Jaxon Smith-Njigba
vs Trey McBride

“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.”

“Speaking of positional advantage, Trey McBride is averaging 15.4 half-PPR points per game and leads all tight ends in targets and receptions. It’s all McBride and Michael Wilson in Arizona, with these two accounting for nearly 60% of the target share. With 10+ targets in all three games this year, McBride’s fantasy floor is elite.”

“ARI @ SF (SF-8.5, O/U 47.5) Trey McBride is the only Arizona Cardinal that you can start with confidence this week, as Jeremiyah Love has only seen 27 opportunities in two weeks on a bad offense.”

“The apple of Brissett’s eye all afternoon, McBride led the team in targets with 13, catching nine passes for 95 yards and a score in an upset victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. McBride will look to keep the train a’ rollin’ in a more difficult matchup at home against Seattle next week. Stud:”

“Star TE Trey McBride had nine for 95 and the score, while veteran WR Kendrick Bourne racked up eight catches for 75 yards. First-round RB Jeremiyah Love got in the end zone for the first time in his career, while WRs Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. also chipped in with big plays. Arizona has pretty solid weapons but it’s notable that the Cardinals had as much success as they did against a Chargers defense that was No. 5 in total defense last year and returned most of the unit.”

“While Trey McBride is a must-start, there are serious questions around the rest of the Cardinals.”

“Brock Bowers , Colston Loveland , and Trey McBride are the obvious examples heading into this season.”

“Trey McBride (TE – ARI) Trey McBride has a top-20 ADP after catching 126 passes for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.”

“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.”

“Taking a look at the top options from last season, McBride averaged 11.2 fantasy points per game, and Bowers averaged 9.4 points per game.”

“Cardinals TE Trey McBride has become a prolific fantasy scorer.”

“In full-PPR formats, running backs and wide receivers split the top 10 in points per game 50/50, while running backs made up 10 of the top 20 spots in those leagues ( Trey McBride was in there as a tight end).”

“Let’s use last season’s leading TE scorer, Trey McBride , as an example. He scored 315.9 PPR fantasy points last season. In TE-premium, where he gets an extra half-point for each of his 126 receptions, McBride scored 378.9 fantasy points.”