Ito Smith Week 13 Outlook -

By Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros), Thu, Dec 3rd 2020, 10:35am EST

Raheem Morris said they're "hopeful" to get Gurley back this week, though that's hardly a guarantee. With him out of the lineup Hill and Smith shared the touches, though it was Smith who was more efficient, finishing with 75 total yards and a touchdown on 16 touches compared to Hill's 55 total yards on 13 touches. We could sit here and talk about what this timeshare is without Gurley, but it won't make much of a difference in Week 13, as you really don't want to play either of them against the Saints, who've allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs. The competition they've played isn't in question either, as running backs have averaged 6.9 fewer half-PPR points against the Saints than they do in non-Saints games. That's easily the biggest gap in the league. Of the production the Saints have allowed to skill-position players (63.0 PPR points per game), just 26.6 percent of it goes to running backs, which is the second-lowest percentage in football. There are just three teams in the NFL who've allowed fewer than 10.0 fantasy points per game on the ground to running backs. The Falcons, Saints, and Bucs. We know that touchdowns are important to production in this backfield by now, right? Well, the Saints have allowed just five total touchdowns to running backs this year, or one every 53.8 touches. Both of those are the best numbers in the league. They've allowed just 27 percent of carries inside the five-yard line be converted into touchdowns, which is the third-lowest percentage in the league, so even if Gurley plays, his touchdown-dependent stat lines are problematic. That should be enough for you to worry, but what about when I tell you they've allowed a league-low 1,049 total yards to running backs this year (95.4 per game)? When you factor in weighted opportunity, the Saints have allowed 8.6 percent fewer points per opportunity than any other team in the league. The average RB1 performance in 2019 was 17.2 PPR points. The Saints are the only team in the league who've yet to allow a running back hit that mark. Even if Gurley suits up, he's just a boring RB3 who will bust if he doesn't score. If he doesn't play, Smith would be the preferred option, as he at least gets passing-down usage, but he'd be just a low-end RB3/high-end RB4.