Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 29th, 4:05 PM ET
Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
Betting Odds: Cle +3.5, 38 O/U total via PFF.com
Network: FOX
Writer: Chris Sanzo (@Doombot12_FF on Twitter/X)
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
P.J. Walker (Sit)
Deshaun Watson will not be active for this game as he is nursing an injury that typically sidelines even the toughest of baseball players for a few weeks. This leaves the QB duties to P.J. Walker. Walker was brought up from the practice squad again this week in a risky move, as had another team signed him off the practice squad, Cleveland would have been scrambling for options. As it stands, there is no reason to start Walker in any format unless you are beyond desperate in a Super-Flex league. After taking 99% of the snaps against the 49ers and 84% against the Colts, Walker has a season total of 9.2 fantasy points. The only saving grace is that the Seahawks give up the 9th most fantasy points to the position thus far this season. So yes, I guess I’m saying there’s a chance.
Running Backs
Jerome Ford (Sit), Kareem Hunt (Start), Pierre Strong Jr. (Sit/Flex)
Cleveland Browns Head Coach, Kevin Stefanski, stated that he expects Kareem Hunt to be available this weekend. This would make sense as he was questionable last week with the same injury and still got 10 carries anyway while playing 25% of the snaps. Heading into the game against Seattle, Jerome Ford is sidelined and expected to miss a week or two with a high ankle sprain. Hunt has produced in small samples this season, scoring in both contests after the bye and totaling 26 opportunities. With Ford on the bench, Hunt should receive additional work, including most of the red zone work as he splits carries with Pierre Strong Jr. Seattle is a top 10 fantasy defensive unit against running backs, but Cleveland will likely be forced into running the ball more than even they would like. Hunt’s opportunity is easy to trust in this situation, but Strong is a wild card. Both backs have historically been excellent pass-catching backs and there is a chance that Cleveland will feature both backs in the rushing and passing game. I wouldn’t be looking to start Strong, but if you’re forced into choosing from low-end players like the Jerrick McKinnon and Samaje Perine types, I would rather take a shot on the upside of Strong.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
Amari Cooper (Start/WR3), Elijah Moore (Sit), David Njoku (Start/TE2)
Between injuries, a turnover-seeking aggression, and a bend-but-don’t-break approach, Seattle ranks 27th against wide receivers. Had Watson been healthy, this would have been a fantastic matchup for him and the entire receiving group. With Walker at the helm and a looming possibility of a heavy rush attack incoming, it’s unlikely that Walker will be able to support three pass catchers and a running back or two. Elijah Moore figures to be the odd man out, at least in terms of production compared to positional ranks, as his route tree runs at half the ADOT to Amari Cooper‘s, and has logged only a single game over 50 yards. With the target battle condensing between Moore, David Njoku, Hunt, and the odd passes to David Bell and Marquise Goodwin, I don’t see how Moore can be started this week. Cooper seems secure in his 8 targets per game as one of the cleanest route runners in the league. He is also deadly with the ball in his hands, so if they want to create some easy throws for Walker, Cooper would be the best option outside of Goodwin for ideal YAC ability. Njoku is not an exciting option, but could still return slightly more value at his position, as tight end is down bad enough that Njoku could still presumably pull a back-end TE1 level of production. Last week, in a game where Walker was on the field for 84% of the snaps, Njoku led the team in targets and catches while finishing 2nd in yards, so there’s some juice there.
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterbacks
Geno Smith (Sit)
Geno Smith has regressed this year and has only a single game above 20 points. Outside of Gardner Minshew Mania, QBs have been largely ineffective fantasy scorers against Cleveland. You’re likely starting him in Super-Flex leagues, but this would be a good spot to take a bigger swing on a QB with a larger range of outcomes. Players like Zach Wilson, Desmond Ridder, Sam Howell, even *whispers* Sam Darnold might be worth the risk. All things considered, this is lining up to be a lackluster tilt.
Running Backs
Kenneth Walker (Start), Zach Charbonnet (Sit), Kenny McIntosh (Sit)
Seemingly every player in the running back room is nursing something so there’s no reason to treat each RB any differently because of injury status. Kenneth Walker was THE guy in Seattle last week, not ceding a single carry to another RB. While that’s unlikely to happen two weeks in a row, Walker does have six touchdowns in as many games and has performed at a similar pace to what Jonathan Taylor produced last week. It would not shock anyone to see a profitable line like 18/75/1, with a few targets sprinkled in, come to fruition. It may actually be too conservative as Seattle is likely to have more red zone opportunities than they may have originally anticipated given Cleveland’s injury litany. Zach Charbonnet is far too risky with Walker producing as he is and Kenny McIntosh returning to practice and listed as a possibility to play this week.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
DK Metcalf (Flex/Sit), Tyler Lockett (Sit), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Start/WR2), Noah Fant (Sit)
Cleveland has been stout in most facets, but with short fields and quick possessions coming from the P.J. Walker-led offense, more opportunities should find their way to Seattle’s WR group. The main beneficiary could be similar to this previous week for the Colts. While Michael Pittman Jr. was bullied for the vast majority of the game, Josh Downs, the Colts rookie slot receiver, racked up a 6/125/1 stat line. Comparable to their setup, Jaxon Smith-Njigba steps up with his steady flow of recent targets, 18 in his last three games to be exact. Last week was also somewhat of a breakout game for him as he scored his first career touchdown and averaged over 15 yards per catch. DK Metcalf is the ultimate backyard bully ball receiver and will likely struggle against this secondary while not at 100% health. Though I’d like to list him purely as a sit, that is probably not feasible. Being realistic, if you manage him and he is a go, you likely aren’t going to risk sitting him. Just temper your expectations. These performances outline a theme against Cleveland this year. Slot and speed receivers have had some success while the larger catch point separators have been held in check. Noah Fant has had a few games you’re willing to accept if you’re looking for spot starts, but that should not be the case this week. Better to let Fanta Clause rest the toe injury he picked up this week in a position where you are nearly guaranteed a better option.
I can’t anymore with these intrusive ads. Very poor placement.