Sleeper Watch

The New Orleans Saints just can’t catch a break. As if the team hadn’t suffered through enough already, it now looks as if star running back Deuce McAllister will be lost for the season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. Clearly, the team’s woes pale in comparison to those of the people of New Orleans, but it can’t be easy being a Saint these days…

The Saints’ will most likely look to 33-year-old veteran Antowain Smith, newly acquired this off-season after spending the previous campaign with Tennessee, to replace McAllister. Aaron Stecker will also be in the mix, although it remains to be seen whether he is completely recovered from a recent ankle injury.

Smith has two 1,000-yard rushing seasons under his belt and boasts a 3.8 career yards-per-carry mark. He hasn’t been terribly effective in limited duty this season, with just 73 yards on 26 carries (2.8 yards per carry), but he looks to be the best option the Saints have. Assuming he can hold off Stecker, he should see plenty of carries between now and the season finale on New Year’s Day. If you need to replace McAllister or simply want to add depth to your RBs, add Antowain Smith to your roster now before another owner grabs him (and also consider taking a chance on Stecker as well if you have the roster space).

One word of caution: the Saints play five of their remaining eleven games against Tampa Bay, Miami, Carolina, and Chicago, the top four run defenses in the league. Even if Smith winds up carrying the ball twenty times per game or more, he may only be worth a fantasy start in weeks when he faces lesser defenses.