Fantasy Football Preview 2013: Top Sleeper Quarterbacks

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2. Alex Smith – Kansas City Chiefs (Overall ADP 179)

Jun 5, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) speaks to media after the mini camp at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

Ryan Tannehill was 24 during his rookie season. After being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in 2005, Alex Smith played his rookie season at the fresh-faced age of 21. When you start to compare Smith against his contemporaries at similar ages, concerns about his ultimate upside start to look a little questionable. Three of the most similar players from age 26 to age 28 just happen to be Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Donovan McNabb. Eli Manning fails to make the list because he simply wasn’t as good.

Alex Smith’s mid-career renaissance has been widely attributed to the coaching of Jim Harbaugh, an observation that tends to earn him the “system” label. Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, and Andy Reid aren’t sure what to make of that. Do their quarterbacks not play in great systems?

Jettisoned by a Super Bowl participant, Smith finds himself in an unlikely dream scenario. He gets to operate in an offense that is at once prolific and quarterback friendly. The new Chief has never played with a receiver like Dwayne Bowe or a running back like Jamaal Charles. 600 pass attempts and a Top 10 finish are easily within reach for the man who led the NFL in accuracy last season.

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