Jaxon Smith-Njigba, better known as JSN, entered the NFL last season with the hype surrounding his performance on the field for the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately, Smith-Njigba didn’t live up to the hype when it relates to fantasy football.
So, what is Smith-Njigba’s fantasy outlook for 2024? With a new coaching regime in Seattle, we have to reevaluate him for our fantasy teams.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
Smith-Njigba has always been regarded as a talented wide receiver. He entered college as a five-star recruit and produced in his freshman season. His 4.01 yards per route run was better than those of his Ohio State teammates, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.
JSN’s shades of Julian Edelman excited NFL teams for multiple years, and finally, when he entered the draft, the Seahawks pounced. But, at the same time, we had to pump the brakes on the hype machine since they also roster DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Even in a run-heavy offense with veterans above him on the depth chart, Smith-Njigba found a reasonable number of targets for his rookie season. According to TruMedia, JSN finished as WR49 with 93 targets in 2023 and produced WR50 numbers with 63 receptions.
Smith-Njigba now enters Year 2 with a new head coach in Mike Macdonald, but Seattle offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who served as the University of Washington’s OC last season, is the more important addition to the second-year wide receiver.
Grubb can create a high-flying offensive attack for Smith-Njigba. According to the Seahawks’ official website and Grubb’s profile, in 2022, the Huskies ranked first in the nation in passing yards per game and total yards per game.
The offensive philosophy has changed in Seattle and should benefit JSN.
Smith-Njigba is a force on the field. His above-average muscle mass in his legs allows him to break more tackles than a typical wide receiver; an arm tackle won’t get him on the ground. JSN’s meticulous and detailed nature are also evident in his route running.
He may not be able to open the top against a defense with his average-at-best speed, but his hands are reliable. Strong hands are a quarterback’s best friend on the field.
Is Smith-Njigba a Good Fantasy Pick?
Smith-Njigba’s fantasy outlook in 2024 is murky at best.
As talented as he is, JSN is not a must-draft prospect. In Seattle’s offense, he still has to battle Metcalf and Lockett for targets.
The one thing we won’t have to worry about is Smith-Njigba’s bye week landing in the dreadful Week 14 Bye-pocalypse, as the Seahawks’ bye comes in Week 10.
According to the FantasyPros average draft position (ADP) chart, Smith-Njigba is the 45th wide receiver drafted at 111th overall. At that portion of the draft, you can take shots on players such as Keon Coleman, Courtland Sutton, Jameson Williams, Curtis Samuel, or even Brian Thomas Jr., who can all provide a better path to leading their WR room in fantasy points per game.
We also have to hope that Geno Smith will return to the QB5 he was two seasons ago. Considering that was the anomaly in his career, history shows that Smith outproduced his talent in 2022.
Tying a fantasy team to WR2 or WR3 of an average quarterback is a recipe for disaster, as it tends to encourage playing for a floor outcome in the fantasy season.