The Seattle Seahawks have hit a rough patch, suffering two losses in their last three contests. In a 32-29 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba battled through an ankle injury but still finished the contest.
Smith-Njigba was clearly laboring throughout the bout but still turned in another 100+ yard performance. With the Seahawks playing on Thursday Night Football, can the star WR take the field against the Broncos?
Below, we’ll dive into the latest Jaxon Smith-Njigba injury update and how it could affect Seahawks fantasy football picks and Week 6 projections for PrizePicks.
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba Injury Update: Will Smith-Njigba Play in Week 6?
Smith-Njigba was listed as a limited practice participant on Monday and Tuesday, per the Seahawks’ official injury report. However, Seattle didn’t actually hold a practice on either day, so it was more of an estimate of what Smith-Njigba would’ve done.
Smith-Njigba had his ankle taped in Sunday’s game but wasn’t forced out of the contest. The Seahawks wideout caught 5 passes for 102 yards and a TD while hampered.
The former Ohio State standout leads the NFL in receiving yards (583) and TDs (7) and has caught the third-most passes (37) in the sport. Smith-Njigba's registered 100+ receiving yards in four of his five games this season.
According to SumerSports, Smith-Njigba has registered a league-best 35.2% target share, beating out Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua (34.3%) and Philadelphia Eagles WR DeVonta Smith (33.3%). Smith-Njigba also has tallied 144 yards after the catch (fourth).
On PrizePicks, Smith-Njigba carries Week 6 projections of 91.5 Rec Yards, 6.5 Recs (Goblin), and 0.5 Anytime TDs (Demon) if he’s able to suit up.
Seahawks Fantasy Football Outlook If Smith-Njigba Is Out
Over the last calendar year, it’s difficult to argue that Smith-Njigba hasn't been the league’s most efficient WR option. As a result, fantasy football managers had no problem selecting him early in drafts, as he returned a WR3 average draft position (ADP), per FantasyPros.
Smith-Njigba is clearly the go-to receiver for QB Sam Darnold, as shown by his 52.1% first-read target share (first among WRs). The former first-round pick has also racked up 4.26 yards per route run, ranking second. JSN's caught 37 of his 49 targets and averaged 2.78 fantasy points per target (seventh).
If Smith-Njigba can’t take the field on Thursday, there could be a clear drop-off in offensive production at WR. Behind him, WR Cooper Kupp has caught just 11 passes for 129 yards and a TD in five games. Kupp has tallied a 14.8% target share with an average target distance of 9.6 yards.
According to RBSDM, the Seahawks will face a Broncos defense that surrenders -0.037 EPA per dropback (third), -0.035 EPA per play (ninth), and a 44.2% dropback success rate (10th). However, Denver will likely continue to be without CB Patrick Surtain II, who's dealing with an ankle injury.
The Seahawks are 2.5-point road favorites against the Broncos, according to PrizePicks, returning a 1.66x payout with an outright win.
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As the Seahawks continue their Super Bowl title defense, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is arguably the most integral piece to the team’s success. After suffering an ankle injury in Week 5, the star WR’s status is uncertain heading into Thursday’s showdown vs. the Broncos.
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