Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is not expected to play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to head coach Mike Macdonald. Along with Smith, some other offensive starters won't play, either. Smith certainly won't be the only starting signal-caller around the league to sit out of the first preseason games this week. The 33-year-old also missed some practice time early in training camp due to hip and knee injuries, so the Seahawks aren't going to take any chances with the veteran early in the preseason. In new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's system, Smith could look more like he did in his career-best season in 2022 than he did in 2023, especially with one of the best receiver trios in the game in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith is a high-end QB2 with QB1 upside in favorable matchups.

The new Seattle Seahawks coaching staff really likes quarterback Geno Smith, and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has tailored his offense around Smith's strengths. "For people that haven't seen Geno throw in person, I think he's special," Grubb said. "He's an elite quarterback." Grubb's belief that Smith can make every throw is why the offense is shaped around his skill set. Smith has justified the coaches' faith in him with a strong training camp, and Seattle will likely view Smith and the passing game as diverse enough to have counterpunches for everything. The 33-year-old took a step back in 2023 after a career year in 2022, but he could be due for a step forward again under Grubb, whose offense at Washington was among the best in college football over the last two years. Nobody is saying fantasy managers should feel comfortable with Smith as their QB1, but he makes for a very strong QB2.

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III caught just 19 passes in three collegiate seasons at Wake Forest and Michigan State, and many questioned his ability as a receiver when he entered the NFL. He's hauled in 56 passes for 424 yards and one touchdown through his first 30 pro games, but he could be more involved in that area this season based on comments from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. "I think he gets better every single day," Grubb said. "I think the sky's the limit for him. I think he's a really, really talented, powerful back that's a true three-tool guy. He's electric out of the backfield as a pass-catcher." Walker's fantasy value took a hit last year after the team selected Zach Charbonnet in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. However, a new staff is in place, and Walker has reportedly had a great training camp. Charbonnet will likely be involved in the offense, but all signs point toward Walker remaining the clear RB1 for the Seahawks.

Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (foot) didn't finish training camp practice on Tuesday and left midway through with some sort of foot injury. Head coach Mike Macdonald didn't give any injury updates after practice, so it's unclear how severe Fant's foot injury actually is. For now, we'll consider him day-to-day. Re-signed in the offseason, the 26-year-old should open the year as the team's top pass-catching tight end if he's healthy. However, the former first-rounder of the Denver Broncos in 2019 out of Iowa wasn't exactly a fantasy standout in his second year in Seattle in 2023, catching a career-low 32 passes for 414 yards and no touchdowns in 17 starts. New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's system should be good news for Fant's fantasy outlook, but he's still likely to be fourth on the target totem pole behind receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

The Seattle Times' Mike Vorel writes that Seattle Seahawks second-year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the team's X-factor on offense in 2024. Seattle partly drafted Smith-Njigba in the first round in 2023 to help them pile up big plays and dominate on third downs, two places where they really struggled last year. He had the second-most catches by a rookie (63) in franchise history, but the results were inconsistent, and he didn't find the end zone until the sixth game of the year. JSN also had three or fewer catches in seven games and never went over 63 receiving yards. The 22-year-old has been getting rave reviews from head coach Mike Macdonald in training camp, though, and he appears poised to benefit from fresh leadership in new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's system. Smith-Njigba is still battling for targets behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but he remains an intriguing WR4/flex option in fantasy that should improve in Year 2.