With it seeming like Kyle Rudolph might be on his way out of Minnesota, we’ll likely see the emergence of Irv Smith Jr. at the tight end position with the Vikings.
Even if Rudolph does stay, Smith will be the primary ball catcher at the tight end position.
Over at Pro Football Focus, Andrew Erickson listed five players to buy in dynasty football leagues. Smith was his pick at tight end.
Here’s what Erickson wrote about Smith:
In the four-game stretch he played with Rudolph out due to injury, Smith ranked ninth in expected fantasy points per game (11.9) and eighth in actual fantasy points per game (12.8).
Smith ran 118 routes over this stretch (29.5 per game, eighth-most), which was drastically higher than his routes run per game (18) in his first nine games.
In 2020, Smith finished with 30 catches for 365 yards and five touchdowns. That’s not overly impressive, but in the last four games alone, Smith finished with 15 catches for 183 yards and three touchdowns.