Analysis

8/9/23

6 min read

Seattle Seahawks 2023 Fantasy Football Team Preview

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As we inch closer to opening day of the NFL season, we want to get you prepared for your fantasy football drafts. That process begins with our team previews, where we’ll break down each team’s offense while providing players we’re targeting and, in some cases, avoiding.

>> READ: Seahawks Season Preview from Rondé Barber

Seahawks Fantasy Football Team Preview

Head Coach: Pete Carroll (14th season)

Offensive Coordinator: Shane Waldron (third season)

Key Offensive Additions

Key Offensive Departures

Key Offensive Rookies

Points Per Game: 23.9 (ninth)

Passing Yards: 231.4 (12th)

Rushing Yards: 120.1 (18th)

Vacated Targets: 88 (26th)

Pass: 64 percent Run: 36 percent

Pace: Fifth

OL Rank: 15th

Quarterbacks

Geno Smith was last year’s Comeback Player of the Year behind one of the most unexpected quarterback performances in recent memory. Smith threw for 4,282 yards passing (eighth) and ran for 366 (eighth among quarterbacks) while leading Seattle to the playoffs. Smith was eighth among qualifying quarterbacks in fantasy points per game with 18.5. 

Last year was a true outlier for Smith to this point in his career. He went from a journeyman to a top-10 performer in the blink of an eye. Smith was drafted in 2013, so there’s a real chance last season will end up being the pinnacle of Smith’s career. That said, Smith made high-difficulty throws throughout 2022, and he’ll enjoy one of the better supporting casts in the league this year. We wouldn’t frame Smith as a “safe” option in fantasy, but he has top-10 upside.

>>READ: 10 Things to Know About Seattle's Offense 

Running Backs

Kenneth Walker is the main attraction. He averaged nearly 19 carries, 2.5 targets and 96 total yards per game in 11 starts. That even sells him short, as Walker left Week 13 after three carries due to injury. Walker’s outrageous volume should dip because the team drafted another second-round running back, Charbonnet.

Walker is one of the NFL’s premier runners, and while he can be inconsistent, his breakaway speed cannot be matched by Charbonnet. Walker should see 15 to 20 carries most weeks, with a minimal receiving role. Charbonnet is slightly heavier, though at 6-foot-1 he’s built a little like an outside receiver.

The early lean is Walker will receive most of the goal-line carries with Charbonnet mixing in for five to 12 attempts between the 20s. Charbonnet had 14 percent of UCLA’s receptions as a senior in 2022, and he’s clearly the better pass-catching back. 

The high-end outcome for this committee is Walker in the Nick Chubb role and Charbonnet in the Kareem Hunt role, where both backs are startable in fantasy, but Walker is clearly the difference-maker. The low-end outcome is Walker becomes a touchdown-dependent weekly option like Miles Sanders, leaving Charbonnet in the Kenneth Gainwell role. He would get a few carries and a sprinkle of targets each week.

Walker should be drafted as a mid to low-end fantasy RB2. Charbonnet should be taken in Round 9 or 10 as the first or second backup runner off the board.

The other name to keep on your radar is Kenny McIntosh, a rookie seventh-rounder who caught 43 passes for 505 yards at Georgia in 2022. He also carried 150 times for 829 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s undersized and slow, but if Walker or Charbonnet go down, he could be useful in PPR leagues.

Wide Receivers, Tight Ends

The Seattle Seahawks picked Smith-Njigba in the first round of the draft. This move aligns perfectly with what offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was accustomed to in his time with the Rams.

Waldron helped develop Cooper Kupp and utilized Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks in Los Angeles' scheme. Jordan Vanek expects Seattle to continue passing the ball at a high rate.

DK Metcalf's growth as a receiver continues to impress. Despite a career-high in targets, Metcalf had six fewer touchdowns. He is due for some positive regression because he ranked third in red zone targets across the NFL, but his catch rate was one of the worst at 32.1 percent. Vanek expects Metcalf to see fewer targets, but his touchdowns will cover the difference, making him a high-end WR2 in fantasy.

>>READ: Top 68 Fantasy Wide Receiver Rankings

Tyler Lockett remains an underappreciated player, but Vanek expects a slight decrease in Lockett’s numbers due to Smith-Njigba taking some of Lockett’s role in the short and intermediate portion of the field. Lockett has only seen more than 120 targets once in his career, and Seattle’s increase in passing volume will lead to Smith-Njigba targets.

Smith-Njigba stands out as a personal favorite due to his late average draft position and a role that will grow as the season progresses. He is going to see the majority of his work from the slot, and his target share should peak in the second half of the year. Waldron’s new play-calling wrinkles will come through Smith-Njigba, who will benefit from the threat of Lockett/Metcalf down the field, creating space underneath for Smith-Njigba.

The transition to more three-wide receiver formations will reduce the number of targets for the tight end group. While Noah Fant is projected to lead this group in route running, the overall volume of targets directed toward tight ends is expected to remain limited.

Dynasty Buy

Ian Miller: Sell Walker III (RB9)

There is already a tighter path to high-end production for Walker, given his prospect-receiving profile and 6.9 percent rookie target share. That tighter path involves high volume with high efficiency on the ground, but now there’s another second-round running back to compete with. Walker’s RB9 price tag feels fragile in this situation.  

Seahawks We’re Targeting or Avoiding in Fantasy Football

Josh Larky: Target Smith, Charbonnet. Avoid Walker III.

Ryan Reynolds: Target Walker III, Smith-Njigba (In full PPR).

Jordan Vanek: Target Metcalf, Smith-Njigba.

Other Fantasy Previews

NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS

NFC North: CHI | DET | GB | MIN

NFC South: NO | ATL | CAR | TB

NFC West: ARI | SF | LAR

AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ

AFC North: BAL| CLE | CIN | PIT

AFC South: IND | JAX| HOU | TEN

AFC West: KC | LAC | LV | DEN

Follow our Team on Twitter

Josh Larky: @JLarkyTweets

Ryan Reynolds: @RyanReynoldsNFL

Jordan Vanek: @JordanVanekDFS

Ian Miller: @Dynasty_IM

Our data is provided by Sports Info Solutions, and our vacated targets figure is provided by Tru Media. 

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Tags: DK Metcalf, Evan Brown, Geno Smith See More

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan graduated with distinction from the University of Minnesota as an accounting major, but some of the most valuable business and investment lessons he has ever learned came from spending weekends learning the sports collectibles business from his father. At a young age, Ryan would voluntarily spend hours sifting through minor league baseball statistics, using his father’s analytics-based system to identify potential targets. Even then, the hitter’s swing or the pitcher’s “stuff” mattered more to Ryan than the perspective granted through just data.

Josh Larky

Josh Larky is the Director of Fantasy and Gambling at The 33rd Team.  He joins us with a unique blend of educational and professional experience.

Jordan Vanek

Jordan has been playing DFS since 2016 and started writing content at the end of 2020. While playing DFS, he has managed multiple top 10 finishes in NFL, college football, baseball, basketball and NASCAR.

Ian Miller

Ian Miller attended Washington State University, where most of the time he was building fantasy football models when he should’ve been paying attention to lectures. That’s where he first started building his process that he continue to grow today. It’s a process that gives probability of success and range of outcomes for recruits all the way to ten year NFL veterans. It’s something Ian not only shares with the readers, but also uses in his personal fantasy leagues.

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