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

Wednesday, September 10, 4:01 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was slow out of the gate in Week 1 against the Giants, catching two of his four targets for 27 yards. A slow start to the season could have been somewhat expected for McLaurin after limited practice time amidst his contract negotiations. The talk of a slow start could have been mitigated if he and Jayden Daniels were able to connect on a deep shot where McLaurin had his man beat badly on a double move. With the new acquisition, Deebo Samuel Sr. making his team debut, play caller Kliff Kingsbury made an emphasis to get Samuel involved, and he has established a good connection with Daniels after McLaurin missed a lot of time in training camp. A positive, at least for McLaurin, is that he did not face any restrictions regarding his snap count and routes. The star receiver started slow last season as he built rapport with Daniels, and should be expected to bounce back against an exploitable Green Bay secondary. McLaurin has faced the Packers three times in his career and has put up strong numbers, catching 16 of 27 targets for 252 yards and three touchdowns. He should be viewed as a mid-range WR2 with upside in a projected high-scoring Week 2 matchup against the Packers.

Monday, September 15, 3:26 PM

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba looks like a bona fide stud. In Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith-Njigba hauled in eight of 10 targets for 103 yards. JSN is slicing through defenses. His early chemistry with quarterback Sam Darnold is magical. What is more, the presence of fellow wide receiver Cooper Kupp is not detracting from Smith-Njigba's dominance. Kupp himself feasted on Sunday as well. Once Smith-Njigba starts scoring touchdowns, he could feasibly find himself among the top five fantasy wide receivers in the league. His heavy target volume is not going to go away any time soon. He also looks like a different player this year. He looks strong, fast, and savvy. All three of those traits give him a chance to be truly dominant. Smith-Njigba is a true set-and-forget player this season. Plug him into your lineup and reap the benefits.