Seattle Seahawks Fantasy Breakdown
Seattle has been one of the better offenses in the league for a while now and that doesn’t look like it will change in 2020. It’s been widely reported that Seattle will look to open up the passing game more which could provide even more fantasy points than this consistent run heavy scheme has produced in the past.
Offseason additions: TE Greg Olsen, RB Carlos Hyde, WR Phillip Dorsett, RB DeeJay Dallas (R), TE Colby Parkinson (R), WR Freddie Swain (R), WR Stephen Sullivan (R).
Offseason subtractions: WR Josh Gordon,
TE Ed Dickson, WR Jaron Brown, RB Marshawn Lynch, RB C.J. Prosise, RB Robert Turbin, WR Malik Turner.
Quarterback: You can’t find a more reliable fantasy option at the QB position than Russell Wilson. Over his 8 year career he’s played every regular season game and has finished as a QB #1 in 12 team leagues every single year notching top 3 finishes in half of his seasons. Wilson has reportedly asked the brass to unleash the passing attack in 2020 which could raise his ceiling significantly. His floor is ridiculously high as he’s scored less than 14.0 fantasy points in just 27.3% of his games. Draft Wilson with confidence near his ADP of #60.
Running back: Chris Carson had a successful 2019 finishing as the RB #12 in PPR leagues with a total of 315 touches for 1,496 yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns. He is coming off of season ending hip surgery that cut his season short in Week #16 but the teams expects him to be ready to go against Atlanta in week #1. Carson has the backfield on lock, the bruising runner has played in 33 games and started all but one of them back in his rookie season. With an ADP of #36 the only risk here is injury. 2018 1st round draft pick Rashaad Penny hasn’t been able to stay on the field and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon. Penny looks like he’ll start the season on the PUP list and the signing of veteran Carlos Hyde all but confirms it. Talented but underwhelming, despite an impressive 5.3 YPC, Penny hasn’t been able to get on track in the NFL. The San Diego State product was finally starting to pick up steam due to Carson’s fumbling issues, only to tear an ACL in week #14. With just 167 touches in 24 games and a very real chance to not make it on the field until after week #8, Penny shouldn’t be drafted unless it’s a deeper league. Aging Carlos Hyde is coming off of his first 1,000 yard rushing season and could get a healthy dose of work in Seattle. He’s a high end handcuff with plenty of upside if Carson goes down. Rookie 4th round pick DeeJay Dallas could work his way into the mix when/if Penny is out.
Wide Receiver: Anyone else hear the rumors about AB becoming a Seahawk? Yeah, I thought so. It’s interesting because Wilson will actually have an improved weapon arsenal even if they don’t re-sign Josh Gordon. 2019 2nd round draft choice D.K. Metcalf now has some experience and will look to build on a solid rookie campaign that saw the monstrosity of a Wide Receiver catch 58 passes for an even 900 yards and a respectable 7 touchdowns on 100 targets. His catch rate improved drastically in the playoffs with 11 receptions on 14 targets for an impressive 219 yards and a score. His 160 yard playoff performance vs Philadelphia was a NFL playoff record for a rookie and shows just what he’s capable of. Having a knee scope just two weeks before kickoff last season and widely considered a “raw receiver” Metcalf impressed a lot of people. He notched nine outings of at least 60 yards which was tied for 10th most among WRs. A current ADP of #52 is a steep price for last season’s WR #33 but D.K. has legitimate WR #1 upside if he can continue his rapid development. 27 year old Tyler Lockett had a solid year posting career highs in targets, catches and yards with 110, 82 and 1,057 to go along with 8 touchdowns. He was the WR #4 through the first nine weeks but took a nosedive down the stretch posting numbers so bad that he was the WR #61 from week #10 through week #16. He ended up with a solid finish of WR #13, but the emergence of D.K. Metcalf hurt Lockett owners. Seattle is looking to pass more often in 2020 and with Wilson at the helm there should be plenty of volume for Lockett and Metcalf to consistently post solid numbers with WR #1 upside. Barring any crazy signings Lockett is a safe pick near his ADP of #50. The talent behind Lockett and Metcalf is nothing special and that’s why the rumor mill is swirling. David Moore has been inconsistent and took a step back in his third season. Newcomer Phillip Dorsett is a former 1st round pick but has yet to make an impact on the fantasy world. He will most likely win the 3rd receiver spot and could become a sneaky waiver wire add.
Tight End: Will Dissly has been phenomenal in the 10 games that he’s played, yeah it’s a small sample size but he’s put up George Kittle type numbers in those contests. He’s obviously a huge injury risk but with an ADP of #242, why not take a shot at him in the late rounds? 13 year veteran Greg Olsen has an alarming injury history as well. Olsen finished as the TE #13 despite missing 2 games in 2019. The former All-Pro definitely still has something left in the tank and Seattle is a Tight End friendly offense thus making him an intriguing late round stash with an ADP of #207. This position is crowded especially with Jacob Hollister still around, if Seattle doesn’t sign another WR that will help with the target competition between Dissly and Olsen if they both stay healthy.
Defense: The Seattle defense has been one of the best fantasy D/ST for the last decade but they took a step back last season with a 13th place finish and just a solid 7.4 PPG. With some veteran help and a few talented rookies they have a chance to get back in the top 10 D/ST. They’re definitely still one of the top options when they have a friendly enough opponent, just not matchup proof like they used to be.
There’s some safe picks here, if you draft QBs high Wilson is a great option. Lockett and Metcalf should be consistent performers and Carson will continue with his solid production due to his volume. If you’re the type of owner that doesn’t want to spend a high pick on a TE, Olsen or Dissly could be epic steals in the late rounds.