JuJu Smith-Schuster

Week 4 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

JuJu Smith-Schuster tied Travis Kelce for the most targets on the team last week (8) finishing 5-89. JJSS is off to an OK start for the Chiefs, averaging 4.7 receptions and 59.3 yards through three games. Unfortunately he hasn't found the end zone yet, which is troubling for a high-powered offense like the Chiefs. But the rest of his production has been pretty solid as a somewhat reliable WR4 option. That's about where we have him projected heading into Week 4, although he does draw a tough matchup vs. the Bucs.

Week 2 vs. Los Angeles Chargers

JuJu Smith-Schuster saw a solid eight targets (led all Chiefs WRs) and finished 6-79-0 in Week 1. Although he had a lost fumble, as well. Still, it's a nice outing for JJSS, especially in PPR leagues. It's a little upsetting for fantasy owners that he didn't end up with one of Patrick Mahomes' five touchdowns, but the eight targets should be encouraging enough for his future. JJSS gets a nice matchup in Week 2 against the Chargers who just gave up a big performance (141 yards) to Davante Adams. We aren't expecting him to repeat Adams, but he is in a nice position to produce in a game between two high-powered offense. He should be looked at as a solid WR2 play this week.

Fantasy Upside
JuJu Smith-Schuster joined arguably the best offense in the NFL when he signed with the Chiefs this offseason. He also joined a team that lost its No. 1 WR in Tyreek Hill, who had 159 targets last season, 7th-most in the league. Smith-Schuster showcased what he could do with a high number of targets when he had 166 of them in 2018 and finished 111-1426-7. Now he gets a big upgrade at quarterback in Patrick Mahomes. He had injury issues last year, but the year before he finished as WR17. With Mahomes in the mix, the potential is there for him to finish as a top-15 WR this year.

Fantasy Downside
Smith-Schuster’s name carries weight because of his 2018 season, but he’s had three fairly disappointing years in a row since. He went from averaging nearly 90 yards per game in 2018 to 46.0, 51.9 and 25.8 in the seasons after. Smith-Schuster will need to see a lot of targets in order to get consistent production, and that may be difficult for him in 2022. In the past, the Chiefs primarily utilized Hill and didn’t get other receivers involved as consistently. But this year will likely be different as Kansas City also brought in Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who is actually making more money than Smith-Schuster this season. The Chiefs also drafted Skyy Moore in the 2nd round, and we can’t forget about Travis Kelce who will likely lead the team in the targets.

2022 Bottom Line
Smith-Schuster did deal with injuries last season, but he also wasn’t very productive when he was active. He had a 53.6% catch percentage, which would have placed him outside the top 200 receivers. He also finished with no touchdowns while averaging 25.8 yards per game. If he can get back to his 2018 self, he could end up being a legitimate threat. But it seems as if fantasy managers are already anticipating that as his WR27 ADP is above 4for4’s positional rankings. Smith-Schuster offers some promise, but fantasy managers shouldn’t just expect him to step in and replace Hill.