Who Should I Start? Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Matthew Golden


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
17.7 1.8 0.0 6.0 88.2 0.5

Jaxon Smith-Njigba News

Jaxon Smith-Njigba Wants to Be an "Upgraded Version" of Himself

Tuesday, July 28, 5:48 AM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards in 2025 on his way to winning the Offensive Player of the Year Award and finishing the year as the fantasy WR2, but he is not simply resting on his laurels. In discussing his expectations for the upcoming season, Smith-Njigba told reporters, "I want y'all to see different levels, almost a different player out there, and just kind of an upgraded version." The Seahawks were able to retain a remarkable number of starters from their Super Bowl-winning squad, but their biggest hit could come from the loss of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who schemed up big plays for Smith-Njigba through heavy motion and play action usage. With his 15.1 yards-per-reception average putting him in rarified air among players with more than 110 catches, Smith-Njigba is a possible regression candidate for 2026, but as the clear focal point of the Seahawks' offense, expectations remain high, and he is RotoBaller's WR3.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
9.0 2.7 0.0 3.2 41.8 0.2

Matthew Golden News

Matthew Golden to Operate as X-Receiver in 2026

Sunday, August 2, 5:42 PM

In an interview with NFL Network's Stacey Dales, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love said he's looking forward to seeing wide receiver Matthew Golden as the "X-Receiver" in 2026. Love said, "[Golden] is locked in over there now at X, so I'm expecting big things. He's had a great training camp so far." With Romeo Doubs now in New England, Golden appears set to take over Doubs' role in the offense, while Christian Watson handles the Z and Jayden Reed will continue to operate as the slot receiver. The 2025 first-round pick had 361 yards on 29 receptions in 14 games last season, while playing just 53% of the snaps. With a larger workload coming for the former Texas Longhorn receiver, fantasy managers should be monitoring Golden in the late rounds of drafts.


Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. Matthew Golden

Still trying to decide between Smith-Njigba and Golden? 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 17.7 points this week while Matthew Golden is projected to score 9.0 points.