2025 Seattle Seahawks Fantasy Preview
Year One for Mike Macdonald was a big success as the Seahawks went 10-7. Seattle’s offense improved to 14th, while the defense also ranked 14th after finishing 30th in 2023. Despite the immediate improvements, the Seahawks will look drastically different in Macdonald’s second campaign after trading QB Geno Smith to Las Vegas and signing Sam Darnold to a three-year deal. Macdonald also replaced offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb with Klint Kubiak and traded No. 1 WR DK Metcalf. That’s a lot of changes for a team with a winning record.
New signal-caller Sam Darnold is a great case of perseverance. After busting out in New York and making meandering stops in Carolina and San Francisco, Darnold signed with the Vikings as insurance to first-rounder J.J. McCarthy. But McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, resulting in Darnold putting up improbable numbers in Kevin O’Connell’s system. Now. Darnold is poised to lead the rebuilding Seahawks. As good as the numbers were in Minnesota, fantasy managers should approach with caution. Darnold is a risk/reward QB2.
The hiring of Kubiak was intended to place more emphasis on the rushing attack. Seattle has a pair of superb runners, and Kubiak’s previous two stints as play-caller resulted in a top-10 designed run rate. That’s good news for Kenneth Walker, an excellent fit in a wide-zone scheme. Walker dealt with injuries last year but had his most productive fantasy output (16.5 ppg) and caught a career-high 46 passes in 11 games. Walker has RB1 upside. Zach Charbonnet is nearly as good, posting three top-10 weeks in six starts. Charbonnet is the top handcuff in the league and will have standalone value, making him an astute mid-draft target.
Seattle’s entire passing attack will look different this season. Jaxon Smith-Njigba moves up to the No. 1 role after leading the league with 701 slot snaps. JSN ran the sixth-most routes (617) and boasted the No. 4 EPA (95.0). We’re expecting JSN to remain inside, with newly signed Cooper Kupp moving outside. Kupp isn’t the force he once was, but wants to prove he’s still in his prime. Circle those two matchups against the Rams as potential blowup spots. Health is always a factor, but Kupp has some WR3 appeal. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and fifth-round Colorado State rookie Tory Horton (6-3, 185) will battle for WR3 honors.
The Seahawks haven’t incorporated tight ends into their offense for some time. Noah Fant ranked 27th in fantasy points per game, with just three TE1 weeks in 14 games. Fant is also in the final year of his rookie deal. Enter second-round Miami TE Elijah Arroyo (6-5, 254), who has the potential to be a mismatch nightmare in the slot.
Fantasy Grade: B-
QB Darnold, Sam, SEA [QB1] Bust
Perseverance paid off for Sam Darnold in 2024. After signing a one-year deal to mentor J.J. McCarthy, Darnold thrived in Kevin O’Connell’s system. Starting in place of the injured McCarthy, Darnold ranked 5th in passing (4,319) and touchdowns (35), while leading the league in deep-ball completion rate (50.8 percent). However, Darnold now moves to Seattle, where he’ll adjust to Klint Kubiak’s run-first scheme. In two previous stints as offensive coordinator, both of Kubiak’s offenses ranked below average in passing attempts. It’s too early to call Darnold’s breakout an outlier, but there’s plenty of risk with his elevated ADP impacted by recency bias.
RB Walker III, Kenneth, SEA [RB1] Sleeper
Walker quietly had his most efficient fantasy season, posting RB12 numbers in PPR points per game. Calf, oblique, and ankle injuries limited Walker to 11 games, but his increased role in the passing game (ranked 4th with a 13.8 percent target share) resulted in Walker ranking 6th in expected fantasy points per game. While Zach Charbonnet will also be involved, this is Waker’s backfield. Charbonnet averaged only four carries in games where Walker played. Seattle’s offense could rely on the pass more with Sam Darnold under center, and Walker’s newly expanded role as a receiver gives him RB1 potential.
RB Charbonnet, Zach, SEA [RB2]
Charbonnet saved many fantasy seasons last year, especially in the playoffs when he scored 51.9 PPR points in Weeks 14-15. However, 57 percent of Charbonnet’s total fantasy points came in the six games that Kenneth Walker was sidelined. In games where Walker played, Chabonnet averaged just 6.9 PPR points. This appears to firmly be Walker’s backfield. That doesn’t mean Chabonnet has no value. He’s one of the top handcuff backs in the league, and Walker has never played more than 15 games in a season. Consider him a high priority if you draft Walker.
WR Smith-Njigba, Jaxon, SEA [WR1]
Heading into his third NFL season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is coming off a breakout 2024 campaign where he finished top 10 among wide receivers in routes run, catches, yards, and placed 19th in fantasy points per game. Despite Seattle’s shift toward a run-heavy, defensive identity under new coordinator Klint Kubiak, JSN remains the focal point of the passing attack, especially with Sam Darnold at quarterback. Darnold’s tendency to lock onto his primary read and the lack of serious competition (an aging Cooper Kupp and unproven depth) point to a healthy target share. Used mostly in the short and intermediate zones, JSN logged just six touchdowns and ranked 16th in end-zone looks (11).
After being released by the Rams, Cooper Kupp returned to Washington. Kupp played for Eastern Washington from 2013-2016 and will get to play against his former team twice per year. The Rams chose to move on from Kupp to sign an older Davante Adams, but Kupp’s PFF grade has declined for four consecutive years. Additionally, both Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are slot merchants, so it’s unknown how they’ll be utilized. Sam Darnold thrived in a quick-release scheme in Minnesota, so Kupp might still have some fantasy value left in his legs. But his days of posting WR1 numbers are in the past.
WR Horton, Tory, SEA [WR3] Super Sleeper
Horton continues to impress in the preseason and is a serious contender to beat out MVS for WR3 duties. The rookie has the look of a solid late-round sleeper. But one that will be in a low-volume passing attack.
WR Valdes-Scantling, Marquez, SEA [WR4]
One-dimensional deep threat who won’t see a ton of targets on the run-first Seahawks.
TE Arroyo, Elijah, SEA [TE2] Super Sleeper
ADVICE: SLEEPER ALERT! Per CBS’s Jacob Gibbs, “Elijah Arroyo had the fastest ball-carrier time (21.8 mph) of any TE in 2024 – NCAA or NFL.” Arroyo is huge, athletic, and has great mitts. He could start over Noah Fant as early as this year.
Myers consistently delivers average to slightly above-average numbers. Last season, he made 26 of his 30 field goals and 37-of-40 XPs. But his 111 points were far fewer than his 2023 and 2024 totals.
Seattle was a top-10 fantasy unit because it scored five D/ST touchdowns. Overall, they ranked 14th in defense, surrendering 332.7 yards per game. It’s an average defense, with modest fantasy appeal.
WARNING!
Don’t let a fancy website fool you! You need trustworthy rankings to win at fantasy football. We’ve got them! 150+ websites ranked us Top 2 in the industry for our draft rankings.
Get expert advice from Captain Jody Smith and our team of high-stakes winners. Use code JODY30 for 30% off your first two months.
Ready to bring home that championship?
