Seattle Seahawks DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

The Minnesota Vikings have listed Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback on the first unofficial depth chart, with rookie J.J. McCarthy and Nick Mullens tied for the backup spot. While preseason depth charts can be fluid, Darnold's placement as the starter matches the reports from Vikings beat writers throughout the summer. Notably, the chart lists "McCarthy or Nick Mullens" as the primary backups behind Darnold. Darnold has consistently taken first-team reps from the offseason program through the first two weeks of training camp. The Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million, with $8.75 million guaranteed, indicating their intent to give him the initial opportunity to start despite using their first-round pick on McCarthy. For fantasy purposes, the critical question is how well Darnold connects with Justin Jefferson, which will influence Jefferson's value as a first-round pick. Darnold, meanwhile, is expected to be a low-end QB2 in two-quarterback leagues.

Los Angeles Rams veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp (ankle) is believed to be "all the way back," as per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. According to Fowler, the Rams' offense evidently "runs through Kupp." The 31-year-old wideout finished 2023 as the fantasy WR24 on a PPG basis after a season where he was never truly healthy, suffering injuries during the regular season and pre-season. However, three years ago, Kupp finished as the overall WR1 on the back of a historic Triple-Crown winning season and then began 2022 at an equally historic pace through nine games before going down with an ankle sprain. Whether Kupp is actually back is yet to be determined, but if his disappointing 2023 is more a product of health than a regression of skill, he could have an excellent bounce-back season. Kupp is the 39th player off the board in NFFC drafts (WR21) and has Puka Nacua to compete with for quarterback Matthew Stafford's targets. It's unclear exactly how those targets will shake out, but a fully healthy Kupp and Nacua are certain to terrorize opposing defenses all season.

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has hit the ground running since being selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The former Doak Walker Award winner has racked up 1,955 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns in his first 30 pro contents. Heading into Year 3, he has reportedly impressed the new Seattle staff in training camp. "Kenneth Walker III was the star of Monday's practice, the first one in full pads, and it reflected the sort of spring and summer he's had," NFL Insider Albert Breer wrote. "To the new staff, he looks like the kind of back you can play on all three downs, and build a running game around. And Zach Charbonnet gives the team some depth behind him." Walker has been a productive fantasy running back, but if he can command a higher opportunity share ahead of Charbonnet, he could enter the next tier. It's tough to know what to expect from the Seahawks' offense in 2024, but it sounds like Walker will remain the clear RB1, and his speed and explosiveness give him the ability to produce spike weeks.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling has faded into the background at training camp in the last few practices as he attempts to battle for a prominent role on offense in 2024. Valdes-Scantling has yet to make a strong impression in the passing game during team drills, and his opportunities with quarterback Josh Allen and the top unit have dwindled as a result. At one point, MVS was on a side field working with the second and third units, which was more notable with Chase Claypool (toe) out. It's still early, but it's been clear that he hasn't been on of the top five receivers this summer. Second-year wideout Tyrell Shavers has outplayed Valdes-Scantling and offers more versatility. Claypool has also had his moments before getting injured. If the Bills decide to move on, they'd eat $2.25 million in dead cap money.

After injuries setback his past two seasons, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp is happy to "feel healthy" at the onset of training camp this year. "I feel good. We got a lot of good work in this offseason," Kupp said during a Monday interview on GMFB Overtime. Kupp sat out for the first month of the 2023 season due to an August hamstring injury, and he's glad to be able to practice and work with quarterback Matthew Stafford ahead of the 2024 regular season. Although the 31-year-old former triple-crown receiver showed significant signs of slowdown a year ago, he still commanded the ninth-most red-zone targets (19) among eligible wideouts in just 12 games. Kupp remains a preference in PPR fantasy leagues at this stage of his career, but he's looking like a safe WR2 bet in the fourth or fifth round of drafts this summer after averaging 6.4 catches (8.8 targets) and 68.8 yards per game with four total touchdowns covering his last five contests of the 2023 campaign.