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USATSI

Tyler Lockett was released by the Seahawks, and DK Metcalf has one foot out the door after requesting a trade. We could be looking at a big season for Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2025, and he has the potential to be a top-10 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.

Smith-Njigba had a breakout season in 2024 when he averaged 14.9 PPR points per game. He had 100 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns on 137 targets, and he had seven games with at least 18.3 PPR points, including three in a row from Weeks 14-16.

Metcalf missed two games during the season with a knee injury in Week 8 against Buffalo and Week 9 against the Rams, and Smith-Njigba had his best game of the season against Los Angeles. He had seven catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns on 13 targets, and he scored 37 PPR points in that outing.

We can't expect that level of production all the time with Metcalf gone, but it gives you a glimpse of Smith-Njigba's ceiling as the clear-cut No. 1 receiver in Seattle. While the Seahawks will add receiver depth to replace Lockett and Metcalf, Smith-Njigba will definitely be the top target for Geno Smith.

Metcalf and Lockett leave behind a combined 115 catches for 1,592 yards and seven touchdowns on 182 targets. Smith already prioritized Smith-Njigba as the No. 1 receiver for the Seahawks in 2024, and we hope his role could expand in 2025.

Now, Seattle does have a new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak, who is replacing the fired Ryan Grubb. We hope Kubiak gets the memo to feature Smith-Njigba as much as possible, and now Kubiak might not have a choice.

We'll see who Seattle adds to replace Metcalf and Lockett, but Smith-Njigba should be drafted in all Fantasy leagues as early as Round 3. He'll be ranked as a low-end No. 1 receiver, and I could see a top-10 finish for him in 2025 with the moves being made by the Seahawks this offseason.

As for Metcalf, we'll see what team trades for him, but he still has the potential to be a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. While he had a down season in 2024 -- his 12.8 PPR points per game was his lowest total since his rookie year in 2019 -- he still has huge upside since he's only 27.

We saw that in 2020 when he averaged 17.6 PPR points, and he has two seasons on his resume with at least 10 touchdowns. Metcalf hasn't been dominant since Smith replaced Russell Wilson, but Metcalf will hopefully be paired with a top-tier quarterback in his new destination. 

Some teams that should show interest in Metcalf are Buffalo, the Chargers, New England, Pittsburgh, Green Bay and the Raiders, where he could be reunited with former coach Pete Carroll. Other teams will come calling as well, and where he ends up will ultimately determine his Fantasy value.

I'll have Metcalf ranked as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues, and I'll be looking to draft him in Round 6 at the earliest. Hopefully, with the right quarterback, Metcalf can re-emerge as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in 2025.

I don't have the same optimism for Lockett since he's 32, and his production fell off in a big way in 2024. He averaged a career-low 7.1 PPR points per game, and this was the first time he was in single digits in PPR since 2017, which was his third season in the NFL.

Lockett, like Metcalf, will be linked to the Raiders because of Carroll, but hopefully the right team gives Lockett a chance to start. At best, you'll draft Lockett with a late-round pick in all leagues, and he could emerge as a starter in three-receiver leagues if things go right for him in 2025.