“JSN is so back!” Well, back to his college days at least. After four games, everyone was wondering why Smith-Njigba couldn’t earn a target further than three centimeters downfield. Fortunately for both the Seahawks and fantasy mangers alike, the rookie has been used much differently since the early bye. Only nine of JSN’s first 20 targets were downfield throws (20-plus air yards) to begin the season. The result was a brutal 5.2 yards per reception, ranking 137th in the NFL and visibly hurting his confidence. In the two games since, not only have his snaps increased, but his yards per reception metric is up to 13.9, nearly matching his college average of 15-plus (albeit against much less talented defenders). Why? JSN’s targets are now coming downfield 85 percent of the time, rather than the pre-bye mark of 45 percent. This has also unlocked his ability to gain substantial yards after the catch, where he’s leading Seattle receivers with more than 50 percent of his production coming on YAC.
P.S. If you’re interested in acquiring Smith-Njigba, his playoff schedule includes the Eagles (31st against WRs), Titans (26th) and Steelers (30th).
