Who Should I Start? Terry McLaurin or Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Monday, July 28, 4:10 PM

The difference between what the Washington Commanders are willing to offer and what wide receiver Terry McLaurin (ankle) is asking for in contract negotiations is "vast," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. McLaurin ended his holdout and reported to Commanders' training camp on Sunday, but he was immediately placed on the active/physically unable to perform list, so this could be a hold-in situation. McLaurin will turn 30 in September and has been remarkably durable throughout his career, playing in 17 games in each of the last five seasons. He caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns in 2024, his first season playing with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. McLaurin profiles as a high-end WR2 in fantasy as long as he's ready to go for the regular season, but it appears as though his return to the practice field is not particularly close.

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.