Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, December 8, 2024, 4:05 ET
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Network: CBS
Writer: Matt LaMarca (@MattLaMarca on Twitter)
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Geno Smith: Sit, QB2
Even in a week with six teams on bye, Geno Smith doesn’t quite crack the top 12 at the position this week. He’s more of a QB2 than a QB1, though he’s usable in Superflex leagues. Smith started the year well, but he’s come crashing back to reality of late. He’s finished as QB20 or worse in four of his past five outings, including in his first matchup vs. the Cardinals. This version will take place on the road, and the Cardinals have been sneaky good against quarterbacks this season: they’re merely 21st in fantasy points allowed to the position.
Running Back
Kenneth Walker: Start, RB2
Zach Charbonnet: FLEX Option, RB3
Kenneth Walker isn’t quite an RB1 for fantasy purposes, but he’s pretty darn close. He’s finished as a top-20 option at the position in 10 of his 12 outings, though last week’s game was one of the outliers. Still, he’s handled 69% of the team’s rushing attempts and has a 13% target share for the year, so he’s been pretty reliable, all things considered. Walker racked up 41 scoreless yards on the ground in his first matchup vs. the Cardinals, but he made up for it with four catches and 52 yards through the air. He hasn’t had a true ceiling performance since Week 2, but his floor makes him a solid RB2 for Week 14.
Zach Charbonnet has seen a fraction of the carries to Walker, but his pass-catching upside keeps him viable as a desperation flex option. He’s had at least three targets in eight games this season, and he managed to punch in a touchdown on the ground last week vs. the Jets. He’s somewhere around RB35 this week, which means he’s a “break glass in case of emergency” option.
Wide Receiver
Jaxson Smith-Njigba: Start, WR2
DK Metcalf: Start, WR2
Tyler Lockett: Sit
Has Jaxson Smith-Njigba passed DK Metcalf in the Seahawks’ pecking order? It’s possible. JSN was a highly-touted prospect selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and his role has grown as the year has progressed. Since Week 8, he’s posted a 28% target share, and he’s finished as a top-13 option at the position three times. Metcalf was active for two of those outings, so he’s been the more reliable target overall.
Still, Metcalf is an absolute freak of nature, and he possesses the higher ceiling. He dwarfs Smith-Njibga in terms of air yards over that time frame, and he’s had at least 60% of the team’s air yards in back-to-back games. He also bounced back with a 32% target share last week, while JSN dipped to just 14%. Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter how you split these guys: both deserve to be in your lineups vs. the Cardinals.
With JSN and Metcalf doing most of the damage, it hasn’t left much for Tyler Lockett. He has just an 11% target share for the year, and his route participation dipped to just 66% last week. He’s not a viable starter at this point in his career.
Tight End
Noah Fant: Sit
Noah Fant has had some usable weeks this season, but they’re nearly impossible to predict. He has just an 11% target share for the year, and he’s finished outside the top 20 at the position in four of his past six outings.
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback
Kyler Murray: Start, QB1
Is Kyler Murray still a slam-dunk starter at the QB position? It’s not quite as clear-cut as you might think. He’s merely QB14 in terms of fantasy points per game this season, so he hasn’t been quite as good as in years past. Still, there’s no reason to bench him vs. the Seahawks. They’re a middle-of-the-road matchup in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and Murray will benefit from facing them at home. He’s been far better when playing in Arizona this season, averaging 8.37 adjusted yards per attempt as a passer and 9.0 yards per carry as a runner. He’s posted 10 total touchdowns in six home games — seven passing and three rushing — compared to just seven in his six road outings.
Running Back
James Conner: Start, RB2
Trey Benson: Sit
Emari Demercado: Sit
James Conner continues to provide some of the most under-valued production in all of fantasy. I’m not sure that anyone is ever excited to start him, draft him, or roster him in DFS, but they should be. He’s finished as a top-24 option at the position in all but two weeks this season, and he was RB28 in one of the two exceptions.
Conner continues to handle most of the opportunities in this backfield. He bounced back with a 65% carry share last week vs. the Vikings, and he remains the team’s top option around the goal line. He’s not quite as good as some of the top pass-catching backs in fantasy, but his 11% target share is also nothing to sneeze at.
Trey Benson remains the future at the position for the Cardinals, and he’s impressed in limited opportunities this season. That said, he’s not going to get enough chances as long as Conner stays healthy. Keep him on your bench as one of the most valuable handcuffs in the NFL.
Emari Demercado is the pass-catching specialist in the Cardinals’ backfield, and he’s played on 74% of the team’s long-down and distance situations this season. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been enough to matter for fantasy purposes, finishing inside the top 40 at the position in just two weeks.
Wide Receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr.: FLEX Option, WR3
Michael Wilson: Sit
Marvin Harrison Jr. is right on the WR2/WR3 borderline, but his volatile nature makes him better suited as a FLEX play. He has some weeks where it feels like he’s invisible and others where he pops off. His first matchup vs. the Seahawks was somewhere in the middle: six targets, three catches, and 47 yards. Ultimately, Harrison has garnered 23% of the targets and 42% of the air yards in Arizona, giving him a high ceiling and low floor. It’s a neutral matchup, so Harrison checks in somewhere between WR20 and WR25.
Harrison is really the only receiver worth considering for the Cardinals. Michael Wilson has been their No. 2 receiver this season, but he offers almost no upside. He’s yet to finish above WR26 this season, and I have him closer to WR50 in Week 14.
Tight End
Trey McBride: Start, TE1
Part of the reason why Harrison has had a disappointing year is because Trey McBride is around to soak up targets. He leads the team with a 28% target share this season, and he’s been at 29% or higher in back-to-back games. That includes a massive 45% target share in his first matchup vs. the Seahawks. He torched them for 15 targets, 12 receptions, and 133 yards, and he followed that up with another 12 catches for 96 yards last week. Outside of Brock Bowers, I’m not sure there’s another tight end I’d rather roster at this point.