Who Should I Start? Calvin Ridley or Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Saturday, September 6, 9:12 AM

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley is expected to have a strong season, but it could start off on a relatively sour note. Ridley faces the Denver Broncos on Sunday, which means he'll spend most of his time being covered by elite cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Last season, Surtain allowed just 1.15 fantasy points per target to opposing receivers, which ranked second-lowest in the NFL. As a team, the Broncos allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position, as well as the fewest touchdowns. While Ward will surely throw Ridley's way often, especially if the Titans are trailing, the odds of Ridley breaking off numerous big plays are severely reduced. For this week only, you can probably find a better WR3/FLEX option than Ridley.

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.