Start Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Ja'Marr Chase? Week 9

Our Week 9 call

Start Jaxon Smith-Njigba over Ja'Marr Chase in Week 9.

Market-based projections have Jaxon Smith-Njigba at 20.5 points and Ja'Marr Chase at 18.4, a gap of 2.1. No player market is posted for Jaxon Smith-Njigba this week yet, so his 20.5 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 6, 7 and 8 (19.9, 20.2 and 21.4); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. Drafters take Jaxon Smith-Njigba at ADP 5 and Ja'Marr Chase at 4.

What the market projects

No Week 9 player market is posted for Jaxon Smith-Njigba yet. His market-based projections were 19.9, 20.2 and 21.5 points in Weeks 6, 7 and 8, an average of 20.5, which stands in until his Week 9 market posts.

Player markets imply 18.4 fantasy points for Ja'Marr Chase, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Ja'Marr Chase is 76 receiving yards, 6-7 receptions and 0.7 touchdowns (8, 8 and 7 market sources).

That puts Jaxon Smith-Njigba 2.1 points ahead of Ja'Marr Chase on these projections.

Week 9 matchups

Jaxon Smith-Njigba and SEA host ARI on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

ARI allowed 33.5 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 8 games, the 13th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 152 yards and 1.4 touchdowns a game against ARI.

Ja'Marr Chase and CIN visit ATL on Sunday at 9:30 AM ET.

ATL allowed 30.1 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 8 games, the 15th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 149 yards and 0-1 touchdowns a game against ATL.

By points allowed to the position, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is not on the injury report.

Ja'Marr Chase is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 9

Through Week 8, Jaxon Smith-Njigba played 83 percent of SEA snaps, drew 36 percent of the targets, earned 52 percent of the air yards and had 17 percent of the red zone chances.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Week 5 against SF: 53 of 63 snaps, 1 carry for 16 yards, 8 targets and 5 catches for 102 yards, 1 touchdown.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Week 6 against DEN: 78 of 85 snaps, 16 targets and 12 catches for 134 yards.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Week 7 against KC: 53 of 69 snaps, 2 carries for 13 yards, 12 targets and 9 catches for 150 yards, 1 touchdown.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Week 8 against CHI: 11 targets and 6 catches for 118 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 8, Ja'Marr Chase played 80 percent of CIN snaps, drew 23 percent of the targets, earned 31 percent of the air yards and had 14 percent of the red zone chances.

Ja'Marr Chase, Week 4 against JAX: 15 of 76 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 27 yards.

Ja'Marr Chase, Week 5 against MIA: 58 of 65 snaps, 10 targets and 6 catches for 77 yards, 1 touchdown.

Ja'Marr Chase, Week 7 against BAL: 46 of 53 snaps, 7 targets and 5 catches for 62 yards, 1 touchdown.

Ja'Marr Chase, Week 8 against TEN: 71 of 74 snaps, 16 targets and 11 catches for 141 yards, 1 touchdown.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Jaxon Smith-Njigba played 17 games for SEA 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 and 1265 air yards.

He was on the field for 78 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Ja'Marr Chase played 16 games for CIN and scored 313.6 PPR points, 19.6 a game, finishing WR4.

He caught 125 of 185 targets for 1412 yards and 8 touchdowns, with 21 red zone targets and 772 air yards.

He was on the field for 94 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 9 calls

• Start Jaxon Smith-Njigba over Amon-Ra St. Brown.
• Start Jaxon Smith-Njigba over CeeDee Lamb.
• Start Jaxon Smith-Njigba over Chris Olave.
• Start Amon-Ra St. Brown over Ja'Marr Chase.
• Start Ja'Marr Chase over CeeDee Lamb.
• Start Ja'Marr Chase over Chris Olave.