Sleeper Watch

The injury to wide receiver and kick returner Smith Smith left a gaping hole in both Carolina’s offense and fantasy owners’ lineups. Is Keary Colbert up to the challenge of picking up the slack?

Smith suffered a broken leg and ligament damage in the final quarter of last Monday’s loss to the Packers and is out indefinitely. Estimates on how much time the versatile Smith will miss range from four to eight weeks. In the meantime, Colbert, the Panthers’ second-round pick (30th overall) will try to fill Smith’s shoes.

Colbert drew attention to himself in the preseason by catching eight passes for 277 yards. Take that performance with a grain of salt, however; Colbert, who didn’t see action in week 1, has yet to prove that he can hold his own against first-team defenses. Nonetheless, the USC alum has the tools to succeed, including both quickness and the strength to break tackles and gain yards after the catch. In his college career, Colbert racked up 2964 yards on 207 receptions and found the endzone 19 times.

Replacing the receiver who led Carolina in both catches (88) and yards (1110) last season won’t be easy, and it may take a game or two for Colbert to find his rhythm. Yet Muhsin Muhammad’s presence will help, and Colbert’s route-running skills should allow him to adapt to the NFL game relatively quickly. If you’re among the many fantasy owners looking for help at the WR position, Keary Colbert is worth adding to your squad.