Jaxon Smith-Njigba

The departure of DK Metcalf and the arrival of Sam Darnold led the Seahawls to a super bowl victory and gave Smith-Njigba with elite fantasy numbers. Whether those numbers are sustainable remains to be seen. His size is smaller than you would like from an WR1 but his production speaks louder than the doubts.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba stepped into a clear alpha role last season after DK Metcalf's departure to Pittsburgh, and nothing has changed to expect any different this season. He is a top fantasy option to consider because he could have 80-90 more targets and 70-80 more receptions than anyone else on the team. Even if he doesn't hit those numbers again, he will still be a dominant force on the Seahawks' productive offense. 

Smith-Njigba has a lot of touts as the WR1 for 2026 preseason fantasy rankings, after generatling nearly 120 catches and 1,800 yards. 

Smith-Njigba proved that he is far more than a slot receiver, upping his per-catch average to a mark (15.1) associated with top primary receivers. Sam Darnold has emerged as a viable NFL starter for the past two years, and there's no reason this shouldn't continue. 

The only reasosn I'm not as bullish on Smith-Njigba as Chase and Nacua is consistency and a lack of a top complement. Chase and Nacua have earned multiple elite seasons where as 2025 was Smith-Njigba's first go-round as a top producer. 

Smith-Njigba also lacks a strong WR2. Cooper Kupp was once that player, but Kupp is in his career twilight. Without a top-end WR, it may prove easier for opposing defenses to limit Smith-Njigba compared to Nacua and Chase.