The biggest offensive producer for the Atlanta Falcons is someone making the least amount of money. Antone Smith is No. 4 on the depth chart for running backs and yet it appears he simply explodes every time he is handed the ball. Smith has not seen a lot of touches this season, but he has made the most of the ones he has gotten, putting up 121 yards on the season while averaging 11.0 yards per play. Entering a contract year, Smith continues to help value each game.
Smith is entering a contract year with the Falcons and finding himself in high demand with the coaching staff. Right now, the running back is set to make 730,000 this season and yet he is averaging 50.3 yards on scoring plays. To break things down, he had a 54-yard catch in Week 1. He posted a 38-yard sprint in Week 3 with a 48-yard run in Week 4. He topped things off with a 74-yard touchdown catch against the New York Giants. Head coach Mike Smith calls Antone the "biggest bang for your buck."
According to offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, the Falcons must find a way to get Smith more touches on the field. Right now, Steven Jackson continues to not impress as the team's starting running back while Jacquizz Rodgers and Devonta Freeman has yet to really make an impact. The backfield is crowded, but Smith is turning out to be the best of the bunch and the Falcons must begin to utilize that. The running back notes that it is not his job to demand playing time.
"But to make a big, substantial amount of money, nah," Smith said, via ESPN.com. "Like I said, I'm a small piece of the puzzle. I'm just making plays right now. And I'm hot right now. That's all. My job is just to be a great teammate and go out and do my job. And that's all I try to do. I don't try to control what's going on upstairs, who makes decisions when I'm in there, when I'm out. I just go out there and when my name is called, just go out there and do the best to my ability."
Any fantasy owner that has not taken a look at picking up Smith should probably think otherwise. The running back's involvement in the offense is only going to increase. Right now, he has the hot hand and the Falcons need a hot hand after recording back-to-back losses in a season they were expected to return to the playoffs. Koetter has been noting but supportive of Smith and hopes the hot streak continues.
"Antone is on a hot streak with the ball in his hands," Koetter said. "I've never seen a guy on a streak where a guy is making this many big plays based on percentage of time he's in there. Antone is improving in all areas but the thing he is best is when he get the ball in space. That's his thing."
