Fantasy Football 2018: 10 RB sleepers to target for Week 9

21st October 2018, Wembley Stadium, London, England; NFL in London, game two, Tennessee Titans versus Los Angeles Chargers; Quarterback Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans hands off the ball to running back Dion Lewis (photo by Shaun Brooks/Action Plus via Getty Images) /

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ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 30: Atlanta Falcons running back Ito Smith (25) reacts after scoring a touchdown in an NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons on September 30, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Cincinnati Bengals won the game 37-36. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Ito Smith, Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins

Since Devonta Freeman hit the injured reserve, Ito Smith has been expected to receive a significant workload with the star running back absent. Tevin Coleman is the Atlanta Falcons lead back and continues to shine as a playmaker in the running game and passing game, but Smith has yet to find his footing in an increased role.

In Week 7 against the New York Giants, Smith received 7 carries but turned them into just 16 yards for yet another inefficient outing on the ground. He did make up for the 2.3 yards per carry average, however, by catching both of his targets for 29 yards.

Smith has shown some promise in the passing game this season, but his yards per carry average of 3.0 must improve going forward, otherwise the Falcons could be forced to reduce his carries. There aren’t any other options available to replace Smith, though, and the Falcons can’t afford to run Coleman into the ground. So at the end of the day, Smith’s gig is pretty much safe, especially when it comes to his potential for goal-line touches.

Washington allows about 50 receiving yards per game to running backs this season, so Smith could carry the passing game momentum from the Giants win through the bye. If he can continue to soak up his targets and make plays in the passing game, then the touches gap between him and Coleman will remain relatively close.

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