START · 2026-11-02

Jaxon Smith-Njigba takes over Seahawks target share

• Rashid Shaheed is out for Week 8 with a knee injury
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba projects 23.4 PPR pts in FX model
• Seattle's passing attack concentrates target volume on Smith-Njigba

What happened

With Rashid Shaheed officially ruled out due to a knee injury, the Seahawks passing attack relies entirely on Jaxon Smith-Njigba for Week 8. Although Shaheed provided deep threat ability after being acquired by Seattle, his absence forces the offense to funnel targets toward Smith-Njigba, making him the focal point of the passing scheme in this key matchup.

Fantasy impact

Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads all receivers with 23.4 PPR pts in the Week 8 projections. Without Shaheed on the field, Smith-Njigba absorbs a massive target share in all areas of the field. He is a must-start WR1 in PPR, Half-PPR, and Standard formats with an elite floor and tremendous ceiling.

What changes for the team

Shaheed's absence reduces vertical speed for Seattle, but locks Jaxon Smith-Njigba into a high-volume target share. The entire passing offense will flow directly through him in Week 8.

What to do: Start Jaxon Smith-Njigba as an elite WR1 in Week 8.

Players: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed

Sources

• ESPN: «Can Seahawks' Rashid Shaheed become a complementary WR to Jaxon Smith-Njigba?» · Read the original report

Our own write-up and analysis based on the cited report.