Smith-Schuster joined the Patriots in the offseason, his third team in as many seasons. While it is quite the downgrade to move from Patrick Mahomes to Mac Jones, Smith-Schuster does have a chance to replace Jakobi Meyers in a role that has averaged about seven targets per game over the past two years. Smith-Schuster has not produced a 1,000-yard season since 2018, but he was WR24 last year before he was sidelined by a concussion. He earned eight-plus targets in six of his first seven games with the Chiefs. Draft him as a low-end No. 3 WR in Round 8 or 9. For as long as he stays healthy he's likely to slightly outperform that cost.
Patriots' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Held to one catch Sunday
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Smith-Schuster was on the field for 53 of a possible 72 snaps on offense in Sunday's 15-10 win over the Jets, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Though Smith-Schuster started and was second to DeVante Parker (55 snaps) among the Patriots' WR in terms of playing time, he was limited to one catch (on three targets) for five yards. Three games into his first season with New England, Smith-Schuster has combined for 10 catches (on 16 targets) for 66 yards, numbers that have limited his fantasy utility thus far. With that in mind, Smith-Schuster profiles as a speculative lineup option this coming Sunday against the Cowboys.
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Patriots' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Catches five passes Sunday
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Smith-Schuster logged 44 of a possible 74 snaps on offense in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Dolphins while catching five of his six targets in the contest for 28 yards, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
In his season debut after missing Week 1 action, DeVante Parkerled the Patriots' WRs with 74 snaps en route to recording eight targets. He was followed by Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne (38 snaps, nine targets). Two weeks into the 2023 season, Smith-Schuster has combined for nine catches (on 13 targets) for 61 yards, numbers that have given him modest fantasy value in PPR formats thus far.
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Patriots' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Believes knee is 100 percent
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Smith-Schuster said Friday that he thinks his surgically-repaired knee is 100 percent healthy, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.
Though Smith-Schuster isn't included on the Patriots' Week 2 injury report ahead of Sunday's game against the Dolphins, Callahan previously suggested that the wideout's knee could still be an issue. In his Patriots debut in last week's loss to the Eagles, Smith-Schuster recorded four catches for 33 yards on seven targets, but he played only 41 snaps while position mates Kendrick Bourne (73 snaps) and Kayshon Boutte (55 snaps) ranked ahead of him in playing time. Looking ahead to Week 2, Smith-Schuster's playing time and target share is worth tracking, especially with DeVante Parker (knee) potentially returning to New England's lineup and promising rookie Demario Douglas (33 snaps and seven targets against Philadelphia) also in the team's receiver mix. The Patriots inked Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $25.5 million deal in March, essentially as a replacement for Jakobi Meyers, who signed with the Raiders in free agency.
Smith-Schuster recorded four catches on seven targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 25-20 loss to the Eagles.
Smith-Schuster's seven targets appear to be a solid mark. However, Mac Jones took to the air 54 times and DeVante Parker (knee) was also sidelined. Aside from volume, Smith-Schuster's performance was uninspiring, as only one of his four catches went for more than 10 yards. Assuming New England isn't playing from behind on a weekly basis, he'll have a harder time carving out a significant workload, especially considering the emergence of Demario Douglas.
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Patriots' JuJu Smith-Schuster: WRs to Sit
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Smith-Schuster should be a good source of receptions this year as the No. 1 receiver for the Patriots, but I wouldn't start him this week against the Eagles, even in three-receiver leagues. Mac Jones should struggle for time to throw against Philadelphia's pass rush, and the Eagles secondary will likely blanket Smith-Schuster this week. Let's not forget, Smith-Schuster riled up several members of Philadelphia's defense following his Super Bowl win with the Chiefs, especially cornerbacks James Bradberry and Darius Slay, and they should be looking to shut down Smith-Schuster in their first meeting since that game.
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Patriots' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Debuts with new club
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Smith-Schuster made his preseason debut with the Patriots on Saturday, catching his lone target for one yard in a preseason tilt against the Packers.
Smith-Schuster's poor stat line shouldn't concern fantasy managers, as he is expected to start for New England after reviving his career with Kansas City last season. The veteran wideout missed some time during training camp with a minor knee injury, but he should be good to go for Week 1 after suiting up Saturday. The Patriots didn't make any other big additions at wideout, so expect Smith-Schuster to garner enough targets to provide consistent value in PPR and deeper formats.
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Patriots' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Ready for camp
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Coach Bill Belichick has indicated that Smith-Schuster (knee) is ready to go for training camp, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports.
Smith-Schuster, who missed practice this spring as he bounced back from a knee issue, will now have an opportunity to solidify his key role in the Patriots' wide receiver corps this coming season. In 16 games in 2022, his lone campaign with the Chiefs, the 2017 second-rounder recorded 78 catches (on 101 targets) for 933 yards and three TDs. As long as he can stay healthy in 2023, the 26-year-old should see enough targets from presumed starting QB Mac Jones to maintain weekly fantasy utility, particularly in PPR formats.
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Patriots' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Continues to miss practice
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Smith-Schuster (undisclosed) remained sidelined during Tuesday's minicamp practice, Paul Perillo of the Patriots' official site reports.
Smith-Schuster, who dealt with a knee issue at the end of last season while with the Chiefs, has yet to practice in front of the media since signing with the Patriots in March, Zack Cox of NESN.com notes. While the team could simply be playing it safe with the veteran pass catcher with an eye toward having him ready for training camp, Smith-Schuster's absence this spring cost him a chance to build valuable chemistry with quarterback Mac Jones. When healthy, the 26-year-old still has a chance to headline a receiver corps that includes DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton and Kendrick Bourne. Free agent DeAndre Hopkins is set to visit New England later this week, and his potential signing would likely negatively impact the outlooks of all Patriots pass catchers.
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Patriots' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Dealing with injury
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Smith-Schuster (undisclosed) is not expected to practice Monday at the opener of New England's mandatory minicamp, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports.
Smith-Schuster has missed a substantial amount of offseason activities due to an undisclosed injury, per Zack Cox of NESN.com, meaning Mac Jones hasn't had ample opportunities to build chemistry with his projected top wide receiver ahead of the upcoming campaign. That's certainly not ideal for a passing attack already being revamped under new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, but Smith-Schuster still has a bit of time left to get healthy and resume participating in offseason practices. DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton and Kendrick Bourne headline the Patriots' wideout room behind Smith-Schuster in addition to tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki.
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Patriots' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Signs on with New England
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The Patriots and Smith-Schuster agreed to terms Wendnesday on a three-year, $33 million contract, Taylor Bisciotti of NFL Network reports.
Smith-Schuster took a one-year prove-it deal with Kansas City last offseason with the hope of kickstarting his career, but he turned in a somewhat underwhelming campaign despite having Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback. Despite being the Chiefs' de facto No. 1 wideout, Smith-Schuster finished 78 catches for 933 yards and three touchdowns over 16 regular-season outings, and he largely disappeared over the final month of the season and into the playoffs. He'll now head to Foxboro to replace slot man Jakobi Meyers as Mac Jones' current top wideout.
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Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Seven catches in Super Bowl win
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Smith-Schuster recorded seven catches on nine targets for 53 yards in Sunday's 38-35 Super Bowl win over the Eagles.
Smith-Schuster entered the game with only three targets across the Chiefs' first two postseason games. After recording just five yards in the first half of the Super Bowl, Smith-Schuster played a significant role in Kansas City's comeback victory with several catches of 13 and 14 yards that kept drives alive. He'll hit free agency for the third consecutive offseason, so it's unclear whether Smith-Schuster will have the chance to remain with Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs' dynamic offense.
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Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Full practice Wednesday
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Smith-Schuster (knee) practiced fully Wednesday.
Smith-Schuster was held out of on-field work last week due to swelling in his left knee before he was listed as questionable for Super Bowl LVII. Now with an uninhibited session under his belt this week, he's on pace to be available to Kansas City's offense Sunday against the Eagles. Questions remain in the Chiefs' receiving corps, however, after Mecole Hardman (pelvis) was placed on injured reserve Monday and Kadarius Toney (ankle/hamstring) was a limited participant Wednesday. At the moment, Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson and Skyy Moore are the healthy wideouts on the team's active roster.
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Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Gets back on practice field
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Kansas City head coach Andy Reid confirmed that Smith-Schuster (knee) practiced Monday and will likely do so again Tuesday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.
Kansas City is holding light practices for their two unofficial workouts to begin the week before moving on to a more intense session Wednesday, when the team will release its first official injury report for the second week of prep leading up to Super Bowl LVII. How Smith-Schuster is listed on Wednesday's report will be more telling with regard to where he stands in his recovery from a left knee injury, but he already appears to be in a better spot on the health front compared to where he was at last week. Smith-Schuster was listed as a non-participant on each of last week's three injury reports, and he's tentatively tagged as questionable for this Sunday's title game against the Eagles.
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Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Status in question for Super Bowl
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Smith-Schuster (knee) is listed as questionable after the first week of preparation ahead of Super Bowl LVII versus the Eagles on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Smith-Schuster is dealing with some residual swelling in his left knee following this past Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals, from which he was forced out early. Both Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney (ankle/hamstring) have questionable designations after this week, while Mecole Hardman (pelvis) is doubtful and already has been deemed unlikely to play in the Super Bowl by coach Andy Reid. If this latter point comes to pass, the statuses of Smith-Schuster and Toney become of greater import to see if one or both will be available to quarterback Patrick Mahomes (ankle).
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Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Not seen practicing
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Smith-Schuster (knee) didn't appear to practice Friday, as he was playing catch with Kadarius Toney (ankle/hamstring) while the Chiefs' healthy players were warming up, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.
Smith-Schuster and Toney at least appear in better shape than Mecole Hardman, who was completely absent from practice after reinjuring his pelvis in the AFC Championship Game. Smith-Schuster and Toney also were forced out early and failed to return, but coach Andy Reid suggested Thursday that both wideouts have a chance to be ready for the Super Bowl on Feb. 12. Hardman, on the other hand, has already been deemed unlikely to play by his head coach.
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Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Remains sidelined at practice
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Coach Andy Reid said Smith-Schuster (knee) won't practice Thursday, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.
Smith-Schuster was knocked out of this past Sunday's AFC Championship Game versus the Bengals with a knee issue, holding him to one seven-yard catch on 31 of 69 offensive snaps. While Smith-Schuster hasn't taken part in drills in the meantime, Reid expressed optimism Thursday regarding the wide receiver being able to practice next week ahead of Super Bowl LVII against the Eagles, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic. "He's in a good place," Reid added. "The main thing is letting this thing calm down. ... We'll just see where it goes." Position mates Kadarius Toney (ankle/hamstring) and Mecole Hardman (pelvis) also have been held out this week, so the situation will be one to watch to get a sense of who among the trio may be active Sunday, Feb. 12.
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Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Listed as non-participant Wednesday
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Smith-Schuster (knee) was listed as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice estimate.
As the Chiefs gear up for Super Bowl LVII, Smith-Schuster joined Kadarius Toney (ankle/hamstring) and Mecole Hardman (pelvis) as listed non-participants after all three left this past Sunday's AFC Championship Game versus the Bengals due to injury. Smith-Schuster logged 31 of 69 snaps on offense while hauling in his only target for seven yards before his departure. Kansas City has 11 days to get as to 100 percent as possible before facing the Eagles on Feb. 12, but the team currently has just three healthy wide receivers (Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson and Skyy Moore) on the active roster.
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Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Joins list of injured KC WRs
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Smith-Schuster (knee) is questionable to return to Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals.
Smith-Schuster caught his only target for seven yards prior to the injury popping up in the second half. With Kadarius Toney (ankle) ruled out and Mecole Hardman (pelvis) also deemed questionable to return, Kansas City is dealing with a lack of wide receiver depth at a critical time.
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Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Quiet again
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Smith-Schuster recorded two catches on two targets for 35 yards in Saturday's 31-13 win over the Raiders.
Smith-Schuster did the majority of his damage on a 28-yard catch late in the first quarter, his first reception of more than 20 yards since Week 14. However, his production largely ended there, and he closed the regular season having recorded three or fewer receptions in five of his last seven games. Smith-Schuster enjoyed a mostly healthy campaign and turned in a respectable 80 receptions and 933 yards with three touchdowns across 16 games during his first year in Kansas City.
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Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Smith-Schuster's playing time dipped from the 80% range in Weeks 14 through 16 to 65% in Week 17. He's also started to see slot work on close to half of his snaps, including 56% of his snaps on third downs last week. And of his 24 receptions in his past four games, only three have gone for 14-plus yards -- and 12 have gone for 7 or fewer yards. Tack on the ultra-low target volume over his past two games and he's become extremely difficult to trust.
