Seattle Seahawks Fantasy Football Preview: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

Youth Is Our Innovation

Before we get to the future for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, let’s preview what he’s shown us during his time at Ohio State. JSN’s sophomore season was one for the history books, racking up 1,606 receiving yards on 95 receptions over a 13-game timespan. Not only did he show that he was the most talented wide receiver on the team, but he did it while Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave were still on the roster…as Juniors.

It took a season for the college landscape to see what Jaxon Smith-Njigba could bring to the table, but that’s the same for all Ohio State receivers when they recruit so well at the position and are constantly putting out top prospects on offense. Even the generational prospect Marvin Harrison Jr only received 139 yards his Freshman season while JSN led the entire team.

Smith-Njigba missed most of his junior year/final season at Ohio State with a hamstring injury. So, the only real sample size we have to look at JSN with is his sophomore season. If any prospect was able to break out at such a young age in an insanely competitive wide receiver room while also playing for one of the best schools in the country, putting out players at his position, I wouldn’t let injuries steer me away from a great prospect. That’s probably the same mentality Seattle had when they drafted him at 20 in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Recency Bias

The saying “What have you done for me lately?” comes to mind when I see or hear other analysts fade JSN for other players at his position. It’s a fair argument, I’ll admit. Smith-Njigba missed most of his entire final season at Ohio State with a hamstring injury, then followed it up with a fractured wrist that required surgery in Seattle’s second pre-season game. So, it has been almost two years now since we have seen the JSN we all know and love.

Although there is truth to that statement, there’s also truth to others having too high of expectations for what he could do in Seattle going into Year 1. While looking at JSN’s route tree and where he shines most, he and Tyler Lockett succeed at almost identically in the same routes. This skillset makes them both the perfect pair with DK Metcalf. Outs, Crossers, and Hook routes accounted for 46.6% of all routes ran in college, so a decline in production from Lockett combined with his ability to create separation in Ryan Grubb’s new offense might just be what takes JSN back to where he belongs in the rankings.

A New Offense

The new offensive coordinator of the Seahawks, the aforementioned Grubb, is known for his love of utilizing vertical passing plays, as he demonstrated during his time at Washington. Despite JSN not being the best corner or a proficient nine-route runner, his ability to run post routes will be his key strength in Grubb’s offense. Grubb has proven his ability to develop Rome Odunze into a Top-10 receiver within his offense, so it’s reasonable to expect JSN to progress and improve in areas where he currently lacks, eventually possessing a route tree as strong as Odunze’s.

Grubb’s offense is straightforward to learn. Given Geno Smith’s experience with various offenses over the years, I believe this team will be able to hit the ground running. It’s possible that by the end of the season, the Seahawks could supply two receivers with over 1,000 yards each, as we have seen from Metcalf and Lockett in the past.

A Look at 2024

In conclusion, Jaxon Smith-Njigba doesn’t have to finish as the WR1 in Seattle to be fantasy-relevant. However, there is a pathway for his ascension to happen, as we saw at Ohio State. D.K. Metcalf has a defined role in Seattle’s offense that will often be utilized. Therefore, Smith-Njigba should be the clear WR2 in 2024.

Although he is only the second option, we have seen WR2s showcase top fantasy value in their roles like Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and others have before. Currently, fantasy managers are drafting rookie wide receivers like Xavier Worthy, Ladd McConkey, and Brian Thomas ahead of JSN at his current ADP (97.7). It seems like Smith-Njigba has a clear opportunity to exceed expectations while those players deal with the learning curve that is joining the NFL.

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A Look Inside the Seattle Seahawks

Editor’s Note: Although this article focuses on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, I believe it is best to see the fantasy football value of others in this Seahawks offense.

Geno Smith

As I alluded to in the last portion of the JSN part of the article, Geno Smith could surprise people once again and help provide two thousand-yard receivers in this offense. Some may worry that Sam Howell could inevitably take over at quarterback with what he had shown in Washington. But if Geno Smith can stay healthy and produce the way this offense can allow him to, his ADP of QB26 could make him a very sneaky QB2 in a lot of Superflex formats. It’s hard to believe in Geno Smith in dynasty formats longer than this next season, but I would target Geno Smith late in drafts as a high-upside QB3 at the least.

Kenneth Walker

All good things must come to an end, right? Kenneth Walker was one of the most talked about running backs last offseason after Zach Charbonnet entered Seattle’s backfield. Although Charbonnet didn’t live up to expectations, once again, others are worried about Walker’s percentage of being on the field. When it comes to pure talent, I don’t want to fade Kenneth Walker for what he can do compared to his counterpart, Zach Charbonnet. I do, though, have realistic expectations for Walker regardless of the talent and view him more as an RB2 in most formats in 2024 with the uncertainty at his position and the abundance of Top-10 running backs on other teams. Although Walker doesn’t feel like a solid RB1 option in fantasy leagues this season, he could be one of the most productive RB2s that a manager could invest in.

D.K. Metcalf

Although I am extremely optimistic about what Smith-Njigba can bring to the table in 2024, that most certainly doesn’t mean I am out on Metcalf going into 2024. Metcalf can shine in ways that Smith-Njigba and Lockett can’t, and when in tough situations will often be looked to be the answer. If he can stay healthy this season, his ADP of 45.1 seems like an amazing deal at its current price.

Tyler Lockett

Tyler Lockett, at one point, was on a Do-Not-Draft List in my head with all the headaches he caused me over the years, but as of recently, Tyler Lockett has shown to continue to be fantasy-relevant, making him extremely valuable at his current price. In an offense under Ryan Grubb that has the potential to deliver three-thousand-yard receivers, it’s easy to believe that with what Lockett has shown us, he is at least capable of performing to or above his current ADP. In dynasty formats, it’s hard to buy into Lockett at his current price, but my favorite league to draft Lockett in re-draft would be BestBall going into 2024.