Start Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Puka Nacua? Week 1

Our Week 1 call

Start Puka Nacua over Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Week 1.

Puka Nacua is priced by the books at 9.1 projected points. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has no player market posted for this week, so his side of this call rests on consensus ADP and the news wire only. Drafters take Puka Nacua at ADP 3 and Jaxon Smith-Njigba at 6. Market coverage on Puka Nacua is 40 percent of what his position needs, so the market side of this carries proportionally less weight.

What the books imply

Player prop markets imply 9.1 fantasy points for Puka Nacua, with 40 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

No sportsbook posted a player market for Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Week 1.

Week 1 matchups

Puka Nacua and LAR host SF on Thursday at 8:35 PM ET.

SF allowed 19.8 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 5th fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 108 yards and no touchdowns against SF.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba and SEA host NE.

NE allowed 33.1 fantasy points to WRs in its one game this season, the 12th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 161 yards and a touchdown against NE.

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

Injury status

Puka Nacua was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was not on the injury report when the call was made.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Puka Nacua played 16 games for LAR and scored 375.0 PPR points, 23.4 a game, finishing WR1.

He caught 129 of 166 targets for 1715 yards and 10 touchdowns, with 16 red zone targets and 1049 air yards.

He was on the field for 68 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Puka Nacua, Week 18 of 2025 against ARI: 2 carries for 24 yards, 11 targets and 10 catches for 76 yards, 1 touchdown, 26.0 PPR points.

Puka Nacua, Week 17 of 2025 against ATL: 48 of 65 snaps, 10 targets and 5 catches for 47 yards, 1 touchdown, 15.7 PPR points.

Puka Nacua, Week 16 of 2025 against SEA: 72 of 92 snaps, 16 targets and 12 catches for 225 yards, 2 touchdowns, 46.5 PPR points.

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.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Week 18 of 2025 against SF: 57 of 69 snaps, 8 targets and 6 catches for 84 yards, 14.4 PPR points.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Week 17 of 2025 against CAR: 59 of 66 snaps, 12 targets and 9 catches for 72 yards, 16.2 PPR points.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Week 16 of 2025 against LAR: 65 of 68 snaps, 13 targets and 8 catches for 96 yards, 1 touchdown, 23.6 PPR points.

How Week 1 went

Puka Nacua scored 12.4 PPR points and Jaxon Smith-Njigba scored 26.2.

The call was wrong: Jaxon Smith-Njigba outscored Puka Nacua by 13.8.

Puka Nacua finished 3.4 points above the 9.1 the props implied.

Puka Nacua, Week 1 against SF: 43 of 61 snaps, 9 targets and 5 catches for 74 yards, 12.4 PPR points.

Puka Nacua finished as the week's WR27 in PPR scoring.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Week 1 against NE: 45 of 50 snaps, 11 targets and 8 catches for 122 yards, 1 touchdown, 26.2 PPR points.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba finished as the week's WR6 in PPR scoring.

Their other Week 1 calls

• Start Puka Nacua over Amon-Ra St. Brown.
• Start Puka Nacua over CeeDee Lamb.
• Start Ja'Marr Chase over Puka Nacua.
• Start Amon-Ra St. Brown over Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
• Start Jaxon Smith-Njigba over CeeDee Lamb.
• Start Jaxon Smith-Njigba over Drake London.