Seattle Seahawks vs Cleveland Browns
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
- Russell Wilson: 23/33, 295 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT | 9 carries, 31 yards, 1 TD
Russell Wilson looked like his usual self, making plays with his arms and legs, and his increased rushing so far this year is making a big difference for fantasy owners. Seattle fell behind early after a big kick return and some nice drives from the Browns’ offense. There is still the fear that some weeks the Seahawks will grab the lead and lean on the running game, so Wilson may have some down weeks. But Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and has the upside to be worth a start in virtually every matchup.
Running Backs
- Chris Carson: 24 carries, 124 yards, 1 TD | 4 targets, 4 receptions, 35 yards
- C.J. Prosise: 3 carries, 8 yards | 3 targets, 1 reception, 15 Yards
With Rashaad Penny missing another game, Chris Carson had the backfield virtually all to himself. He looked excellent, and his increased passing game role is huge in PPR leagues. His 124 yards rushing is especially impressive considering the Seahawks were playing from behind early on. C.J. Prosise was the clear number two to Carson, and even in the event of an injury to Carson, Prosise isn’t the type that would take over a three-down role.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Tyler Lockett: 5 targets, 5 receptions, 75 yards | 1 carry, 3 yards
- DK Metcalf: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 69 yards | 1 carry, 4 yards
- David Moore: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 36 yards
- Jaron Brown: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 29 yards, 2 TD
- Luke Wilson: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 16 yards
- Will Dissly: 1 target
The big news here is that tight end Will Dissly likely tore his Achilles tendon, which would end his season. Luke Wilson is the likely replacement but doesn’t appear to have much fantasy relevance.
D.K. Metcalf looked big and physical and broke multiple tackles on one of his receptions. He looks like a big play waiting to happen. Tyler Lockett took a bit of a backseat today, though the efficiency (75 yards on only 5 targets) is certainly encouraging. The Seahawks are a run-first offense, and there will be days where Lockett doesn’t get the volume we would like. But Lockett and Wilson have an excellent connection and are always one big play away from salvaging a down game.
I don’t think there is much to see with Jaron Brown despite scoring two touchdowns. Maybe he picks up some slack with the injury to Dissly, but with Lockett and Metcalf ahead of him in a high volume rushing offense, there won’t be many targets available to Brown most weeks. With David Moore also there to split up work, Brown can be left on waivers in all but the deepest leagues.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
- Baker Mayfield: 22/37, 249 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT | 4 carries, 35 yards, 1 TD
After a hot start to the game, Baker Mayfield and the Browns imploded as the game went on, losing a heart breaker at home. Mayfield seemed to be continually off in his timing or accuracy with his receivers, leading to drops or tipped interceptions. His receivers certainly could have helped him out on a couple of plays, but there’s no doubt that Mayfield could have thrown more catchable passes to make life easier on his pass-catchers. Until we see a turnaround, I would leave Mayfield on fantasy benches. And with as deep as the quarterback position is, that means he can likely be dropped in many shallow leagues.
Running Backs
- Nick Chubb: 20 carries, 122 yards, 2 TD, 1 fumble | 6 targets, 5 receptions, 17 Yards
- Dontrell Hilliard: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards
Nick Chubb continues to be the man in this backfield, dominating the work again. He flashed his big-play potential and straight-line speed on a run of 52 yards that he almost took to the house. And while the passing game yardage was disappointing, six targets is really encouraging. His fumble was a crucial play in the game, but won’t be a threat to his usage going forward. With a goalline role, a pass-catching role, and big-play ability, Chubb remains an elite fantasy running back.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Odell Beckham Jr.: 11 targets, 6 receptions, 101 yards
- Jarvis Landry: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 36 yards
- Antonio Callaway: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 22 yards
- Ricky Seals-Jones: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 47 yards, 1 TD
While things still aren’t fully clicking between Odell Beckham Jr. and Mayfield, 11 targets and 101 yards receiving is a solid fantasy day regardless. Beckham made a few circus-catches, though probably could have caught a few passes that bounced off his hands. It would be nice to see the Browns scheme more ways to get Beckham the ball in space, as his ability to take a slant to the house is part of what makes him great. But even without the offense firing on all cylinders, you have to start Beckham every week.
Jarvis Landry took a clear back seat to Beckham in this one, as I think his beg weeks were a bit of a mirage. Beckham and the running game will be the priority most weeks, leaving Landry as the third option. Landry mostly lacks big-play ability and will need more than five targets to be a startable wide receiver going forward.
Ricky Seals-Jones continues to look intriguing, and his six targets were tied with Chubb for second on the team. He’s shown some big-play ability in this offense in two of the last three weeks, though those nice weeks were sandwiched around a complete dud with one target and no catches last week. He’s worth a flier if you are desperate at tight end, and offers some upside that most waiver options lack. Just beware that his floor remains low, as he is at best the fourth option in this offense.
-Erik Smith
Now that it seems like the 49ers are the real deal, would it be too far out there for me to be considering dropping the Vikings D for them? Or would it be a negligible trade off?