Who Should I Start? Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Travis Hunter

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, 7:36 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter is expected to be an every-down wideout and situational corner for Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. Finally, fantasy managers get some clarification on how the Jags plan to handle Hunter's workload. The assumption is that his workload on defense will increase as he continues to learn and develop. The Jags are limited in terms of offensive weapons with Brian Thomas Jr. being their primary weapon last season. The fact that Hunter will be an every-down wideout is intriguing for fantasy managers heading into the season opener. The upside is too high here to keep Hunter on the bench for a plus-matchup in Week 1.