Ito Smith (RB, ATL) - Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups

October 7, 2019

Atlanta Falcons running back Ito Smith has been effective in the passing game and more efficient with his rushes than the Falcons lead back Devonta Freeman so far this year.

BALLER MOVE: Add in 12+ Team Leagues

OWNED IN: 14% of Leagues

ANALYSIS: The Atlanta Falcons have two things going for them that every fantasy owner should love: they have an elite offense and a horrendous defense. As a result, you can expect a lot of fantasy points to be scored from the Falcons' skill players going forward, giving the team's No. 2 running back Ito Smith an opportunity to be worthy of rostering and potentially starting sooner rather than later.

Smith had his highest yardage output so far this season in Week 5 against the Texans, when he gained 19 rushing yards on five carries and 45 receiving yards on six catches for a total of 64 yards. While he was outgained by the team's No. 1 running back Devonta Freeman, who had 70 total yards on the day, it took Freeman 11 carries and five catches to get there.

Smith has averaged 5.2 yards per carry this year, compared with Freeman's 3.2. Through the air, meanwhile, they've been about identical, both averaging 7.9 yards per reception over the season with similar catch rates. Smith's upside is very much tied to Freeman, but if Smith continues performing better with his rushes, he could take a higher percentage of the carries going forward.

The bottom line is that this offense in Atlanta is going to score a lot of points this year and Smith should be seeing around 10 touches per game going forward, giving him a solid chance for strong yardage outputs. Plus, he could be a monster if something were to happen to Freeman. Make sure to add him in all leagues of 12 or more teams.