Should I start Jaxon Smith-Njigba or CeeDee Lamb in Week 8?
Updated Nov 3, 3:36 AM ET. Week 9 answers post Tuesday.
Week 8 verdict
Start Jaxon Smith-Njigba over CeeDee Lamb
Right: 23.8 to 12.8
- Market projected
- 21.5
- pre-game
- CHI D vs WR
- 29.2
- 10th fewest to WRs (2026)
- Snap share
- 83%
- Through Week 7
- Target share
- 36%
- Through Week 7
- Scored
- 23.8
- PPR pts
- Market projected
- 19.9
- pre-game
- ARI D vs WR
- 33.6
- 12th most to WRs (2026)
- Target share
- 39%
- Week 8
- Scored
- 12.8
- PPR pts
Start Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 85 percent of the snaps and 36 percent of the targets over their last 3 games, against CeeDee Lamb's 77 percent of the snaps and 29 percent of the targets. No market projection is posted on either of them this week, so this is a usage call, and a lower confidence one than a call made on a projection. What follows is what each of them has done.
Should I drop CeeDee Lamb for Jaxon Smith-Njigba?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Jaxon Smith-Njigba projects 159 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (19.9 a game over 8 games), CeeDee Lamb 148 (18.5 a game over 8 games).
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Neither man carries a season projection right now, so this is their usage this season and their last full season's numbers, side by side.
WR1 · SEA · bye 11
2026 vs anytime td line 6-2
- Market-based projection
- 21.5 pts a game Wk 8 price
- Overall rank
- 3
WR21 · DAL · bye 14
2026 vs anytime td line 4-4
- Market-based projection
- 19.9 pts a game Wk 8 price
- Overall rank
- 58
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The gap
- Board size297 draftable players
Draft data is not current for these two, so the figures that depend on it are left out. The call above comes from each player's usage.
Where the draft room stands
Live drafts hold no current pick on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and the board ranks him 3rd overall on the rest of his evidence.
In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 8.
Live drafts hold no current pick on CeeDee Lamb, and the board ranks him 58th overall on the rest of his evidence.
The market-based projections
No season market is posted for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, so the only market valuing him on this page is the draft room.
The market-based projection for CeeDee Lamb is 4.9 PPR points a game off 1 market across 5 market sources. That is 30 percent of what a wide receiver's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.
This season so far
Through Week 7, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been on the field for 83 percent of SEA snaps, drawn 36 percent of the targets and had 19 percent of the red zone chances.
He has taken 28 of the offence's 62 third down targets, had 2 of its 19 chances inside the five and seen 15 of its 38 two minute targets.
His 78 targets have averaged 10.4 air yards.
In Week 5 against SF he carried 1 time for 16 yards, caught 5 of 8 targets for 102 yards and scored 1 touchdown.
In Week 6 against DEN he caught 12 of 16 targets for 134 yards and did not score.
In Week 7 against KC he carried 2 times for 13 yards, caught 9 of 12 targets for 150 yards and scored 1 touchdown.
Through Week 8, CeeDee Lamb has been on the field for 79 percent of DAL snaps, drawn 31 percent of the targets and had 16 percent of the red zone chances.
He has taken 25 of the offence's 69 third down targets, had 3 of its 31 chances inside the five and seen 16 of its 50 two minute targets.
His 92 targets have averaged 9.9 air yards.
In Week 6 against GB he caught 9 of 18 targets for 70 yards and did not score.
In Week 7 against PHI he caught 5 of 12 targets for 74 yards and scored 2 touchdowns.
In Week 8 against ARI he caught 7 of 11 targets for 58 yards and did not score.
Their 2025 seasons
In 2025 Jaxon Smith-Njigba played 17 games and scored 359.9 PPR points, 21.2 a game, finishing WR2.
He caught 119 of 163 targets for 1793 yards and 10 touchdowns, with 17 red zone targets.
That came to 9.6 targets a game, a 73 percent catch rate and 15.1 yards a catch.
He was on the field for 78 percent of the snaps in the games he played.
In 2025 CeeDee Lamb played 14 games and scored 200.9 PPR points, 14.4 a game, finishing WR22.
He caught 75 of 117 targets for 1077 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 17 red zone targets.
That came to 8.4 targets a game, a 64 percent catch rate and 14.4 yards a catch.
He was on the field for 75 percent of the snaps in the games he played.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was available for 3 games more.
Head to head
In 2025 Jaxon Smith-Njigba scored 21.2 PPR points a game and CeeDee Lamb 14.4, 6.8 a game between them.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba finished WR2 that year and CeeDee Lamb WR22.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 46 more targets than CeeDee Lamb, 163 to 117.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 716 more receiving yards than CeeDee Lamb, 1793 to 1077.
This season Jaxon Smith-Njigba holds the bigger snap share, 83 percent against 79 percent.
This season Jaxon Smith-Njigba holds the bigger target share, 36 percent against 31 percent.
Byes and availability
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is off in Week 11 and CeeDee Lamb in Week 14, so either can cover the other's bye.
Drop or keep
Should I drop CeeDee Lamb for Jaxon Smith-Njigba?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Jaxon Smith-Njigba projects 159 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (19.9 a game over 8 games), CeeDee Lamb 148 (18.5 a game over 8 games).
Should I drop Jaxon Smith-Njigba for CeeDee Lamb?
No. Keep Jaxon Smith-Njigba: he projects 159 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (19.9 a game over 8 games), CeeDee Lamb 148 (18.5 a game over 8 games).
Both players in full
Week 8 on the board
- Is Jaxon Smith-Njigba playing Week 8?
- Is CeeDee Lamb playing Week 8?
- Seahawks depth chart
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- Week 8 WR rankings
- Week 8 fantasy rankings
- Week 8 start or sit
- Week 9 waiver wire
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- Trade deadline buy low, sell high
- Fantasy football rankings
- Start 'em sit 'em Week 8
- Waiver wire pickups
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- Rest of season rankings
- Week 8 kicker rankings
- Week 8 defense rankings
