Who Should I Start? Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Michael Wilson

Friday, December 20, 7:34 PM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is in an excellent position to succeed in Week 16. The Seahawks are hosting the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings have been one of the worst teams at stopping opposing passing games in fantasy this season. Part of that is due to the fact that the Vikings are so adept at stopping the run. However, their struggles in the passing game are very real. Smith-Njigba has slid into the No. 1 wide receiver role in Seattle's offense this season. He is six yards away from his first 1,000-yard season and he has scored five touchdowns. Smith-Njigba should see plenty of volume this week. The Seahawks are likely going to have to air it out to keep up with the Vikings and avoid their run defense. Smith-Njigba has WR1 upside as a result.

Saturday, December 21, 9:26 AM

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson remains a risky WR3/FLEX play in deeper leagues as he prepares to take on the Carolina Panthers. The 24-year-old has been a beacon of availability this season, playing at least 66 percent of offensive snaps in all 14 games. He has a modest stat line of 41 catches, 482 yards, and four touchdowns so far, ranking 52nd among wide receivers in terms of fantasy points (PPR). He had come on strong with 25.2 fantasy points between Weeks 13 and 14, but he dropped down to just 2.9 points with a pair of catches for nine yards last weekend. This week, Wilson faces the Panthers, who have been mediocre in terms of defending wide receivers. Carolina has allowed the 14th-fewest fantasy points to slot receivers this year, as well as the 12th-most fantasy points to receivers who play out wide. For context, Wilson has taken 212 snaps from the slot (30.6 percent), which is the 34th-most among NFL receivers. Managers can certainly justify starting him in deeper fantasy formats, but we'd advise looking elsewhere for production in leagues with 12 teams or fewer.