Who Should I Start? Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Malik Nabers


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
19.2 1.7 0.0 6.5 91.8 0.6

Jaxon Smith-Njigba News

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Still Belongs Near the Top of Draft Boards

Sunday, August 23, 11:11 AM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is already expensive in redraft, but his summer has done nothing to knock him off the top tier. He led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards last season, catching a franchise-record 119 passes with 10 touchdowns on 163 targets. Seattle did change offensive coordinators, though Brian Fleury has kept plenty of carryover from Klint Kubiak's system, and Smith-Njigba has continued making plays with Sam Darnold. He beat Devon Witherspoon for a long touchdown in camp earlier this month and remains the clear centerpiece of the receiver room. The volume could come down some. Rashid Shaheed is expected to have a bigger offensive role after a full offseason in Seattle, while Cooper Kupp is still involved. Smith-Njigba was doing all of that damage last year in an offense that attempted the fourth-fewest passes in the league, though, so he does not need another 163 targets to stay elite. RotoBaller moved him from WR4 in its July PPR rankings to WR3 in the latest update. At this point, he still belongs near the top of fantasy draft boards.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
12.1 0.5 0.0 4.3 56.7 0.3

Malik Nabers News

Malik Nabers Not Suiting Up for Preseason Finale

Friday, August 28, 3:49 PM

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) is not suiting up for the team's preseason finale against the New York Jets on Friday night, according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. It is no surprise that Nabers is not on the field for the final preseason game, even though he finally ditched his non-contact jersey in training camp practice on Monday. The 23-year-old former first-rounder from LSU avoided the Physically Unable to Perform list for the start of camp at the end of July, but the Giants have been extremely cautious in his recovery from a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee early on in 2025. Nabers has slowly been ramping up, but all signs point to him being active in the Week 1 regular-season showdown against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. While Nabers could be on a snap count out of the gates, he has some of the most upside of any young receiver in the NFL after catching 109 of 170 targets for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in his rookie campaign in 2024. Treat him as a risk/reward low-end WR1 in 2026.


Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Malik Nabers

Still trying to decide between Smith-Njigba and Nabers? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jaxon Smith-Njigba is projected to score 19.2 points this week while Malik Nabers is projected to score 12.1 points.