Who Should I Start? Amari Cooper or Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Thursday, September 4, 2:14 PM

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper has informed the team that he intends to retire ahead of Week 1, citing a lack of desire to continue playing. Cooper, who joined the Raiders this offseason in hopes of competing for a starting role, was listed behind rookie Dont'e Thornton Jr. on the initial depth chart. The five-time Pro Bowler spent last season with the Browns and Bills, starting 10 of 14 games while recording 44 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns. Cooper leaves the NFL after a decorated career, finishing with over 10,000 receiving yards and 64 touchdowns across stops with the Raiders, Cowboys, Browns, and Bills. His departure opens additional opportunities for Thornton and fellow rookie Jack Bech to carve out meaningful roles in the Raiders' passing game this season.

Friday, September 5, 2:11 PM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is entering his first season as the unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver in Seattle's offense. Smith-Njigba broke out over the second half of the 2024 season en route to 1,130 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He enters the 2025 season with a new quarterback in Sam Darnold and a new play caller in Klint Kubiak. Darnold supported excellent fantasy seasons for wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in Minnesota in 2024. JSN is going to be a target hog in a rebuilt Seahawks offense tailor-made for Darnold's strengths. In Week 1, Smith-Njigba will draw a relatively tough matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers were No. 5 in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers in 2024. Although San Francisco lost a couple of defensive pieces, they re-signed defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who is a master of shutting down opposing offenses. Still, volume alone should help Smith-Njigba overcome any challenges the 49ers may present. You can safely deploy him as a WR2 in Week 1.