Irv Smith Jr. – Minnesota Vikings
Let’s begin by winding the clocks back a year, shall we? Summer of 2021 in Minnesota. The Vikings had finally moved on from veteran Kyle Rudolph, clearing the way for Irv Smith Jr. to take a giant leap forward in his third season. The former Crimson Tide product was coming off a season in which he had shown flashes of brilliance in a part time role for the Vikings. He looked as if he was an up and coming red zone weapon, scoring 5 TDs in just his second NFL season. It appeared that 2021 would be Smith’s year to burst on to the scene and finish as a mid-range TE1 for fantasy purposes. A nice story, but unfortunately for Smith, not one that proved to be anything more than fiction. A torn meniscus in late August quickly popped the hype balloon and sidelined the third-year pro for the entirety of the 2021 season.
Now back to reality. Rather than Smith stepping into the top TE role a season ago, Tyler Conklin enjoyed his best pro season to date, posting receiving totals of 61/593/3 on the season. Fortunately for Smith, Conklin has made his way east, inking a 3-year $20 million contract with the Jets. With a year of recovery under his belt, Smith once again finds himself atop the TE depth chart in Minnesota. Who else is Irv sharing the TE room with you ask? With Ben Ellefson, Johnny Mundt and Zach Davidson featuring a combined 11/103/0 stat line in their NFL careers Irv should face minimal competition for snaps and routes run at his position. Minnesota has also moved on from NFL fossil Mike Zimmer’s run heavy offense. Instead, former QB and first year head coach Kevin O’Connell (fresh off winning a super bowl with the Rams) is taking over the reins in the Twin Cities and looks to feature a much more pass friendly attack.
While young superstar Justin Jefferson is no doubt the top pass catcher in town, second banana Adam Thielen is no spring chicken. At 32 years old, Thielen is coming off another injury shortened season, and has missed a total of 11 games over the past 3 years. Though double-digit TDs have saved his fantasy seasons during each of the past two campaigns, we know that father time is undefeated and is knocking at his door. Should another injury occur, or Thielen simply starts to look his age, Irv Smith would stand to be the main benefactor in the red area.
At just 24 years of age, what we have here with Smith is a talented player, entering the early stages of his prime years attached to an offense that is likely to throw the ball at a high rate this season. Factor in minimal competition at his position group, quality QB play from Kirk Cousins and an aging Thielien, and there is ample opportunity for Smith to drastically outperform his late round ADP.
