Who Should I Start? Mike Evans or Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.8 | 53.6 | 0.4 |
Mike Evans News
Saturday, August 22, 5:14 PM
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans (quadriceps, ankle) returned to practice on Saturday, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Evans has been dealing with both an ankle injury and quad tightness, but it appears both injuries are minor and his status for the start of the regular season is not in any doubt. Wagoner reports that Evans "went on to have a nice practice" after returning to the field on Saturday. The 33-year-old is in his first season with the 49ers after spending the first 12 years of his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Evans is looking for a bounce-back season after missing nine games in 2025 due to hamstring and collarbone injuries. With 49ers wideout Ricky Pearsall (knee) already out for the year, Evans profiles as the undisputed WR1 in San Francisco. Fantasy managers should view Evans as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 option entering 2026.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.3 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 6.8 | 93.1 | 0.5 |
Jaxon Smith-Njigba News
Sunday, August 23, 11:11 AM
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is already expensive in redraft, but his summer has done nothing to knock him off the top tier. He led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards last season, catching a franchise-record 119 passes with 10 touchdowns on 163 targets. Seattle did change offensive coordinators, though Brian Fleury has kept plenty of carryover from Klint Kubiak's system, and Smith-Njigba has continued making plays with Sam Darnold. He beat Devon Witherspoon for a long touchdown in camp earlier this month and remains the clear centerpiece of the receiver room. The volume could come down some. Rashid Shaheed is expected to have a bigger offensive role after a full offseason in Seattle, while Cooper Kupp is still involved. Smith-Njigba was doing all of that damage last year in an offense that attempted the fourth-fewest passes in the league, though, so he does not need another 163 targets to stay elite. RotoBaller moved him from WR4 in its July PPR rankings to WR3 in the latest update. At this point, he still belongs near the top of fantasy draft boards.
Mike Evans vs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Still trying to decide between Evans and Smith-Njigba? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Mike Evans is projected to score 11.6 points this week while Jaxon Smith-Njigba is projected to score 19.3 points.
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