Pro Football Focus ranked each NFL team’s most valuable player in terms of their average fantasy football draft position.
The pick for the Vikings? Irv Smith Jr., a tight end for Minnesota who’s coming off a pretty successful rookie year. Here’s what Pro Football Focus said about Smith:
“Smith’s rookie season could be considered a success, as his TE33 finish was relatively impressive for a backup tight end. His role within the Vikings’ offense is likely to expand after the departure of Stefon Diggs (91 targets). While rookie receiver Justin Jefferson is likely to receive most of those vacated targets, Smith’s development could lead to more playing time and more two-tight end sets, hence a greater target share. The main issue for Smith in 2019 was the quality of his targets, as his aDOT of 6.3 yards ranked 34th among tight ends with 25-plus targets in 2019. He actually ranked below veteran teammate Kyle Rudolph (7.5).
PFF’s fantasy projections expect an expanded role for Smith in 2020 — ranking him as the TE20 and projecting him an additional 17 targets.”
If Smith Jr. can take on a bigger role in 2020, he might help replace Diggs, who was the Vikings’ leading receiver in 2019. A healthy Adam Thielen can be a big boost, too.