D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks.
Are you ready for some fantasy football? Our Joe Swenson put together a comprehensive Seattle Seahawks fantasy guide to get 12s ready for their annual draft.
Overall (standard league): #8 QB, #33 Overall
Projected Statistics: 4,298 yards, 38 TDs, 11 INTs, 502 rushing yards, 4 TDs.
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Those who have intimate knowledge of Russell Wilson’s performance know that he’s a first-half star. In the last two seasons, he has been a front runner for MVP through his first 8 games. Reaching for him early and then trading him midseason would be a tremendous strategic play and should pay off.
Russ isn’t really a first-round fantasy talent, but you could do worse. If you are sitting at the end of the first round and take him then.
Overall (standard league): #16 RB, #56 Overall
Projected Statistics: 1,019 yards rushing, 9 TDs, 38 receptions, 309 yards, 3 TDs
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The 26-year-old running back has never had a fully healthy season. In 2019, Chris Carson played in 15 games and put up 1230 yards rushing while having a decent season receiving. He does have some PPR (Points Per Reception) value, but overall, Carson has more value once the Seahawks take the ball out of Wilson’s hands and force the running game.
If he can stay healthy, he’s a beast for sure. There will be an early run on running backs; every league does it. If you’re patient and he’s available in the fourth round, that’s a good spot to take your shot at getting the Seattle Seahawks bell-cow back.
Overall (standard league): #47 RB, #173 Overall
Projected Statistics: 228 yards rushing, 1 TD, 20 receptions, 144 yards, 0 TDs
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Since Rashaad Penny gets injured so often, DeeJay Dallas looks to be Carson’s handcuff. If you end up taking Carson, then it would be wise to pick up Dallas at some point near the end of your draft. He’s going to be there.
Overall (standard league): #51 RB, #180 Overall
Projected Statistics: 204 yards rushing, 1 TD, 12 receptions 95, yards, 0 TDs
Penny can’t be trusted to play consistently. The former first-round pick struggled with remaining healthy in the NFL. If there is a positive to look at from a fantasy standpoint, he has to be on the field to get paid. 2021 is the final year of his rookie contract, and if Penny wants to cash in as a free agent somewhere, he needs to prove that he can stay healthy.
Overall (standard league): #5 WR, #19 Overall
Projected Statistics: 82 receptions, 1,319 yards, 11 TDs
D.K. Metcalf is a shredded wide receiver stud. The one knock on him is that he drops too many passes. He was targeted 136 times (3 more than Lockett) and ended up with 16 fewer catches than Lockett. Metcalf made great strides in the catch department in 2020, increasing his catch percentage by 8 percent over his rookie year, but he is still prone to drops.
The speedster from Ole Miss played tremendously in Seattle wins but was invisible when the Seahawks lost. That’s not all on him, but understand that he’s going to be streaky. Metcalf also struggled in the final four games of last season. That’s something to watch out for as well. He could be a first-round pick, but a better spot is in the second round of a standard 12 team league.
Overall (standard league): #9 WR, #27 Overall
Projected Statistics: 95 receptions, 1,194 yards, 10 TDs
Tyler Lockett caught 100 passes to set a new Seahawk record. He also broke 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season and had 10 TDs for the second time in his last three seasons. The former K-State standout is about as reliable as you can get at wide receiver, and he’s relatively consistent from game to game.
He scored his TDs in bunches, getting into the end zone three times in two different games. The catches and the yards are consistent, though. Lockett is also very healthy, having never missed a game in six seasons. He will probably be available in the third round if you wait for him there unless there are lots of Seahawk fans in your league.
Overall (standard league): #67 WR, #229 Overall
Projected Statistics: 31 receptions, 319 yards, 2 TDs
SLEEPER ALERT, you don’t have to be a Seahawks fan to know that the speedy, Tyler Lockett wannabe, second-round pick, could have a great rookie season. A toe injury kept Eskridge out for the first few weeks of training camp, but there is a slight chance he could still be ready for week one.
Eskridge features many dimensions to his game, and it’s what he can do once the ball is in his hands that should be the most exciting for fantasy owners. He’s the last Seahawks receiver you should consider taking in the draft. Freddie Swain is projected to be the third receiver for Week 1, but not really a factor once Eskridge is at full strength.
Overall (standard league): #22 TE, #191 Overall
Projected Statistics: 42 receptions, 509 yards, 4 TDs
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There’s a lot of question marks as to who the pass-catching, priority tight end will be. Will it be Gerald Everett, who comes over from the Rams after four mediocre seasons? Will it be Will Dissly, who did play a full season last year and did little nothing for fantasy owners?
It doesn’t really matter, is the answer. None of the Seattle tight ends should be picked unless you’re desperate to get a Seahawks player on your team.
Overall (standard league): #31 TE, #251 Overall
Projected Statistics: 27 receptions, 288 yards, 1 TD
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Like Everett, there’s no reason to draft Dissly unless you are desperate to own a Seahawks player. He’s a decent pass catcher, but after playing a full season last year, where he didn’t miss a game, Dissly only had 24 catches for 251 yards and 2 TDs. Avoid drafting either tight end for the time being.
Overall (standard league): #11 kicker, #177 overall
Projected Statistics: 27 of 30 FGs, 43 of 46 XPTS
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2020 was a fantastic season for Jason Myers, who was a perfect 24 for 24 on FGs. He did miss 4 extra points but was otherwise great all season long and a reliable source of fantasy points from a position that no one relies on. The best strategy for picking a kicker is to find a team that’s going to score plenty of points and averages a lot of drives per game.
The Seahawks aren’t typically that team as they focus on slowing down the drives per game with an effective running game. So Myers, as a kicker, can probably be picked towards the end of your draft.
Overall (standard league): #13 Defense, #211 overall
Projected Statistics: 24.3 PPG, 383 YPG
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In 2020, the Seahawks Seahawks had one of the worst first-half defenses. But when players started to return from injuries, they ended up having a second half that was top three in the league. Their overall performance put them in the middle of the pack statistically.
Seattle will once again have safety sack machine Jamal Adams to go with future Hall-of-Famer Bobby Wagner. Other than Poona Ford and Carlos Dunlap, the rest of the names have some question marks or aren’t recognizable. Pete Carroll is a defensive-minded coach, so the chances are that the Seahawks put up another great defense.
The Seahawks DST shouldn’t be part of the run on DSTs in your draft. You’re better off taking them towards the end of your draft if you need to have them on your team.
Joe Swenson has been playing and analyzing fantasy football for two decades.