Who Should I Start? Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Marvin Harrison Jr.

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.

Saturday, September 6, 10:43 AM

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. entered his rookie year in 2024 with insane expectations as his ADP in fantasy drafts was a late first-round pick. If that price tag weren't so high, a rookie year with 62 receptions, 885 yards, and eight touchdowns on 116 targets would probably have been a little more appreciated. His connection with Kyler Murray was very disjointed in that first season as well, but that seems to be changing heading into his second season. Harrison and Murray looked like they were on the same page through joint practices and training camp, and the former fourth-overall pick put on around 10 pounds of muscle. Against a lower-level defense like the New Orleans Saints in Week 1, this is Harrison's chance to start off with a bang. RotoBaller's projections have him sitting around WR20 in Week 1, but he carries some big upside if he does take that second year leap.