Who Should I Start? Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Ricky Pearsall

Friday, January 9, 4:00 PM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was arguably the best pass-catcher in football in 2025, recording 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns on 163 targets. While Smith-Njigba's overall numbers are dominant, his production dropped off slightly down the stretch of the season. After topping 100 receiving yards in eight out of his first 11 games of the year, he hit the century mark just once over his final six contests. Smith-Njigba was also held out of the end zone in three of his last four games. Still, Smith-Njigba earned at least eight targets and recorded six receptions in five straight outings to close the year, and he logged at least 14.4 PPR fantasy points in all but two regular-season appearances. With the Seahawks earning a bye through the first round of the NFC playoffs, Smith-Njigba's first postseason opponent is not yet known. However, regardless of opponent, Smith-Njigba profiles as a high-end wide receiver option for fantasy managers in playoff leagues.

Sunday, January 11, 3:23 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) will remain sidelined for his team's Wild Card Weekend matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Pearsall re-aggravated an existing PCL injury in his knee in Week 17 and has not played since. The 25-year-old battled injuries throughout the regular season, recording 36 receptions for 528 yards on 53 targets across nine games played. Without him, San Francisco will likely turn to veteran wide receivers Demarcus Robinson and Kendrick Bourne for pass-catching snaps alongside WR1 Jauan Jennings. Robinson was the more heavily utilized wideout of the two in Week 18, playing 88% of the 49ers' offensive snaps and hauling in three receptions for 24 yards on four targets.