Jaxon Smith-Njigba Is Another Fantasy Football Breakout Star WR

In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Hims:

I guess I should technically lead this newsletter with the Omarion Hampton IR news (ugh), but I can only write about injuries for so long before I reach a breaking point.

Instead, I’m going to 1) direct you to Kendall’s updated waiver column with two must-add RBs on the Chargers and 2) wax poetic about something positive, Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Puka Nacua is the guy at WR this year, but I think it’s time we officially put JSN on the podium right next to him.

From a Utilization perspective, he’s neck-and-neck with Nacua across the board:

What’s particularly outrageous about JSN’s 2025 campaign is how efficient he’s been downfield. A 34% target share (and 33% TPRR) with a 12.8-yard aDot (average depth of target) and 47% of his team’s Air Yards is some truly special stuff.

It has resulted in an absurd 4.14 yards per route run, which is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

To put this in less statistically dense terms—he has 10 receiving plays of 20+ yards this season, which is more than the Jets, Jaguars, Cardinals and Saints!

This deep shot from yesterday’s Seahawks/Bucs game is the perfect example of how JSN and Sam Darnold are winning downfield this year—great ball and an even better catch.

This entire Seattle offense is humming right now, including AJ Barner, who now has four TDs in five games. He’s not the most athletic TE in the league, but he’s perfect for how the Seahawks want to play.

I’ll admit that I worried about “systemic risk” with this offense heading into the season (i.e. Darnold imploding like he did at the end of last year). But those concerns appear to have been severely misguided.

This team—spearheaded by JSN’s ascension to superstardom—is cooking right now.

Next up? A cushy matchup vs. the Jags, who are playing on a short week—and coming off a major high.

ONTO THE WEEK 6 WAIVER WIRE

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About Last Night …

Are they still recovering down in Duuuuuuvaaaaal?! Four times in the fourth quarter the score was either tied or the lead changed. After Kareem Hunt put the Chiefs up by four with 1:45 left, Trevor Lawrence marched the Jaguars and literally picked himself off the ground to run in the winning TD for a 31-28 signature win on MNF. So many fantasy heroes in a game that Matthew described perfectly:

T-Law goes stumblin’, rumblin’, bumblin’ in for a 1-yard TD. He passed for 221-1 and rushed for 54 yards and two more scores. On his birthday!!
Chemistry with BTJ is improving.
Kareem Hunt scored two TDs on the way to 18.7 fantasy points. Did you start him?
Houdini never got help from a 300-pounder on his escapes.
Patrick Mahomes with 318 yards and a score, adding 6-60-1 on the ground.
Travis Hunter, are you kidding with this?
Travis Kelce’s Life of a Showman hit the painted area.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST UTILIZATION REPORT DATA

Editors’ Picks

Week 5 is in the books. Who’s ready to look toward Week 6? Get a head start with some of the latest Fantasy Life content to come through the Week 6 pipeline …

Week 6 DST Streamers

Did an elite defense slip through the cracks during the Week 5 bye? Jonathan Fuller is eyeing the Packers and two other elite DST streaming options for the upcoming week.

A Little Love for the Floors

In this week’s QB streamers column, Laghezza coined a floor-related line about Spencer Rattler. Our head of design has more serious tasks to handle (hello George!), so we asked Comet to turn it into a series of T-shirts. Check the column and then download Comet and get to starting your own online shop.

Players To Drop In Week 6

It feels wrong dropping a team’s WR1 into the abyss of the waiver wire … but then again, it’s the Cleveland Browns. Geoff Ulrich breaks down why you should drop Jerry Jeudy and more.

The #1 Utilization Takeaway of Week 5 Is …

Jacory Croskey-Merritt handled his largest workload of the year in Week 5.

The Commanders could finally be shifting their backfield over to the man known as Bill. Croskey-Merritt registered season highs in multiple categories in Week 5.

Fantasy Points: 28
Utilization Score: 71
Attempts: 61%
Routes: 38%
Targets: 9%

Chris Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols remained involved, which kept Bill's Utilization Score in check. McNichols played 75% of the long-down-and-distance (LDD) snaps and 100% of the two-minute offense. Rodriguez played 40% of the short-yardage snaps.

Still, Week 5 was a significant step in the right direction for Croskey-Merritt, and he provides Washington's offense with the most pop. Efficiency doesn't guarantee a larger workload moving forward, but the rookie seventh-round NFL draft pick is performing at a high level.

PFF Rush Grade: 90.1 (1 of 43 RBs with at least 30 attempts)
Yards per attempt: 6.6 (1st)
Yards after contact: 4.4 (2nd)
Yards before contact: 2.2 (2nd)
Missed tackles forced: 23% (11th)
10-plus yard attempts: 21% (2nd)
Targets per route: 17% (23rd)
Yards per route: 1.29 (13th)

It's a small sample of attempts (43), so we can't take these numbers as gospel, but it sure seems like this coaching staff should want Bill on the field more. Let's analyze a couple of scenarios.

» Croskey-Merritt sustains role from Week 5

In this scenario, Bill's Utilization Score (71) comps averaged 13.8 points per game, with 75% of them managing a top-24 fantasy season.

RB1 to RB12 seasons: 20%
RB13 to RB24 seasons: 55%
RB25 to RB36 seasons: 25%

» Croskey-Merritt sustains role from the last two games

In this scenario, we are using Bill's Utilization Score from Weeks 4 and 5 (61), which allows for some regression back to the role he held over the first four weeks. His comparisons averaged 11.4 fantasy points, with 28% reaching top-24 RB status.

RB1 to RB12 seasons: 20%
RB13 to RB24 seasons: 25%
RB25 to RB36 seasons: 58%
RB37 to RB48 seasons: 15%

Of course, I didn't include a scenario where Bill grows his role. However, that would obviously improve his standing compared to the first scenario. However, he had a massive fantasy-point total that is buoying his Utilization Score. So, it assumes he remains a hyper-efficient back, which is fragile in and of itself.

» Blending the scenarios for a complete picture

We saw an example of how this sort of thing can work with Woody Marks, whom I also highlighted over two games in last week's Utilization Report. Our instinct is to go all-in on these situations with young players. That instinct could prove correct, but we can't ignore the full range of outcomes. Given all the data above, taking an in-between approach is optimal.

Croskey-Merritt UPGRADES to borderline RB2 territory, and he will enter the RB2 conversation with similar performance in Week 6. He could progress toward RB1 status from there with an even larger workload.

» Continue on for the rest of Dwain McFarland’s Utilization Report ahead of Week 6 …

MORE UTILIZATON NOTES FROM WEEK 5

Early Week 6 Rankings: Step Forward Drake Maye

Was Sunday Night Football the national “great reveal” for the next great NFL QB? Quite possibly. Drake Maye went blow for blow with Josh Allen, hitting 22-of-30 passes for 273 yards. And he’s averaging 22 yards on the ground! Yup, it’s time to start taking him seriously among the weekly starters in single-QB leagues.

Ian Hartitz came out of the lab with his Week 6 early rankings, moving guys up and down based not just on last week’s performances—though they helped. Speaking of which, Bill Croskey Merritt may have just shown his coaching staff that he’s the best RB on his team. ⬇️

READY TO BUY LOW ON A.J. BROWN?

Around the Watercooler

The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness, and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds.

📺 Need some help on the waiver wire? We’re here for you.

🤝 Step 1: Stream QBs against Dallas. Step 2: Profit.

👀 Tight end day came early, and more Week 5 observations.

🚑️ Is it finally Hendo time? An injury hit to the Patriots backfield.

🧀 Reinforcements are coming for the Packers. Good news here.

😭 I don’t think we are going to see Brock Bowers until Week 9. They have a Week 8 bye.

🗑️ Baker talking trash is elite. What a chad.

🙏 Can we please get these guys a TD? Jakobi is so tilting.

🍋 Do the Pats have a WR1? Sure looks like it.