Seattle Seahawks DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold will line up against the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday in one of the juiciest matchups on paper this weekend. The 27-year-old has been excellent in his first season in a Vikings uniform and has the chance for another strong performance in Week 9. Indianapolis has allowed the eighth-most passing yards to opponents this season and the seventh-most yards per pass attempt (6.7). The only thing that could prevent the former first-round pick from having an above-average outing would be Minnesota leaning on the run, as Indy's D is worse against opposing ground attacks than they are through the air. Still, fantasy managers can confidently start Darnold in Week 9. He's RotoBaller's QB7 in this week's rankings.

Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (groin), who has already been ruled out for this Sunday, could miss additional time beyond the team's Week 10 bye, head coach Mike Macdonald told the media. With that said, Fant is expected to stay on the 53-man roster and will not be placed on injured reserve. The 26-year-old had put together some respectable showings over the last three weeks, averaging 4.3 catches and 49.7 receiving yards per game during that span. In his absence, Seattle will deploy AJ Barner, a rookie from Michigan, as its top tight end.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp looks to return to WR1 form after his solid return in Week 8, even though fellow wideout Puka Nacua (knee) overshadowed him. He caught five passes on eight targets for 51 yards and a receiving touchdown. Week 9 presents a solid matchup against a Seattle Seahawks defense that ranks 16th in fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers. Nacua's status against Seattle is uncertain, meaning more targets could be heading Kupp's way if Nacua is ruled out. Darius Slayton, Deebo Samuel Sr., and Khalil Shakir have all gone over 100 yards receiving in recent weeks against them. The Rams' offense seems to be back in peak form with all of their weapons back. Expect his target share to continue to go up each week, as history has shown when Matthew Stafford is under center. Kupp should be started with confidence in all lineups and check in as RotoBaller's WR10 in the Week 9 rankings.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo should be the No. 3 pass catcher in Seattle's offense in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams. With both DK Metcalf (knee) and Noah Fant (groin) out, Bobo is next in line. The reality is that the targets will likely be consolidated between wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett (oblique), and running back Kenneth Walker III. However, Bobo is a quality young player that we have seen have a solid game or two over the course of his two-year career. Bobo has been buried on the depth chart behind a bevy of high-end pass catchers in Seattle. He is a large receiver who could be active around the red zone with no Metcalf or Fant to occupy that area. He could be worth a flyer in deeper leagues because he should see a handful of targets in a game that projects to have a lot of passing volume on both sides.

With Seattle Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (groin) out in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams, rookie tight end AJ Barner is in position to take on the starting tight end role. Barner was a fourth-round pick by the Seahawks in 2024. He has caught all ten of his targets this season for 105 yards and a touchdown. While Barner will likely see a boost in targets with Fant and wide receiver DK Metcalf (knee) out, he does not project to be relevant for fantasy. It is worth noting that Barner does have decent big-play ability. In Week 8 Barner caught two passes at 17 yards per catch. It is hard to believe that there would not be more reliable or proven assets on your waiver wire. However, if you are in a very deep league, Barner will at least be a starter in Week 9.