JuJu Smith-Schuster

JuJu Smith-Schuster

27-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
New England Patriots
Questionable
Injury Ankle
Est. Return 4/1/2024
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Smith-Schuster somewhat rehabbed his value with a one-year detour to Kansas City, putting up a 78-833-3 receiving line on 101 targets last year as a distant No. 2 to TE Travis Kelce's No. 1. The Patriots seem to like him for the big-slot role previously occupied by Jakobi Meyers, who departed for Las Vegas shortly before Smith-Schuster inked a three-year, $25.5 million deal with $16 million guaranteed at signing. That includes full guarantees on his base salaries for 2023 and 2024, meaning the 26-year-old likely will be a Patriot for at least two seasons. From a volume standpoint, he's well-positioned to exceed his targets from Kansas City, only without the benefit of QB Patrick Mahomes lifting his efficiency. A return to the production level from his early years in Pittsburgh remains highly unlikely, but it won't come as any surprise if Smith-Schuster catches 80 or 90 balls in a questionable New England offense led by third-year QB Mac Jones. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract with the Patriots in March of 2023.
Lands on IR
WRNew England Patriots
Ankle
December 30, 2023
The Patriots placed Smith-Schuster (ankle) on injured reserve Saturday.
ANALYSIS
With Smith-Schuster on IR and slated to miss the Patriots' final two games this season, DeVante Parker, Demario Douglas, Jalen Reagor, Tyquan Thornton and Kayshon Boutte (illness, out this week) are in line to handle the team's WR duties in Weeks 17 and 18. Smith-Schuster thus finishes the 2023 campaign with a 29-260-1 line on 47 targets in 11 games.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do JuJu Smith-Schuster's 2023 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
30.7
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.76
 
% Team Air Yards
8.8%
 
% Team Targets
8.7%
 
Avg Depth of Target
7.2 Yds
 
Catch Rate
61.7%
 
Drop Rate
4.3%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
3.4
 
% Targeted On Route
19.1%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.06
 
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2023
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2023 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
New England PatriotsPatriots 2023 WR Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

55955%
47446%
44744%
35535%
30029%
21821%
11511%
61%
0%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where JuJu Smith-Schuster lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2023 JuJu Smith-Schuster Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do JuJu Smith-Schuster's measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 1"
 
Weight
215 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.54 sec
 
Vertical Jump
32.5 in
 
Broad Jump
120 in
 
Bench Press
15 reps
 
Hand Length
10.50 in
 
Arm Length
32.88 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring JuJu Smith-Schuster See More
NFL Free Agency: Wide Receiver Wednesday
5 days ago
Jerry Donabedian breaks down the fantasy winners and losers from Tennessee signing WR Calvin Ridley and the Chargers releasing WR Mike Williams.
Target Breakdown: 2023 WR Season Review & 2024 PPR Rankings
40 days ago
Puka Nacua was the leader of a 2023 rookie class that outperformed expectations, setting the table for a 2024 class that comes with far more hype thanks to mega prospects Marvin Harrison and Malik Nabers.
NFL Game Previews: Week 18 Matchups
73 days ago
Erik Siegrist previews the Sunday games in Week 18 as Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins host the Bills with the AFC East title on the line.
Target Breakdown: WR & TE Usage Report + Week 18 Waivers Preview
76 days ago
Lions WR Jameson Williams handled a near-every-down role (and made a 63-yard reception) before an ankle injury removed him from Saturday's loss to the Cowboys.
Gameday Injuries: Week 17
78 days ago
Juan Carlos Blanco breaks down the latest on the busy NFL injury landscape as of Sunday morning as fantasy championships get ready to be decided throughout the day.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Joining forces with Patrick Mahomes is one thing; doing so a week before the Chiefs traded their best receiver is another. And while Kansas City also signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the former Packer won't match the volume Tyreek Hill saw last season (159 targets). That leaves Smith-Schuster, still only 25, as the likely No. 2 option behind TE Travis Kelce, barring a fourth- year leap from Mecole Hardman or a huge instant impact from second-round pick Skyy Moore. Early success is a familiar subject for Smith-Schuster, who finished his rookie season (2017) with 917 yards before jumping to 1,426 in Year 2. Since then, he's managed only 1,512 yards in three seasons, averaging a mere 45.8 per game and missing 17 contests (five in 2019, 12 in 2021). The good news, besides his relative youth, is that Smith-Schuster's struggles were at least somewhat a product of circumstances. With 4.54 speed, he's never been much of a deep threat, but in his first two seasons there were occasional shots downfield and plenty of intermediate looks, while the last two years saw his aDOT sink to 5.5 (2020) and 6.5 (2021). The Steelers turned him into a pure possession/slot guy, adjusting to poor O-line play and a veteran QB with declining arm strength. Neither of those things is a problem now for Smith- Schuster, who hopes to restore his value with a one-year, incentive-laden contract.
After lighting up the league as a rookie with 11.6 YPT in 2017, Smith-Schuster’s per-play efficiency has declined every year, culminating in a tailback-like 8.6 YPC (last) and 6.5 YPT (33rd) last year. While Smith-Schuster has never been a burner (4.54 40), his meager per-play production last year was mostly due to Ben Roethlisberger’s lack of arm strength and the Steelers using short passes in lieu of a running game — Smith-Schuster’s aDOT was a league-low 0.8, i.e., on average he was catching passes less than a yard from the line of scrimmage. At 6-1, 215, Smith-Schuster is a tough, stoutly-built receiver, and when not standing right on the line of scrimmage, capable of good routes. He also saw a fair amount of red-zone work — 19 targets from inside the 20 and eight from inside the 10, netting him nine TDs. A free agent this offseason, Smith-Schuster re-signed with the Steelers on a one-year, $8 million deal. He’ll face competition from the quicker and more talented (but also drop-prone) Diontae Johnson and physical freak Chase Claypool, but Smith-Schuster himself is still only 24 and should be a prominent part of the offense, no matter what the Steelers do at quarterback.
With Antonio Brown gone, Smith-Schuster was poised for a huge role in Year 3, but just about everything went wrong. First, his quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, made it through only a game and a half before an elbow injury knocked him out for the year. The combination of Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges was below average even for backups, and Smith-Schuster suffered a knee injury in Week 11 that cost him four and a half games. As a result, it's hard to make much of his 2019 numbers. Smith-Schuster still managed 13.1 YPC and 8.0 YPT and had two catches of 40-plus yards on only 69 targets, so there's nothing alarming there, even under terrible circumstances. At 6-1, 215, Smith-Schuster is stout for a wideout, and while his timed speed at the combine was nothing special (4.54 40) he's made big plays ever since he got into the league (13 catches of 40-plus yards in two and a half full seasons). Roethlisberger is set to return, claiming he's throwing without pain for the first time in years, but Smith-Schuster has a little more competition for targets than he did a year ago - last year's third-round pick Diontae Johnson showed promise, third-year man James Washington also came on in the season's second half and the team drafted WR Chase Claypool in the second round. That said, Smith-Schuster, still only 23, is easily the most accomplished receiver on the squad and the only one with whom Roethlisberger has a rapport. Smith-Schuster's price in 2020 could be the cheapest it'll be for the next five years.
The age-old fantasy question for wide receivers is whether you'd rather have the only game in town that attracts most of the defense's attention, or someone with a quality complement who cuts into his workload but also pulls away defenders. With Antonio Brown gone, Smith-Schuster's 2019 will provide a case study, as he is now the unquestioned No. 1 for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. Smith-Schuster has been a star since entering the league in 2017, with a whopping 11.6 YPT on 79 looks as a rookie and a 166-111-1,426-7 line as a sophomore last year. While he couldn't match his 2017 efficiency, he finished with a respectable 8.6 YPT, almost a full yard better than Brown's. At 6-1, 215, Smith-Schuster is built like Hines Ward - far more stout than the quicker, thinner Brown. And while, like Brown, Smith-Schuster showed pedestrian speed at the combine - 4.54 40 - he's made big plays throughout his young career with 11 catches of 40-plus yards on 245 targets. The Steelers signed Donte Moncrief this offseason, and second-year man James Washington should have an increased role, but it's unlikely the two will replace Brown's 168 overall targets or his 24 looks in the red zone. Yes, defenses will key on Smith-Schuster as the team's top weapon in the passing game, but volume is almost always king, and we can probably view last year's 166 targets (4th) as his healthy floor.
Smith-Schuster is a rising star. The only problem is he's playing opposite the league's best - and most targeted (on a per-game basis) - receiver, Antonio Brown. Still, it's hard to overstate Smith-Schuster's impact. He hauled in a whopping 59 of his 78 targets (73.4 percent) and averaged 11.6 YPT (1st among the league's 52 75-target receivers). He also had six catches of 40-plus yards (T-4th), ahead of everyone except Tyreek Hill, Brown and Brandin Cooks. And Smith-Schuster didn't turn 21 until November. At 6-1, 215, Smith-Schuster is stout and powerful in the Hines Ward mold, and he generated big plays despite below average timed speed - 4.54 40 at the combine. He's a fluid route runner, has excellent hands and has earned the trust of his quarterback to occupy the No. 2 role, so much so that the team dealt the massively talented but mercurial Martavis Bryant to Oakland on draft day. Smith-Schuster saw 15 red-zone looks (six of which were from inside the 10), and that number should increase in Year 2 as he gains market share in the offense, given his toughness and ability to make catches in traffic. The Steelers offense will likely revolve primarily around Brown and star tailback Le'Veon Bell, but there are worse things to be than the clear No. 3 option in a top offense with a narrow tree. And should Brown get hurt, the sky's the limit.
Selected in the second round at 62nd overall in this year's draft, Smith-Schuster was a three-year starter at USC, averaging over 70 receptions and 1,000 yards per season. Despite not possessing elite measurables, the former Trojan certainly passes the eye test as a fluid athlete and savvy route-runner. He enters the fold initially as the Steelers' No. 4 option at receiver behind Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and Eli Rogers but could push for immediate playing time with a strong preseason showing.
More Fantasy News
Third straight absence Week 17
WRNew England Patriots
Ankle
December 29, 2023
Smith-Schuster (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bills.
ANALYSIS
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Not practicing Friday
WRNew England Patriots
Ankle
December 29, 2023
Smith-Schuster (ankle) wasn't present for Friday's practice, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.
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Not practicing Thursday
WRNew England Patriots
Ankle
December 28, 2023
Smith-Schuster (ankle) wasn't spotted at practice Thursday, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
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Logs limited practice
WRNew England Patriots
Ankle
December 27, 2023
Smith-Schuster (ankle) was a limited participant at practice Wednesday.
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Won't play Sunday
WRNew England Patriots
Ankle
December 22, 2023
Smith-Schuster (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Broncos.
ANALYSIS
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