Should I Drop Jaxon Smith-Njigba? Fantasy Football Outlook

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a hot name for fantasy football coming out of Ohio State University. The collegiate superstar posted 1,606 yards in 2021 while sharing the field with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave and was taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, so he's expected to become a high-end fantasy option at some point in his career.

However, he has not been a fantasy-relevant wide receiver through the first four games of his NFL career. Fantasy managers have to drop players to make space for new waiver wire targets, and he might be on the chopping block head into Week 5.

What has Smith-Njigba done so far, and should you drop him in fantasy football? Let's dive in.

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba Season Review

Through four weeks, the 21-year-old has hauled in just 12 passes on 20 targets for 62 yards. He is clearly behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in the target pecking order, which isn't all that surprising.

According to PlayerProfiler.com data, Smith-Njigba is outside the top 100 qualified wideouts in average depth of target (aDOT) at 2.7 yards. Seattle is using him exclusively as a short-game receiving option, which is not conducive to viable fantasy production.

He has not registered more than a 59% snap share in a game, so there hasn't been much to be optimistic about just yet. It's worth noting there's a chance his offseason wrist injury could be holding him back.

Should I Drop Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Fantasy Football?

Fantasy managers in leagues of 12 teams or less can probably drop Smith-Njigba at this point if he's the weak link on a roster that desperately needs someone on the waiver wire. However, managers in deeper leagues might want to hold onto him. Seattle is on a bye this week, so hopefully, they will use the time off to get the rookie more involved in the offense.

Smith-Njigba can also be stashed as a "handcuff" wide receiver in the case of a Lockett or Metcalf injury. Ultimately, it comes down to the size of your league and your need for a waiver wire pickup. In deep PPR leagues, he's likely worth keeping around for a few more weeks. If he doesn't produce after that, it's time to move on.

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