.

There will undoubtedly be a learning curve for Smith (no, I don't expect him to do this every game), but he proved on Sunday that he offers the Ravens a clear threat opposite star wideout Anquan Boldin, and the Ravens simply didn't have that with Evans.

Unfortunately for Ravens fans, it's unlikely the Ravens will start Smith over Evans, given they signed Evans in the offseason, and veterans generally take precedence over rookies, even when it's illogical. The only reason Smith started on Sunday was because Evans was suffering from an ankle injury.

Evans certainly isn't a bad receiver, but he still doesn't make up for the loss of Mason, which has undoubtedly hurt the Ravens and showed against the Tennessee Titans in Week 2.

Maybe the Ravens don't start Smith over Evans, but Smith should certainly receive more touches after his performance against the Rams. The Ravens may have just found their very own secret weapon.