Jaxon Smith-Njigba
vs Brock Bowers

“Last week, with backup QB Drew Lock starting in place of the injured Sam Darnold (who’s expected back soon), Smith-Njigba had nine catches for 155 yards and three touchdowns. Smith is the Renoir of route runners. The Seahawks were featured in this summer’s HBO “Hard Knocks” series, and there was a fascinating segment that showed Smith-Njigba practicing his routes alone as teammates and coaches talked about his talents.”

“Through two games, Smith-Njigba has caught 17 of 22 targets for 277 yards and four TDs . That is a 77.3% catch rate while averaging 138.5 receiving yards per game , making it abundantly clear that he is picking up right where he left off as one of the premier WRs in fantasy. Next up is Washington, and as a Commanders fan, I am already preparing for the reckoning.”

“Jaxon Smith-Njigba – 11 targets, 9 rec Much like ARSB, I don’t need to go into much detail for JSN. He was drafted to be a stud and is paying off through two weeks. He has seen over a 40% target share in both games so far, and there’s no reason to believe that will come crashing down anytime soon, if at all.”

“IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Jaxon Smith-Njigba – 11 targets, 8 rec Another familiar name on the list, JSN’s 11 targets equated to a massive 46% target share. He led the NFL with a 36% target share last season, which may not be as unsustainable as it seems. Those targets, however, may be coming from Drew Lock for the next few games.”

“It was quite the surprise to see Jaxon Smith-Njigba available after the first four selections. We did weigh some of the running back options available, but ultimately felt that Smith-Njigba is the type of talent that can set you far apart from the rest of the league.”

“Jaxon Smith-Njigba is coming off a season in which he had 35.8% of the Seahawks' targets and 50% of the team’s air yards He also led the league in receiving yards.”

“It was a truly special year for Jaxon Smith-Njigba , who led the league in receiving yards (1,793) and helped the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl. He also scored 10 touchdowns and was targeted a whopping 163 times (119 receptions).”

“It was a truly special year for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, leading the league in receiving yards and helping the Seahawks to a Super Bowl. The only cause for concern is Klint Kubiak, the former offensive coordinator, moving to become the Head Coach of the New Orleans Saints and a potential dip in efficiency from Sam Darnold .”

“Like Nacua, Smith-Njigba ranked outside the top 20 wide receivers in total routes run, at just 495 despite perfect health. Seattle was a run-first team by choice last year, but they also played a lot of un-competitive 2nd halves — at times induced by a Smith-Njigba eruption. I could see the team’s PROE rising given the changeover in their backfield, and could especially see the actual pass rate rise if the team plays more competitive games.”

“It's hard to ignore how efficient Jaxon Smith-Njigba was in 2025. Smith-Njigba ranked fifth in targets, but was second in receiving yards (1,794). Four of his touchdowns came on passes of 20+ yards downfield, with an absurd 60% catch rate.”

“IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Brock Bowers – 13 targets, 10 rec It did not take long for Bowers to remind the fantasy football world how dominant he can be when healthy. The 13 targets to him in his season debut accounted for a 43.3% target share. It was the tenth time in 30 career games that he has earned double-digit targets.”

“TE Quick Hitters Brock Bowers | TE, Las Vegas Raiders (QUESTIONABLE) – Bowers is officially questionable after getting in two limited practices to start the week and then not practicing Friday. The Raiders indicated that Bowers’ Friday absence was planned and not a setback. If Bowers is active, he has to be in your starting lineup.”

“The Raiders are 2-0 despite not having TE Brock Bowers available, which is amazing considering how thin their skill group is viewed as. Unfortunately, I have serious doubts about how sustainable all of this is. The teams the Raiders have played so far have combined to go 0-4 with a scoring differential of -60.”

“Coach Klint Kubiak confirmed Bowers will sit after a meniscus procedure, leaving Mayer as the clear TE1 for Kirk Cousins. When Mayer has been featured, he has produced at a starter's volume. He logged a 78.4% route participation rate, a 23.7% target share, a 26% target rate per route, 4.5 receptions per game, 49.0 receiving yards per game, 2.25 yards per route run, and 1 receiving touchdown without Bowers last year.”

“With an anemic wide receiver corps in Las Vegas, Bowers should be awash in targets this season. New head coach Klint Kubiak has been tasked with repairing the Raiders’ offense, and his track record suggests he can right the ship. No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza provides hope, while the Raiders also have tight end-friendly quarterback Kirk Cousins .”

“Round 3 Jason (3.01) – Brock Bowers (TE, LV) Mike (3.05) – Chris Olave (WR, NO) Andy (3.09) – D’Andre Swift (RB, CHI) Of course, Brock Bowers is really only a third-round pick in this mock draft in name only, as Jason waited to take him at the 3.01.”

“Widely considered one of the best TE prospects to ever enter the league, Bowers had 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns on 153 targets as a rookie. With better health in 2026, he has a chance to match or exceed his rookie numbers. The Raiders are talent-starved at wide receiver, so Bowers is poised to be their alpha pass catcher.”

“There are great expectations for Brock Bowers in his third NFL season following an injury-plagued Year 2. Bowers had five catches for 103 yards in the Raiders’ 2025 season opener against the Patriots, but he sustained a PCL injury and bone bruise to his left knee in that game, was clearly hampered over his next three games (with under 50 receiving yards in each) and was shut down for three games.”

“Brock Bowers (TE – LV) & Trey McBride (TE – ARI) Whether you prefer Brock Bowers or Trey McBride doesn’t really matter. Neither should be drafted this high. Last season, McBride averaged 18.6 PPR points per game, and Bowers averaged 15.5 in 2024, the better season of his two years in the NFL.”