Seattle Seahawks DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold could be named the team's Week 1 starter over first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. As Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com writes, "It's only a matter of time before McCarthy becomes the Vikings' starting quarterback [...] but it is not likely to happen as quickly as some fans might hope, and if anything, the Vikings are poised to err on the side of methodical caution." Such a scenario could see Minnesota let Darnold, whom they signed this past offseason when Kirk Cousins left for Atlanta, start a few games before transitioning to McCarthy. Darnold has struggled to support major fantasy production from his playmakers at previous stops, including the Jets and Panthers, so fantasy managers might want to temper expectations with players like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson to start the year. Darnold himself falls to the low-end QB3 tier in fantasy football drafts.

Free-agent wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling is scheduled to visit the Chargers on Monday. The 29-year-old had six trips to the end zone in 2020 while still a member of the Green Bay Packers. Since then, he hasn't come close to that mark. He finished the 2023-24 campaign with Kansas City by posting career-lows in catches (21), receiving yards (315), and touchdowns (one). Valdes-Scantling's most notable contribution last season came in the postseason, with the 2018 No. 174 overall pick pulling in a 16-yard touchdown throw from Patrick Mahomes in the Chiefs 25-22 overtime win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. Nonetheless, MVS will likely find work this season. But it will be difficult to tell how things will look from a fantasy standpoint until he inks a deal, although he could get looks from Justin Herbert if he signs with Los Angeles, considering the team no longer has Keenan Allen or Mike Williams on the roster.

The Seattle Seahawks selected Michigan tight end AJ Barner with the No. 121 overall pick in the fourth round on Saturday in the 2024 NFL draft. Barner is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-6, but his lack of production in four seasons at Indiana and Michigan (64 catches, 610 yards, five touchdowns) leaves a lot to be desired as he moves to the next level. The 21-year-old also isn't extremely athletic, but he'll have some opportunity in Seattle to make a name for himself as he starts out behind Noah Fant and Pharaoh Brown on the tight end depth chart in his rookie season in 2024. Fantasy managers should only consider Barner as a developmental prospect in deep rookie-only drafts this fall.

The Las Vegas Raiders have signed interior offensive lineman Cody Whitehair, according to NFL insider Field Yates. The 31-year-old was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 2016 NFL Draft, and he spent his entire eight-year NFL career in the Windy City before becoming a free agent this offseason. He earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2018. Whitehair has played in 124 games (118 starts) and has experience at both left guard and center. The Raiders could take a swing on a quarterback in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft, and building up the offensive line is a key priority, as shown by this signing.

The San Francisco 49ers signed free-agent tight end Eric Saubert to an undisclosed one-year deal on Monday. Saubert was initially drafted in the fifth round (174th overall) by the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 out of Drake. The 29-year-old spent the first two years of his NFL career in Atlanta before stops with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. He was with the Cowboys and Texans in 2023 and caught all three of his targets for 12 yards in 10 games (one start). Saubert has 36 career receptions on 55 targets for 292 yards and two touchdowns in 84 games (16 starts) in his seven NFL seasons. In San Francisco this year, Saubert will operate as tight end depth behind starter George Kittle alongside Brayden Willis, Cameron Latu and Jake Tonges.