Fantasy Football: Buy or sell for key Seahawks players going into 2022
Fantasy football is what’s driving growth and interest in the NFL, as has been the case for over a decade now. While there will always be a place for rooting for your favorite team in an actual game, like it or not traditional fantasy leagues and DFS are a major part of the sport now. So, what does that mean for the Seattle Seahawks?
Let’s break it down by position based on what’s happened so far this offseason. Here is a look at how we are feeling about the key pieces on Seattle’s roster from a fantasy perspective going into 2022.
QB Geno Smith: Sell
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Most people seem to believe that Drew Lock will be this team’s starter, but we’re betting Week 1 Geno Smith will be under center. While his experience makes him the most qualified quarterback on the roster, it’s best for fantasy players to avoid him. Smith looked good against the Rams and the Jaguars. However, LA’s defense had been struggling and prepared for a different QB. Meanwhile, Jacksonville put in perhaps the worst defensive effort of the entire 2021 season in that loss. Smith will most-likely play how he did against New Orleans and Pittsburgh. While he did decent for a backup, he won’t crack the top 15 QBs in fantasy production most weeks.
QB Drew Lock: Wait and see
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During his time in Denver, Drew Lock proved he has plenty of athleticism and enough arm strength to wow you on occasion. However, there’s a reason why he’s only played about a season and a half’s worth of games in the three years since he was drafted. To date, Lock has thrown just 25 touchdown passes to go with 20 interceptions and 13 fumbles. He will have more firepower to work with here, but he’s still unlikely to be a legitimate fantasy QB1. Unless your league is either very deep or very weird Lock should still be available after the initial draft. Fantasy fans who want to take a chance on him should at least wait and see how he does in a Seattle uniform before picking him up off waivers.
RB Rashaad Penny: Buy
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For the first three and a half seasons of his NFL career, Rashaad Penny was on his way to being one of the worst first-round busts in recent memory. Then down the stretch of the 2021 season he suddenly became the most-explosive running back in football. From Weeks 14-18 he was RB1 in fantasy and should project to be a top-end producer this year if he stays healthy. Even better, Penny’s current ADP is only No. 107. If you miss out on the first round elite RBs Penny is an excellent backup plan.
RB Ken Walker: Buy, buy, buy
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Then again, there’s a reason why Penny’s ADP is so low despite his historic output late last year. In addition to his history of injuries, the Seahawks used a second-round pick on Michigan State stud Ken Walker, who was arguably the best running back in this class. Pete Carroll has never embraced a running-back-by-committee approach and there’s no reason to assume this season will be any different. However, if Penny regresses or gets hurt again there’s a real chance Walker will take over as the team’s featured rusher. His athleticism and skillset combined with Seattle’s run-heavy approach should make him a superb pickup – especially in dynasty leagues.
RB Chris Carson: Sell
(AP Photo/John Froschauer)
When healthy, Chris Carson is one of the most underrated running backs in the league. Unfortunately, his neck injury puts his career in serious jeopardy. At a minimum, drafting Walker is likely a sign that the Seahawks are hedging their bets on Carson’s future. His long-term health is obviously far more important than a game – to say nothing of fantasy football. That said, fantasy-inclined fans should probably avoid him for now.
WR D.K. Metcalf: Buy
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In the three games that Russell Wilson missed last season, D.K. Metcalf continued to put up impressive numbers with Geno Smith. Even more impressively, Metcalf managed 75 catches, 976 yards and 12 touchdowns despite playing through a major foot injury for much of the year. Even against the league’s best shutdown cornerbacks like Jalen Ramsey No. 14 is capable of going off, like the 98 yards and two touchdowns he posted against the Rams in October. Add it all up and Metcalf is basically recession-proof as far as fantasy is concerned.
WR Tyler Lockett: Sell
MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL / USA TODAY NETWORK
While Metcalf kept on balling with Wilson out, Tyler Lockett’s production took a real dip. He eventually had a strong game against Jacksonville but again numbers from that game have to come with a serious asterisk. Lockett is probably the one Seahawks player who will suffer most in Wilson’s absence. The remarkable rapport he had with No. 3 when a play breaks down is unlikely to resurface with either Smith or Lock as the starter. We still expect Lockett to be a solid receiver as far as real football is concerned, but his fantasy stock is definitely trending down.
TE Noah Fant: Wait and see
(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Noah Fant is by far the most athletic and capable pass-catching tight end on Seattle’s roster heading into the 2022 season. However, that doesn’t mean he will be able to produce real TE1 numbers in fantasy. To date he has averaged around 650 yards and 3.5 touchdowns per season. That’s decent production but it’s too early to tell if he will get enough targets to continue that trend, let alone best it. His established chemistry with Lock is a plus, but again we’re betting that Geno will start Week 1. Fant is probably worth stashing on your roster as a backup option but you shouldn’t be relying on him to be your No. 1 option at this spot when the season begins.
K Jason Myers: Sell
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Jason Myers had a perfect 2020 season, connecting on all 24 of his field goal attempts. Last year, Myers regressed, only hitting 17 of 23 field goals, or just 73.9%. His numbers in 2022 will probably fall somewhere in between those two extremes and his career average is a solid 84.7%. However, Myers’ numbers are largely dependent on an offense that doesn’t have an established starting QB and will likely be the most run-heavy in the NFL. Look elsewhere at kicker.
Seahawks D/ST: Buy
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Outside of Ken Walker, the Seahawks’ new-look defense may be the most intriguing piece in 2022 as far as fantasy is concerned. Defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt and associate head coach Sean Desai will be bringing in a more aggressive approach than we’ve come to expect from this team. In theory, that should lead to more sacks, interceptions and fumbles than in recent years. Odds are it’ll also be tough to score on this group in Year 1 while opponents are still figuring out a new scheme. Seattle also has a strong special teams unit which is capable of making splash plays for touchdowns and two-point conversions.
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