Seattle Seahawks Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

We passed along a report earlier this week of Seahawks OC Shane Waldron's scheme looking friendly to TEs. Well, Noah Fant agrees. The former Bronco called it "very favorable" on Thursday, according to ESPN's Brady Henderson, specifically mentioning the downfield opportunities. That sounds especially good for Fant, who ran a 98th-percentile 40 time for the position. "I'm excited to be in this offense," Fant said. "I think I can do some good things in it." Seattle's weak QB situation has us cautious, but Fant's TE18 ADP (TE21 on Underdog) is just as cautious. That means there's more upside than risk.

Seahawks beat writer Brady Henderson writes that “TEs could be a bigger part” of the offense in 2022. The Seahawks ranked a mid-pack 17th in TE target share last year, so there’s room for growth. Noah Fant arrived over the offseason to give this unit a boost in athleticism. And don't forget about Will Dissly, who somehow earned a contract worth almost $16 million guaranteed in March. For now, we’re treating Fant as a TE2 and Dissly as a fantasy non-factor.

The NFL announced changes to the 2022 IR rules, the most notable being that designated-to-return players must miss at least 4 games. It was a minimum of 3 games last season. Also noteworthy: A player can now be designated-to-return twice per season, rather than just once. These changes will be worth keeping in mind as you make roster moves during this coming fantasy football season.

Seahawks OC Shane Waldron and HC Pete Carroll have both recently said that QB Geno Smith opens offseason workouts as the leader at QB. “Right now, Geno has done such a good job of carrying over (the offensive principles from 2021). He already had a head start over Drew right there,” Waldron told KJR radio this week. That seemed to echo Carroll's sentiment that Smith "automatically" starts ahead of Drew Lock. Waldron added, "We have a long way to go to see where this competition (goes).” For now, the fantasy football takeaway is that there's a competition to replace Russell Wilson in Seattle. It's not necessarily Lock's job.

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll plans on deploying a committee backfield this season. "We like playing multiple guys, and we don’t have any problem with that at all," Carroll said. "I’ve said it to you a million times. I’m fine going with who is hot. But also, we have to find a way to keep our guys healthy. That’s why the rotation is so important, so we don’t overwork them, particularly early in the year, so we can keep the good momentum building." Seattle spent the 41st overall pick of this year's draft on RB Kenneth Walker. But, prior to that, they gave RB Rashaad Penny a 1-year, $5.75 million contract with a little more than $5 million guaranteed. Penny, of course, closed 2021 with 671 rushing yards over the final 5 games. Seattle also still has RBs Chris Carson, DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer on the roster. We'll see how the backfield shakes out this summer.

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll evaluated rookie RB Kenneth Walker following day 1 of rookie minicamp. “Ken, he took off now,” Carroll said. “He’s a rocket. He caught the ball really well today, too, which we’re really excited about.” Carroll went on to note that Walker already knows some of Seattle’s terminology, having come from a pro-style system at Michigan State. Carroll did confirm that Walker’s passing down usage is very much up in the air. “Let’s wait and see on that one, as far as making him a third-down guy,” Carroll said. “He’s got a ways to go, pass protection-wise. That’s a real challenge for him. So we’ll see. I know his attitude will be in it. He’s a terrific, competitive kid. That (pass protection) needs to be a priority, and we’ve already talked to him about that.” Walker’s reception upside will remain a storyline throughout the offseason.

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said recently that he doesn’t have an update on the status of RB Chris Carson. Recall that Carson underwent neck surgery around the start of December. “We won’t know for some time here," Carroll said regarding Carson’s status. "We can't predict that.” After re-signing Rashaad Penny and using a Round 2 pick on Kenneth Walker, it’s clear that Seattle isn’t counting on Carson going forward.

The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar projects Geno Smith as Seattle's starting QB in his post-draft depth chart, with Drew Lock as the #2. "But this will be an open competition that may not see a winner until the third and final preseason game," Dugar concedes. The Seahawks will have arguably the worst QB play in the NFL regardless of who's under center this season, barring a trade for someone like Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo. Neither Smith nor Lock is worth a pick in early best-ball drafts.

The Steelers have declined the 5th-year option on former 10th-overall pick LB Devin Bush. None of Bush's 3 seasons to date has seen him remain a full-time player throughout. He has struggled in both coverage and run defense, which isn't a great combo for any defender -- much less a 1st-round LB. At this point, we're not betting on a big rebound for Bush's fantasy value/outlook in any setting.

According to Seahawks HC Pete Carroll, WR DK Metcalf is out of his walking boot. He’s resumed running, too, per Carroll. In February, Metcalf underwent surgery to have a screw removed from a prior procedure. Per Ian Rapoport, the issue bothered Metcalf throughout last season. Now we’ll see if Seattle’s able to lock up the 24-year-old with a long-term contract. Extension talks are underway.

The Commanders grabbed North Carolina QB Sam Howell with the 1st pick of Round 5. Howell started all 3 years at Chapel Hill, opening his career impressively with 3,641 passing yards and 38 TDs as a freshman and 3,586 yards and 30 TDs as a sophomore. He took a considerable step back this past season, though, finishing with 3,056 yards and 24 TDs. Losing Javonte Williams, Michael Carter, Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome to the NFL certainly played a part, but Howell also set a 3-year low in Pro Football Focus passing grade. Howell did set career highs with 828 rushing yards and 11 TDs in 2021, though. He has plenty of arm strength and might be the best deep-ball thrower in this year’s QB class. Howell is also entering the NFL at just 21 years old, so there’s upside here. He’ll compete with Taylor Heinicke for Washington’s backup job behind Carson Wentz at least to open this season. But Howell has the potential to develop into the Commanders’ starter down the road.

The Seahawks selected RB Kenneth Walker in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. Compactly built at 5’9, 211 pounds, Walker displayed exceptional power and burst across a 3-year college career. He transferred from Wake Forest to Michigan State after the 2020 season, citing a poor offensive fit. The move set the stage for a massive breakout last fall (263-1,636-18). He caught only 19 balls across 3 seasons, though. Receiving upside is the only potential negative attached to Walker’s skill set. The 21-year-old landed with an offense that’s run-focused, especially with Drew Lock in line to start. In the backfield, Chris Carson isn’t guaranteed to stick around following neck surgery. Rashaad Penny was re-signed to just a 1-year deal in March and brings durability questions of his own. Walker could quickly turn into an early-down workhorse, but it’s tough to get excited about his short-term TD outlook in Seattle.

Seattle grabbed EDGE Boye Mafe with the 40th overall pick, in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. Mafe finished his 4-year Minnesota career with 7 sacks among 10 tackles for loss as a senior. He tested as a higher-upside athlete at the Combine, delivering a 97th-percentile speed score at 6'4 and 261 pounds. Landing in Seattle gives him a good shot at immediate playing time.

Per Ian Rapoport, the Seahawks have re-signed QB Geno Smith to a 1-year deal worth $7 million. It’s a nice sum for Smith, who Rapoport says has “a chance to push for starter reps and more" this summer. Of course, Seattle added Drew Lock last month, and there’s no question that they could spend an early pick on a rookie passer. The Seahawks hold 8 picks, with 3 in the top-41.

The Texans have agreed to a 1-year, $4 million deal to keep TE Pharaoh Brown on the roster. Brown quietly led all Houston TEs with 34 targets last season. We'd still bet on Brevin Jordan 1st among Texans receiving TEs for 2022, but it could be a crowded position group once again. Houston previously re-signed TE Anthony Auclair, but he has served primarily as a blocker.

The Broncos have traded TE Noah Fant to Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson deal. That lands Fant in an offense with a TE void. Gerald Everett and Will Dissly are each set to hit free agency this month. His departure also leaves Albert Okwuegbunam as Denver's top incumbent at the position. Fant's new team will need to answer a big question at QB, where Drew Lock looks like the best current option. He faces potential opportunity but also joins an offensive system that didn't even go pass-heavy with Wilson at the helm. That fails to excite us for Fant's fantasy outlook. Okwuegbunam, meanwhile, brings physical upside -- albeit in a still-crowded offense. If he remains in the late rounds of current best-ball drafting, though, the 3rd-year player could be a terrific sleeper.

If you drafted Jaguars WR Laviska Shenault in 2021, then you know he let your fantasy football team down big time. But could things turn around in his 3rd year? "We're high on Laviska," GM Trent Baalke told reporters Tuesday in Indianapolis, ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine. "It's the coaches' job to get him the ball, but by no means has the ship sailed. I don't know where that idea would come from." Baalke is heading into his 3rd year as Jacksonville GM, so he was on staff when the Jags drafted Shenault. HC Doug Pederson, of course, heads into his 1st Jacksonville campaign. So we'll see what Pederson and his staff say about Shenault this offseason. We'll also see what else the team has at WR, with D.J. Chark and Laquon Treadwell facing free agency and Jamal Agnew coming off a hip injury (after his surprise emergence as a slot WR). Shenault is going in WR5-6 range in early best-ball drafting, which makes him a low-risk bet with upside.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Seahawks WR DK Metcalf had foot surgery recently to remove a screw from a previous procedure. Metcalf played through foot trouble all season. It's not clear how much this screw removal helps, but it clearly can't hurt. We'll keep an eye on Metcalf's health reports throughout the offseason for any signs of lingering issues. Metcalf, of course, finished 15th among PPR wideouts despite the foot issue and Russell Wilson's missed time. So we're not too worried about the 24-year-old's outlook.

Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said Monday that he expects RB Chris Carson to be ready for the start of training camp. Carson underwent cervical-fusion neck surgery in November to attempt to alleviate his long-term discomfort. We'll keep an eye on his rehab. Carson will turn 28 a few days after the 2022 season kicks off and is set to count $6.4 million against the cap this year.

Jaguars WR Laviska Shenault has been activated from the COVID list. He should be back for Sunday's game vs. the Patriots but should not be in fantasy lineups.