Who Should I Start? Jaxon Smith-Njigba or AJ Barner

Sunday, November 24, 8:19 PM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued his 2024 breakout on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Smith-Njigba was clearly quarterback Geno Smith's preferred target on important downs in this game. Smith-Njigba caught his fourth touchdown of the season and led the Seahawks in targets once again. Smith-Njigba is building serious momentum. He has now recorded at least 110 receiving yards or a touchdown in three straight games. He is a top 10 fantasy wide receiver on the season which was not what most expected coming into the season. With Smith-Njigba seemingly finding consistency, he has entered the must-start conversation. The Seahawks do not have the worst schedule moving forward so Smith-Njigba should continue to produce at a relatively high level. Fantasy manager dreams are finally coming true for the 2023 first-round pick.

Friday, November 22, 7:22 PM

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner has enjoyed a few weeks as the starter, but fellow tight end Noah Fant (groin) was a full participant in practice on Friday and is trending toward playing in Week 12 against the Arizona Cardinals. Barner did not do much with his opportunities, but he earned at least four targets in each of his last two games. As a rookie tight end, Barner is better suited as a blocker for now. During his time as a starter, he displayed solid pass-catching chops and escape ability so he could emerge later in his career. If Fant is a surprise inactive on Sunday, then Barner would still not likely deserve much attention in fantasy. His best outing was a 6.7-point game in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams. That does not exactly get it done in fantasy. If you have Fant, then pay close attention to Barner just in case you need a last-minute dart throw. Otherwise, Barner should be on waivers.