Who Should I Start? Jahan Dotson or Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Monday, January 8, 6:30 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson concluded his disappointing second season in the NFL with just two receptions on three targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 38-10 blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the final game of the regular season. It was an improvement following his third zero-catch game of the year in Week 17 in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but Dotson was ultimately a big disappointment in 2023 after many fantasy experts predicted a breakout season in his second year in the league. He totaled 49 receptions on 83 targets for 518 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games, a slight step back from when he had a 35-523-7 line in 12 games as a rookie. Dotson and the rest of Washington's offense suffered from quarterback Sam Howell's struggles, and it could be an uphill battle for fantasy relevance again in 2024 with a new coaching staff coming in to replace Ron Rivera.

Monday, January 8, 5:25 AM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught three of his five targets for 14 yards in Sunday's win over the Arizona Cardinals. The receptions were tied with tight ends Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson for the team lead but made for a quiet end to a modest debut season for the Ohio State product. Selected 20th overall in the 2023 draft, there were hopes that Smith-Njigba would replicate the first-year successes of his former college teammates Garrett Wilson and Christian Olave. As it was, Smith-Njigba proved to be firmly entrenched as the third receiver on Seattle's depth chart and was probably lucky to see the amount of work that he did. His production was also hindered by the routes designed for him, as his average depth of target of 5.8 yards was among the lowest in the league. His rookie year will conclude with 63 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games.