Irv Smith Jr. – Next Big Thing at Tight End
Irv Smith Jr. is poised to be the next big thing at the Tight End (TE) position. He came into the league out of Alabama with a lot of high expectations. His final college season ended with 44 receptions, 710 yards, and 7 touchdowns. He was a top-rated TE prospect in both the NFL and fantasy football.
Smith was drafted in the 2nd round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. He was noted for being a sharp route running, menacing receiving TE with good ball tracking, and a threat for yards after the catch.
The only thing keeping him from NFL greatness was the Vikings already rostered Kyle Rudolph at his position. The popular thinking at the time was the Vikings would move on from Rudolph and let the heir apparent slide onto the throne.
What happened was the exact opposite. The Vikings did the unthinkable and signed Rudolph to a four-year, $36 million contract extension. Only a couple of months after investing a high draft pick in Smith.
Fantasy Fallout
Smith’s fantasy stock plummeted. Sharing with Rudolph made both players mediocre for fantasy managers. He put up respectable but unenviable fantasy numbers in his 1st two seasons with 66 receptions, 676 yards, and 7 TDs. Respectable numbers do not win fantasy championships.
In March 2021, the Vikings finally cut ties with Kyle Rudolph opening the door for Smith to take over as the full-time TE in their offense. This happened to very little fanfare.
Judging by the lack of excitement, everyone forgot about all the things that made them love Smith coming into the league. He has some impressive NFL game video and just needed the opportunity.
Highlights
The plays showcased here are from his rookie season and begs the question, “what if” the Vikings had moved on from Rudolph earlier.
In the first play, Smith demonstrates his skillful route running and he finds an opening in the middle of the field after embarrassing the coverage of Raiders safety Curtis Riley.
The next play has Smith running a corner route and getting wide open for close to a 30-yard gain. Finally, Smith is targeted on a play-action pass that illustrates his vision and yards after the catch prowess.
BUY, SELL, HOLD
In my recent dynasty 10 team super-flex start-up draft, Smith was drafted in the thirteenth round. (11th TE off the board). Shockingly low for the upside he represents. He is being overlooked as a top-tier tight end and that represents fantastic value in drafts this season.
Every season of late we end up with a TE that “comes out of nowhere” to cement himself as a top player that the position. (Mark Andrews, Darren Waller, TJ Hockenson) This season could very well be Irv Smith coming up big for your fantasy team if you decide to wait on drafting a TE.
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As evidenced by his ADP and consensus ranking, Smith is a buy and a hold. Hold, if you drafted him in 2019 and wait for his first season as the undisputed starter in Minnesota. Buy, if the current manager is overlooking his talent and situation for the upcoming season and beyond.
One of the dynasty trade calculators I referenced valued Smith as a low to mid-second round rookie pick. That seems about right for perceived value. If Smith ends up being the next big thing this season, you have upgraded your team. Is your team already set at TE? You now have a valuable bargaining chip to trade and upgrade other positions on your roster.
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