Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (ankle) left the team's preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills early on Saturday after landing awkwardly completing a catch in the second quarter. The 24-year-old hauled in 2-of-3 targets for 11 yards while contributing 27 yards on two punt returns and a field-flipping 46 yards on his lone kick return. Smith-Marsette was productive before he picked up the injury and is expected to be the team's returner this upcoming season. Barring the severity of his ankle issue, that could still be the case. It's a bit early to tell how impactful the NFL's new kickoff rules will be come the start of the regular season. However, fantasy managers may want to keep the Iowa product on their radar as a sneaky option, depending on how your league values return yards. His Yahoo! ADP is far down enough that he'd be best suited as a prospective waiver-wire add.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (illness) returned to practice on Thursday after an illness kept him sidelined on Wednesday. Rarely ever on the field, he has seen an uptick in his snap share in recent weeks but still has a season-high of 34% that came in Week 16. With Jonathan Mingo (foot) now on injured reserve, Smith-Marsette may see more work in Week 18 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs have given up the most pass yards this season, but in Week 13 still were able to hold quarterback Bryce Young to just 178 yards through the air. Smith-Marsette does not need to be anywhere near fantasy rosters in Week 18.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette Misses Wednesday With Illness
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (illness) did not participate in practice on Wednesday as his team began preparing to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18. Smith-Marsette is dealing with an illness but will still have two more days of practice to get back on the field ahead of Sunday's game. If available on Sunday, the speedy wideout could see a larger role than usual with Jonathan Mingo (foot) placed on injured reserve earlier in the week.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette Impresses Again In Preseason Win
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette stockpiled 101 receiving yards on four catches (four targets) with a touchdown in Saturday's 33-32 preseason win over the Cleveland Browns. The 23-year-old has now gobbled up all eight of his targets for 193 yards and two TDs over the past two weeks. Smith-Marsette churned up a few big gains during the second quarter of this one to facilitate a Chiefs scoring drive before streaking down the field for a third-quarter 43-yard score. The 2021 fifth-round pick may have done enough to secure a roster spot with Kansas City as WR depth, but he enters 2023 with no fantasy relevance.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette collected all four of his targets for 92 receiving yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 38-10 preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals. The 23-year-old got behind the defense for a big 44-yard play in the third quarter and broke a tackle on a 15-yard catch-and-run for a strong score during the period. Smith-Marsette just missed hitting paydirt once more on a fourth-quarter 26-yard play before getting tackled at the two-yard line. It was an exceptional showing for the 2021 fifth-round pick, who gets another opportunity to vie for a roster spot in Kansas City's final preseason contest versus the Cleveland Browns next Saturday.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette caught all three of his targets for 63 yards in Saturday's preseason finale against the Denver Broncos. The 22-year-old flashed some big play ability in this one, with his longest reception going for 30 yards. Smith-Marsette needed a strong showing in this one, as he fumbled the ball in each of the first two preseason games. Despite closing out the preseason on a strong note, he figures to be at best fourth in line for targets behind Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn, so he is off the fantasy radar for now. If someone ahead of him misses time, he could have some fantasy value in deeper formats as the Vikings figure to run a lot of three-WR sets this season. For now, he can be left on the waiver wire.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette To Miss The Rest Of Spring Workouts
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette (leg) will miss the rest of the spring workouts due to a lower-leg injury that he suffered in a recent workout. It's bad news for a second-year wideout that had just five catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns on six targets in eight games (one start) in his rookie season in 2021. The 22-year-old should provide receiving depth behind Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn when he's healthy, leaving him very little fantasy appeal, even in the deepest of leagues.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette Brings Top-End Speed To Vikings Offense
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, the team's fifth-round selection this year, was praised for his body control heading into the NFL draft. He ran track and also played water polo in high school, and he'll likely be asked "to do things that maybe are less sexy" and flashy than typical receivers. Smith-Marsette may not see a ton of targets in Minnesota's run-first, play-action offense, but his top-end speed and quickness in space will make him an intriguing weapon, and he could compete for the return duties on special teams. Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson are locked into the top two receiver spots, but Smith-Marsette will be in the mix for the third receiving job alongside Bisi Johnson and Chad Beebe in training camp. For now, Smith-Marsette will be a late-round flier in dynasty/keeper leagues.
With the 157th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings have drafted Iowa wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Smith-Marsette caught 25 passes for 345 yards last season. His best college season was in 2019, when he caught 44 passes for 722 yards and five touchdowns. Iowa isn't a program known for producing wide receivers, but Smith-Marsette's speed makes him someone who can stretch NFL defenses and make big plays. The question is if he can make plays anywhere else on the field. Minnesota could use a home-run threat though, so Smith-Marsette has a chance to make this roster and see the field some this season.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette
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Panthers
