Who Should I Start? Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Rashee Rice

Sunday, January 5, 8:21 PM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught four passes for nine yards in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams. Smith-Njigba was invisible in a game in which quarterback Geno Smith threw four touchdown passes. What's worse, JSN had a chance to break wide receiver Tyler Lockett's single-season team receptions record. He fell one reception short of breaking the record. Overall, Smith-Njigba had a great season. He will finish with 1,130 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 100 receptions. Fantasy managers should be ecstatic about Smith-Njigba heading into next season. He is clearly Smith's No. 1 target, and he has displayed that he has the talent to be a high-end producer for fantasy. While his Week 18 was disappointing, the future is bright for JSN.

Thursday, May 29, 3:31 PM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee) was limited to just three full games last season before suffering a major knee injury in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Before his injury, he looked like a fantasy football league winner while securing 24 receptions for 288 yards and two scores. According to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, he is healing up nicely. "He looks like Rashee," Mahomes said after Thursday's OTAs. "I think he can be one of the best receivers in the league." Rice seemed to be locked into the WR1 role early in last year's campaign, so if he is fully healthy for the start of the 2025 season, he could be one of the best value picks at his low-end WR2 cost in fantasy drafts. That said, uncertainty surrounding his handful of off-the-field incidents from last offseason remains. It is unknown if he will face a suspension that will affect his 2025 availability.