Who Should I Start? Jaylen Waddle or Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Wednesday, January 28, 1:45 PM

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle bounced back from the worst season of his career in 2024 by catching 64 of his 100 targets for 910 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 16 starts in his fifth year in the NFL in 2025. Waddle also had 28 rushing yards. It was good enough to put him as the WR22 in half-PPR scoring. It was nice to see the 27-year-old pass-catcher bounce back from a disastrous 2024 campaign, but it might have still been somewhat of a disappointment for him, considering Tyreek Hill (knee) missed most of the year with a season-ending injury. Waddle thankfully had a larger target share, but the Dolphins' offense just was unable to find its explosiveness for a second straight season, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was benched late in the year. Waddle still has the talent to provide plenty of value in PPR fantasy leagues, but his value is in major flux heading into 2026 under a completely new coaching staff. Hill's return (whenever that may be) will also be a negative for Waddle's ceiling.

Monday, January 26, 10:36 AM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was one of the stars of his team's NFC Championship Game victory over the Los Angeles Rams, recording 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets. The 23-year-old bounced back from a relatively disappointing performance in the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers, in which he was held to just three receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown on four targets. In the Super Bowl, Smith-Njigba will face the New England Patriots. New England's pass defense has been completely dominant so far this postseason, allowing a total of 415 passing yards through three games. However, the Patriots have not exactly faced a murderer's row of opposing offenses, including the backup quarterback-led Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. Regardless of opponent, Smith-Njigba has been arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL this season and carries elite production upside into the Super Bowl.