In terms of 2023 value, Smith-Njigba's landing spot doesn't look great. After all, receivers other than Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf combined for just 75 targets in Seattle last year. But the Seahawks didn't draft him in the first round just to have him learn from Lockett and Metcalf this year. The Seahawks threw 136 passes to tight ends last year and spent most of the year in two tight end sets, and that is what you should expect to change. Smith-Njigba became the first of the receiver trio to suffer a key injury during camp, getting surgery to repair a slight fracture on his wrist, but he was able to return to practice and catch passes before the end of August. Still, his status for Week 1 is up in the air. We wouldn't draft Smith-Njigba before Round 10 in a redraft league, but he's a top-three pick in one-QB rookie only drafts.
Smith-Njigba brought in two of three targets for 41 yards in the Seahawks' 31-13 loss to the 49ers on Thursday.
The rookie led the Seahawks in receiving yards despite a relatively modest total, with that feat largely accomplished via a game-long 34-yard one-handed grab down the right sideline early in the third quarter. Smith-Njigba now has a streak of four games with 40+ receiving yards, one he'll look to extend in a Week 13 Thursday night road matchup versus the Cowboys.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Finishes third in receiving yards
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Smith-Njigba had three receptions on six targets for 40 yards in Sunday's 17-16 loss to the Rams.
Smith-Njigba would have had a fourth reception for 22 additional yards had the Rams not challenged the wideout's diving attempt in the first quarter and had the call correctly changed to an incompletion. Still, it was another solid outing from Seattle's slot receiver, who is averaging four receptions and 50.5 yards in six games since the team's bye in Week 5. Smith-Njigba should continue providing consistent value to managers in deeper leagues when the Seahawks host the 49ers for Thursday Night Football in Week 12.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Sleeper WRs
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Smith-Njigba cooled off in Week 10 against Washington with only four catches for 53 yards on five targets. Prior to that, he scored at least 12.3 PPR points in three games in a row, and I hope he gets back to that level in Week 11 against the Rams. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are still the top two Fantasy receivers for the Seahawks, and both are dominating targets, which makes sense. But Smith-Njigba can still be a serviceable No. 3 Fantasy receiver in this matchup. The Rams have allowed four receivers to score at least 12.9 PPR points in their past three games.
Smith-Njigba cooled off in Week 10 against Washington with only four catches for 53 yards on five targets. Prior to that, he scored at least 12.3 PPR points in three games in a row, and I hope he gets back to that level in Week 11 against the Rams. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are still the top two Fantasy receivers for the Seahawks, and both are dominating targets, which makes sense. But Smith-Njigba can still be a serviceable No. 3 Fantasy receiver in this matchup. The Rams have allowed four receivers to score at least 12.9 PPR points in their past three games.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Reels in four passes
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Smith-Njigba caught four of five targets for 53 yards in Sunday's 29-26 win over the Commanders.
After a slow start to the season, Smith-Njigba has been consistent over the past five weeks, averaging 52.6 receiving yards per game and totaling two touchdowns. The rookie first-round pick still hasn't put forth a true breakout performance -- 63 yards is his season high -- but it's encouraging that he's a steady part of the offense. The Seahawks will face the Rams' young secondary in Week 11, so Smith-Njigba will have a favorable matchup even if he's still the No. 3 receiving option behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Full practice Thursday
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Smith-Njigba (hip) was a full practice participant Thursday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.
Smith-Njigba was held out of drills Wednesday due to a hip concern, but his ability to handle every rep one day later indicates he's good to go for Week 10 action. He'll be facing a Commanders defense on Sunday that has given up the second-most touchdowns (13) and most yards per catch (9.9) to opposing wide receivers in nine games this season.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Dealing with hip issue
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Smith-Njigba was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice due to a hip injury, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.
Since tending to a slight fracture in his wrist late in the preseason, Smith-Njigba has avoided the injury bug en route to a collective 29-272-2 receiving line on 43 targets in eight games to begin his career. Most of that production (17-210-2 on 23 targets) has come over the last four contests, but the rookie first-round draft pick now is dealing with a new health concern as Seattle prepares to host the Commanders on Sunday. As a result, Smith-Njigba's status should be watched as the week goes on to ensure his status for Week 10 isn't in any danger.
Smith-Njigba recorded six receptions on seven targets for 63 yards in Sunday's 37-3 loss to Baltimore.
The majority of Smith-Njigba's production came with the game out of reach, though he now has at least 60 receiving yards in two of his last three contests to go along with two scores. The highlight of his performance Sunday came on a 35-yard catch deep down the right sideline on the first play of the fourth quarter. Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf will almost certainly be the top pass catchers in the Seattle offense moving forward, but Smith-Njigba is showing signs of a breakout with his recent performances.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Week 10 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
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We haven't seen the true breakout showing yet, but I think Smith-Njigba continues to point in the right direction. He caught six of seven targets for 63 yards Sunday against the Ravens, and while that certainly wasn't a big game by any means, it looks a lot better when you compare it to what the rest of the team did: DK Metcalf had just one catch for 50 yards, while Tyler Lockett turned his team-high eight targets into three catches for 32 yards. Lockett just hasn't quite looked like himself this season, while Metcalf has been even more hit-or-miss than ever, and may not be 100% due to a couple of nagging injuries. The Seahawks need Geno Smith to start playing better to have any chance of living up to expectations, but if he does, Smith-Njigba seems well positioned to take off in the second half of the season. I still want him on my roster.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Week 9 Early Waiver Targets (Add/Drop)
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Smith-Njigba took a step back with DK Metcalf back from his one-game absence, but he kept producing, and that's what we want to see from a younger player. Smith-Njigba is an incredibly talented receiver stuck in a very crowded receiving group, with a QB who has taken a step backward from his impressive 2022 season, which had led to a disappointing start to his career. However, Smith-Njigba is starting to make plays more consistently, with a touchdown in consecutive games, and should continue to see his role increase as the season goes on. Like Dotson, you probably can't be super optimistic about using Smith-Njigba in Week 9, but I want him on my bench if I can make room.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Week 8 Waiver Priority List
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DK Metcalf (hip) missed Week 7 against Arizona, and Smith-Njigba stepped up with four catches for 63 yards and the first touchdown of his career on seven targets. He now has 12 targets since Seattle's bye in Week 5, and he's played at least 63 percent of the snaps in each outing over that span. We'll see if Metcalf is able to return in Week 8 against Cleveland, but Smith-Njigba might be on the verge of great things to close the season. He should be added in all leagues, and he's worth starting in three-receiver leagues against the Browns if Metcalf is out. Add Smith-Njigba where available for at least 15 percent of your FAB.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Best day as pro
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Smith-Njigba recorded four catches on five targets for 48 yards in Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Bengals.
Smith-Njigba didn't see an expanded role, as he now has five or six targets in four of five games on the season. However, he did manage an 18-yard reception -- the longest of his career-- to produce his highest yardage output in a game on the campaign. Smith-Njigba will continue to work behind both DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in terms of priority in the offense moving forward, but it was encouraging to see him deployed in a slightly more aggressive manner.
It's Week 6 and the consensus best wide receiver in the draft is coming off of his bye week. If you're going to stash any healthy wide receiver, this should be your first look. Smith-Njigba's usage has been borderline hilarious early in the year but he's talented and they didn't draft him to do this. A positive role change could put him on the path to Fantasy production. I still believe he could be the best Seahawks wide receiver late in the season.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Week 6 Waiver Priority List
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I'm hopeful that Smith-Njigba will be more involved for the Seahawks coming off his bye in Week 5, but he's been disappointing so far with no games over 8.4 PPR points this season. It's tough to find targets and production while sharing the field with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but maybe the Seahawks have bigger plans ahead. It's worth stashing Smith-Njigba in all leagues for at least 5 percent of your FAB to find out, and hopefully his talent will lead to better production down the road.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Three short catches
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Smith-Njigba caught three of six targets for five yards in Monday's 24-3 win over the Giants.
Smith-Njigba is running routes almost exclusively near or even behind the line of scrimmage, as evidenced by his minuscule aDOT (average Depth of Target) of 1.6 yards. It's disappointing usage for the first-round pick, but it's encouraging that he's still averaging five targets per game. It's worth noting that he suffered a fractured wrist in training camp and likely wasn't 100 percent coming into the season, so the Seahawks' Week 5 bye could help get him more acclimated to the system.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Held to one catch
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Smith-Njigba caught one of three targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 37-27 win over the Panthers.
Smith-Njigba logged 31 of 71 offensive snaps (44 percent), which was his lowest snap share of the season and barely ahead of fellow rookie Jake Bobo (41 percent). Bobo caught just one pass for a five-yard touchdown on two targets. It's certainly a little concerning that Smith-Njigba is essentially tied with an undrafted first-year player for snap share, but it's worth noting that the Seahawks ran the ball 29 times, and Bobo is considered a high-end run blocker. Still, fantasy managers haven't seen enough to trust Smith-Njigba in lineups, and they probably won't feel comfortable as long as DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are dominating the target share.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Full practice Wednesday
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Smith-Njigba (wrist) practiced fully Wednesday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.
Smith-Njigba has made a speedy recovery following an Aug. 24 procedure to repair a slight fracture in his right wrist. He returned to practice five days after having the procedure, and now a little more than a week later, he was able to handle every available rep in Seattle's first official Week 1 session. The rookie first-round pick thus is slated to be Seattle's No. 3 wide receiver behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett this Sunday against the Rams.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Another practice logged Monday
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Smith-Njigba (wrist) participated in practice Monday, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.
Smith-Njigba has been handling on-field work for a little less than a week after undergoing surgery to repair a slight fracture in his left wrist on Aug. 24. The Seahawks aren't required to post their first Week 1 injury report until Wednesday, but the rookie first-round pick seems poised to be listed as limited, at the very least. The bigger question that remains is whether or not Smith-Njigba will do enough this week to gain clearance to make his pro debut in Sunday's season opener against the Rams.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Expected to start on active roster
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Smith-Njigba (wrist) is expected to avoid injured reserve and begin the regular season on the active roster, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Smith-Njigba's availability for Week 1 still looks uncertain, but beginning the year on IR would have forced him to miss at least the first four games of the season. Coach Pete Carroll said he hopes the rookie first-round pick's recovery is only a "3-to-4-week deal," per Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune, so there's some reason for optimism about his chances of getting on the field in the first month of the season. Smith-Njigba underwent surgery Aug. 24 to address a minor wrist fracture.
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Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Impressing early
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Smith-Njigba has impressed head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith with his route-running and hands, Gregg Bell of The News Tribune reports.
Smith-Njigba eased into the offseason program because he missed most of his junior season at Ohio State with a hamstring injury, but the rookie has been full go since mandatory minicamp in June. With DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett locked into the top two roles, Smith-Njigba was battling for the No. 3 spot. The first-round pick has seemingly won the job already after showcasing his hands, route-running and confidence through the first few practices. He was ultimately expected to win this role after an ultra-productive college career, so the only question that remains is how many targets he can garner behind Metcalf and Lockett.
