Scores twice in return Smith (ankle) caught all three of his targets for 85 yards and two touchdowns Sunday in the Saints' 30-20 divisional-round loss to the Buccaneers. Impact Smith had missed the Saints' previous four contests with a bad ankle, and while his team took the loss, the downfield threat produced his best statistical performance of the season upon his return. Michael Thomas (zero catches) was keyed in on by the Buccaneers' defense, allowing Smith to take advantage of single coverage when he was called upon. The majority of his damage was done on a trick play in which backup quarterback Jameis Winston took the top off of the secondary and connected with the speedy wideout on a 50-yard bomb. Drew Brees simply doesn't have the arm strength at his advanced age to generate big plays like that for Smith, so it will actually hurt the receiver's fantasy value if the Hall of Famer decides to continue playing next year. However, If New Orleans has a new quarterback under center in 2021, and said signal caller can stretch the field the way we saw Winston do Sunday, then Smith could begin to gain traction as a fantasy asset, as he consistently sits atop the team's yards-per-reception rankings, finishing with a mark of 13.2 this regular season even with a declining Brees starting for most of the season.
JANUARY 18, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
