Who Should I Start? Ja'Marr Chase or Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Thursday, March 19, 8:24 PM

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase continued to produce at a high level in 2025. Even with inconsistent quarterback play, Chase caught 125 passes for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns over 16 games, ranking as the WR4 in PPR leagues. He didn't replicate his overall WR1 finish from 2024, but he still offered top-tier results for his fantasy managers down the stretch. Most importantly, Chase didn't let quarterback issues alter his productivity too much. Sure, he looked much better when Joe Burrow was healthy, but he still ranked as a WR1 when catching passes from Jake Browning and Joe Flacco. With Burrow entering the offseason on a clean bill of health, Chase finds himself back in the high-end WR1 tier. In fact, he has the potential to rank as the overall WR1 as long as Burrow stays healthy for most or all of the 2026 campaign. The LSU product has been a top-12 fantasy receiver in all five of his pro campaigns, as well as a top-five receiver in three of the five. He remains a hot commodity in the first round of redraft leagues going forward, and he's (justifiably) one of the most expensive trade targets in dynasty formats.