4-EYED TEAM PREVIEW: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (2021)

Photo of Jonathan Klonowski Jonathan Klonowski Follow on X Send an email July 26, 2021
3 minutes read

Rounding off the NFC West we have the Seattle Seahawks. First up is the offense…

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Seattle’s offensive production was certainly a tale of two halves in 2020, with the explosive start to the season through the air tailing off in the second half. A new offensive coordinator is now in place with former Rams passing game coordinator Shane Waldron moving to Seattle to take over from Brian Schottenheimer. The question now is what type of offensive system will we see going forwards, and will Russ be allowed back in the kitchen to cook?

Quarterback

Russell Wilson

After the #LetRussCook movement early in the season, Russell Wilson’s production and MVP race slowly faded as the offense struggled down the stretch. From week 10 onwards Wilson only hit 20 points in FanDuel scoring twice and scored less than 15 points three times, according to FantasyData. His average points per game dropped from a sky-high 29.5 during the opening eight games to just 16.9 over the final seven games. Wilson’s current ADP sees him being drafted just after the big 5, together with Justin Herbert. The big question with this draft cost is whether the new offensive coordinator will allow him to cook once again and reach the heights seen in the first half. His inconsistency, not just last year but also in 2019, should cause a little nervousness at his current cost but Wilson always has the upside to win you a week singlehandedly.

Running Backs

Chris Carson

Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and Chris Carson being a solid RB2. The perpetually undervalued Chris Carson was again a solid option for fantasy managers in 2020. He now returns to Seattle with a new two-year $24.625m contract and again looks set to carry the vast majority of the work on the ground. Carson played in 12 games last year, rushing 141 times for 681 yards and five rushing touchdowns. This represented 4.8 yards per carry, the strongest average of his career. One point of encouragement for Carson last season was his uptick in usage in the passing game. He saw at least three receptions in eight games last season. In total he had 37 receptions from 46 targets, generating 287 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He now enters the season with no real competition behind him taking significant work away, and at his current ADP looks to be a fantastic value once again.

Wide Receivers

DK Metcalf

After a promising rookie campaign, DK Metcalf took a significant step forward in 2020. The former second-round pick recorded 1,303 receiving yards last season – the sixth most in the league. Metcalf was again hyper-efficient putting up these totals on 83 receptions (129 targets), the 17th most catches in the league. With his super-human size and speed, Metcalf has an astronomically high ceiling, but he potentially presents a slightly riskier outlook than other receivers drafted around him. Between week 10-16 Metcalf finished with less than ten points in half-PPR scoring three times, according to FantasyData. The hope, as with Russell Wilson, is that the new OC will allow Metcalf to return to form. If utilized to his full potential, Metcalf has the ability to be the overall WR1.

Tyler Lockett

Lockett flew out of the gates at the start of 2020 before a dramatic downturn in production in the final few weeks of the year. From week 8 onwards Lockett never amassed more than 70 receiving yards in a game, registering less than 50 yards five times, and only scored one touchdown. It remains to be seen which Tyler Lockett we’ll see in 2021 although hopefully it is the former given Lockett recently said that the new offensive system provides “more freedom”. At his current ADP as a low-end WR2, he may become a great value if he can return to his early-season form. Drafting Lockett may require you to consider your overall roster construction. Given his boom-bust nature on a weekly basis and lack of consistency at times, it may be a shrewd move to pair him with higher-floor players.

Tight Ends

Gerald Everett

Everett moved from division rivals the LA Rams on a one-year $6m contract and enters into a clear opportunity for targets. While in LA the former second-round pick needed to compete with Tyler Higbee and now moves to Seattle with minimal competition at the tight end position. He has shown stretches of being fantasy relevant in recent years and also now has the former passing game coordinator from his former team becoming the OC. Everett is currently being drafted as a mid TE2 and is a perfect late-round dart throw at such a low ADP.

Photo of Jonathan Klonowski Jonathan Klonowski Follow on X Send an email July 26, 2021
3 minutes read
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