CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba: The Best By the Numbers
CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are the top two fantasy receivers in football after seven weeks. Lamb is averaging nearly 22 points per game in PPR formats, and Smith-Njigba is a touchdown per game better at 28 fantasy points.
Puka Nacua is up there in points per game with 22.7, but he has missed time. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Zay Flowers have averages of 21.4 and 20.4, respectively. Rounding out 7 of the top 10 receivers at the halfway point of the regular fantasy season are Chris Olave and Malik Nabers.
What these four top eight fantasy performers have in common with CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, when fully healthy, is the ability to win at two of the three receiver positions on the field against zone and man-to-man coverage at every range of the field. St. Brown is the worst at this as an outside receiver, but he has core competency.
Malik Nabers, when 100 percent healthy, might be the very best in the league at both alongside Ja'Marr Chase. The Giants have figured out that Nabers lacks the rebuilt muscle memory and explosion to complete timing routes at the skill level he did pre-injury, and it will take him the 2027 offseason to regain it.
With CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba being this skilled playing inside and outside, against zone and man, and can win in the short, intermediate, and deep ranges, they earn targets. Offenses are built around them, and they're game-planned for heavy target volumes.
Lamb has 53 receptions and Smith-Njigba 58. Olave (49) and Nabers (48) trail this duo, and there are only seven receivers in the NFL with at least 40 receptions at this point. PPR value? Check.
CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba also score touchdowns. While Ja'Marr Chase and Amon-Ra St. Brown are close behind Lamb's six touchdowns with five scores, Smith-Njigba has eight thus far.
When a receiver can earn separation multiple ways against multiple coverage types in multiple alignments and roles, he's getting first looks in the red zone or on shot plays. Notice I haven't specifically mentioned size and speed.
CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba: By the Measurements
CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are no more than 6'2" and 198 pounds. These are Lamb's dimensions. Smith-Njigba is two inches shorter and a pound lighter.
Neither was "fast" by NFL Combine standards. Lamb ran a 4.51 and delivered a 34.5-inch Vertical Jump. Smith-Njigba didn't even run the 40-yard dash and earned consternation from the media about it. His Vertical Jump? 35 inches. Nothing earth-shattering.
What CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have in common is excellent short-area and burst. Smith-Njigba ran the 20-Shuttle in 3.93 seconds and the 3-Cone Drill in 6.57 seconds.
Not only is this elite short-area explosion, but it's also on the cusp of beyond category. What these two drills reveal is the potential a player has to stop and restart fast, and every coach worth his billing will tell you that stopping fast and in control is far more valuable than reaching a top speed.
What's also implied here is that the more a wide receiver can use pacing as a weapon in his route running, the more effective he'll become. We're going to take a look at CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba doing just that.
In addition to watching CeeDee Lamb and Jaxon Smith-Njigba win separation with pacing, we're also going to watch how they handle physical contact and track and attack the ball. These two players, and in many cases the other six I mentioned along with Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Davante Adams, are the gold standard at these skills.
These three skills aren't the holy grail of wide receiver evaluation. You can see the entire checklist of skills, concepts, and techniques I'm studying in the Rookie Scouting Portfolio publication when scouting the position (this article also shows some of the criteria for quarterback, too).