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Torrey Smith will be the 2016 fantasy comeback player of the year

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 6: Torrey Smith #82 of the San Francisco 49ers runs into the end zone with a 71-yard touchdown reception to win the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 6, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The 49ers defeated the Bears 26-20 in overtime. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Torrey Smith is the 2016 Fantasy Comeback Player of the Year. Familiarize yourself with that sentence, because you’re going to be hearing a lot of people saying it.

A year removed from his worst season, Smith hit the veritable jackpot this offseason. Not only did he get one of the best offensive coaches in the league come to San Francisco, but he also won in free agency. Not because he was a free agent, but because of who the 49ers didn’t sign — namely, any pass-catcher of note. The topper on the cake is that the 49ers didn’t use a draft pick on a wide receiver until the sixth round.

The day Chip Kelly was hired, the buzz should have started around Smith – but for some reason, it didn’t. As a matter of fact, looking at his 13th-round ADP, it still hasn’t. It is rather puzzling when you consider what Kelly brings to the table and how much it matches Smith’s skillset.

Here's why Smith is poised for a major bounce-back season in 2016:

A down year with bright spots

After finishing as a top-23 fantasy wide receiver in each of his first four seasons with the Ravens, Smith ran into all sorts of problems in 2015. Not only was Colin Kaepernick not throwing the ball well in general, he also wasn’t trying to get it to Smith much at all. Smith’s targets were far lower than those he saw when with the Ravens.

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