Seahawks @ Rams
Seattle has been all about their offense this season, with not much to show defensively. Well, the Seahawks were disappointing not only through the air, but also in the ground game against the Rams, falling to Los Angeles 23-16. In what should have been a higher scoring game – OddsShark had a 55.5 total – both quarterbacks couldn’t even find the end zone this week. Let’s dive in to see what we saw.
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Russell Wilson: 22/37, 248 yards, 2 INTs, 1 fumble, 6 sacks | 8 carries, 60 yards
It was a major down week, and certainly not MVP-esque, for Russell Wilson against the Rams. With a completion percentage of 59.4, Wilson never found the end zone, and coughed the ball up three times. For the first time in his career, he had back-to-back games with 3+ turnovers. Between some poorly missed throws and unforgiving decision making, it was Wilson’s worst game on the season, and Seattle finds themselves in 3rd place in the NFC West heading into a short-week matchup with Arizona next Thursday night.
Running Backs
Alex Collins: 11 carries, 43 yards, 1 TD | 2 targets, 1 receptions, 4 yards
DeeJay Dallas: 2 carries, 8 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 23 yards
Travis Homer: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 19 yards
With both Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde ruled out for the third game in a row, the Seattle backfield failed to produce with the exception of Alex Collins. The recent practice squad call up found the end zone on one of his 11 carries and also tallied a reception. DeeJay Dallas was an afterthought as many expected, and can safely be dropped if you haven’t yet already ahead of the Week 11 waiver period. Travis Homer wasn’t given a carry, but did catch all three of his receptions for 19 yards.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Tyler Lockett: 9 targets, 5 receptions, 66 yards
DK Metcalf: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 28 yards
Freddie Swain: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 37 yards
Greg Olsen: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 33 yards
Tyler Lockett led the Seattle receivers with nine targets and receptions with five, and otherwise wasn’t able to find the end zone due to Wilson’s down performance. This was with DK Metcalf being shadowed by the Rams’ stud CB Jalen Ramsey all afternoon. Metcalf only had two receptions for 28 yards on four targets, and was held without a target through three quarters. He also had a costly drop in what was clearly a forgettable game for all. Freddie Swain popped up in the box score again, with four targets of his own, catching three passes for 37 yards. Even so, he’s not fantasy relevant in this offense.
Greg Olsen led the charge for the tight ends with two receptions on three targets for 33 yards. He’s still not a recommended streamer given the fact that he hasn’t scored since Week 1, and rotates time with both Will Dissly and Jacob Hollister.
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 27/37, 302 yards, 1 fumble, 3 sacks | 5 carries, 4 yards
Jared Goff matched Wilson’s attempts with 37, and had the better completion percentage with 72.9. Like Wilson, he failed to find the end zone, but only turned the ball over once with a lost fumble. Goff also completed passes to eight different players, which helped move the chains, lead to a strong ground game, and ultimately hinder his fantasy ceiling for the day.
Running Backs
Cam Akers: 10 carries, 38 yards
Malcolm Brown: 6 carries, 33 yards, 2 TDs | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 18 yards
Darrell Henderson Jr.: 7 carries, 28 yards, 1 TD | 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards
The Los Angeles backfield got the job done, totaling three scores between Malcolm Brown (2) and Darrell Henderson Jr. (1). The yardage wasn’t high – 33 for Brown and 28 for Henderson – but the inability for Seattle to stop the run was all the Rams needed. Rookie Cam Akers got in on the action as well, leading the three backs with 10 carries and 38 yards; no targets or receptions. I’d lean towards starting Henderson if I ever had to, but it’s truly anyones guess who ends up producing on a weekly basis. It’s also worth noting that LT Andrew Whitworth suffered a knee injury that may sideline him indefinitely. His loss would no doubt play into the rest of season outlook for the Rams’ offense overall.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Josh Reynolds: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 94 yards
Cooper Kupp: 7 targets, 5 receptions, 50 yards
Robert Woods: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 33 yards
Tyler Higbee: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 60 yards
Gerald Everett: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 27 yards
Like the Seahawks, none of the Rams’ receivers or tight ends found the end zone, and the production was scattered. Josh Reynolds, who has been gaining some fantasy relevance since Week 7, led the way with 10 targets, catching eight passes for 94 yards. ‘Regulars’ Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods each had five receptions, with Kupp having one more target on the day with 7, and more yards with 50. Tyler Higbee out-targeted Gerald Everett six to three, and had 60 receiving yards to Everett’s 27. Similar to the backfield, it is anybody’s guess which tight end is the one to stream each week.
—Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ Twitter & Reddit)