Jaxon

Smith-Njigba

Smith-Njigba regularly contributed clutch plays all game long, showing spatial awareness and fancy footwork along the sideline more than once. He dominated the fourth quarter though, catching 5-of-5 targets for 45 yards. The Seahawks confusingly distributed the ball early in the game, with Tyler Lockett and AJ Barner combining for three of the team’s five first-quarter targets. Smith-Njigba consistently commands Geno Smith’s attention in crunch time though, which should yield more early-game involvement in the coming weeks. Smith-Njigba is a WR2 against the Cardinals in Week 12.

Metcalf first missed Week 8 with the knee issue. He appeared to have a shot at suiting up for Week 9 but Seattle held him out with their bye week on tap next. Coming out of the week off, Metcalf should be able to return to action this week, starting with a full practice after it was initially thought he would be limited. Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke out with 180 yards and two scores before the bye and would be in line for a high-end WR2 ranking if Metcalf misses any more time.

“Smith-Njigba’s big day can be loosely attributed to Seattle facing more single-high coverage,” writes Dugar, “but the remaining schedule suggests there will be similar opportunities. The Bears, Cardinals, Jets and Rams all rank among the top 10 teams in single-high percentage.” Smith-Njigba exploded as a deep threat against the Rams. Perhaps he’ll take another step forward in Week 11 against the 49ers.

The Seahawks were without DK Metcalf for the second week in a row. Smith-Njigba got off on the wrong foot in his first game sans Metcalf with an underwhelming six catches for 69 yards. Seattle couldn’t buy a chunk play in that game and switched up JSN’s role for Week 9. They made a clear effort to get him looks downfield and it paid off with five gains of 20+ yards for the second-year receiver. He also had two catches for a combined 78 yards that were called back because of offensive holding. This is the JSN Seattle thought they were getting with the No. 20 overall pick and then some. The Seahawks will likely get Metcalf back after their Week 10 bye, but JSN’s breakout performance will earn him more high-value looks going forward. He will sit on the WR2/3 border versus San Francisco.

It’s not a bad box score in a vacuum, but any added context makes the performance more disappointing. With DK Metcalf out, Seattle needed someone to step up and take over No. 1 receiver duties. Smith-Njigba paced Seattle in catches and yards but generated just one reception of 15+ yards and failed to find a 20-yard gain. With no ability to create explosive plays, Seattle’s passing game collapsed versus Buffalo and they scored just 10 points in a blowout loss. JSN is a competent possession receiver but nothing more. He will top out at WR3 fantasy numbers in PPR leagues going forward.

Metcalf is now considered week-to-week. The injury occurred during the Seahawks’ Week 7 victory over the Falcons, and saw the 6-foot-4 wideout carted off the field late in the contest. Mike Macdonald confirmed the sprain, but called it “minor” and that he’ll do everything he can to not miss any time. If he can’t go it will lead to increased targets for Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Jake Bobo will likely be the third wideout for Week 8 against the Bills.

Smith-Njigba had a down day after recording 17 catches over the past three games. Geno Smith nearly hit Smith-Njigba for a long gain in the first half — a rare deep look for slot guys JSN. Smith-Njigba should continue as a decent WR3 option in a pass-heavy Seattle offense against the Bills in Week 8. His 6.5 yards per target makes JSN something of a PPR scam.

JSN has now reached nine targets in 3-of-6 contests. Not bad, though this evening’s 53 yards were his second most of the season. It speaks to a high-floor, low-upside PPR dink-and-dunk game. It wasn’t been working in the real world, with the Seahawks turning in three straight thoroughly mediocre offensive performances. JSN did at least get targeted in the end zone this evening, but it was, for some reason, on a fade. That’s not his game. Expect more of the same in Week 7 against the Falcons, where the Seahawks are unlikely to have the luxury of playing conservatively.

Week 5 started out as a quiet day for Smith-Njigba with the Seahawks offense struggling to move the ball into Giants territory. He saw several of his targets in the hurry-up offense late, including his touchdown grab. His short-yardage role remains intact as he is being targeted as the No. 2 wideout on the team. It’s clear that Smith-Njigba is the go-to for short and quick throws and he will be a fantasy WR3 in a tough Week 6 matchup against the 49ers.

The Giants would surely love to have Phillips, the promising young slot cornerback, available against Seahawks slot receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Backup CB Adoree’ Jackson (calf) is also listed as questionable for the game.