Tag: Geno Smith fantasy football

Fantasy football sleepers to play in Week 1

Here are some intriguing sleepers to consider for fantasy football in Week 1.

The long offseason of research and draft preparations is finally over. Fantasy football has officially arrived.

As managers embark on their quest toward fantasy glory, part of that journey is the ever-challenging objective of finding the right sleepers to start every week.

Whether it’s selecting the right streaming option at the quarterback and tight end positions or finding a flex option who boosts the entire lineup, the search for sleepers is endless.

We will be using The Huddle’s weekly PPR projections and rankings as a reference to find some potential boom games this week. Don’t forget to check out our start/bench list either.

Here’s a look at some sleepers to play in Week 1 of fantasy football to get your season started with a win:

Fantasy football waiver wire: Week 1 free-agent forecast

Check out the top waiver-wire targets for Week 1 of the 2024 season.

With the long offseason behind us, fantasy football is finally back in our lives. With that comes the constant scouring of talent on the waiver wire.

We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in MyFantasyLeague (MFL), using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!

We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.

Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.

Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.

Fantasy football preview: Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks

Geno Smith gets some competition, but will it even matter in fantasy football?

The Seattle Seahawks were expected to make a big splash were they parted with Russell Wilson in 2022. Instead, then-head coach Pete Carroll said he had the replacement in-house – veteran journeyman Geno Smith.

Smith was a pleasant surprise in 2022, throwing for almost 4,300 yards and 30 touchdowns. He took a backward step in 2023, dropping to 20 touchdown passes in 15 games. With Carroll gone, the loyalty to Smith isn’t as strong and the Seahawks showed that by swinging a trade with the Washington Commanders to acquire Sam Howell, who started every game last year.

For now, it is Smith’s starting job to lose, but the front office has made it clear that there is a succession plan in place.

The best fantasy football gamble of Week 10

A premier matchup has a struggling veteran poised to rebound in Week 10.

Every week, at least one player becomes my fascination of whether he’s worthy of a fantasy football start as a streamer. The decision can be a mental wrestling match, but for the purpose of brevity, only one player can be chosen as my favorite fantasy football gamble of the week.

The players chosen in this series are meant to be fliers for fantasy owners in desperate situations or those willing to take an intentional risk. No player is intended to be a lineup lock for guaranteed results, hence the name of the series.

The best fantasy football gamble for Week 10

Tracking my 2023 predictions: 2-7-0
All-time record: 20-38-3 (32.8%)

Win: Player produces ≥ 75% of projected fantasy points
Loss: Player produces >75% of projected fantasy points
Tie: Player is ejected, leaves with an injury, or is ruled out after publishing

This year, we’ll also track the accuracy on a percentage basis to show relative results, since sometimes calling a player a loss doesn’t actually hurt gamers. An example would be if a projection narrowly falls short of the 75 percent threshold, the player is still of use in a lineup.

Wk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
% 55 74.7 41.7 20.8 150.3 66.5 16.1 25.5 88
Grade E C F- F- A+ D F- F- B+

Last week’s selection of New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry was a risky proposition, but he came through to exceed the threshold and return close enough to the projected line to be considered a “win” for this article’s purposes.

This week, we train our focus on a floundering quarterback whose contributions to fantasy teams has been sorely lacking, but some fortunate gamers get a massive break in a week in which the likes of Tua Tagovailoa, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, and Jalen Hurts are on bye.

Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith vs. Washington Commanders

Following his breakout 2022 season, Smith has finished no better than QB8 in any contest this year, which came way back in Week 2. He has only three appearances with 20 or more fantasy points along the way, and managers who drafted him as a starter have suffered through no touchdowns in two of Smith’s last four outings.

The Seahawks have the necessary weapons to get the job done, and running back Kenneth Walker III (chest) is banged up. He has been on the injury report the last two weeks with various ailments, including a minor calf issue entering Week 8. Plus, Washington is respectable against running backs, and this defense is vastly weaker at slowing wide receivers.

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Smith should have ample time to throw, even though his line has given up the third-highest pressure rate in the NFL. Washington traded away its two most talented pass rushers, and this defense has applied pressure at the 12th-lowest rate in 2023.

The trio of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (hip) easily have the upper hand vs. a feeble secondary, particularly down the field as this group has faced the third-highest average depth per target. Teams don’t take that many deep shots without an obvious reward. With vertical specialists in Metcalf and JSN, Washington could give up several huge plays, even if Smith has a low-volume day.

Quarterbacks have posted at least 279 yards and two touchdowns in five of the last six contests against the Commanders, and this matchup is 32.3% better than the league average in that time frame. On the season, the matchup is even more favorable for Smith. Through nine showings, Washington has permitted 19 touchdown passes (T-1st) and the third-most fantasy points, on average. One in 16.7 attempts has found the end zone, and one in 10.4 completions went for six points. QBs have averaged 264.9 aerial yards over the course of 2023.

Smith has more or less been a fantasy anchor this year but is in a prime situation to exploit a plus matchup.

My projection: 23-of-35 attempts for 286 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 2 rushes for 6 yards (22.9 fantasy points)

What to expect from Geno Smith in 2023 after late-stage breakout season

A breakout season at age 31 has gamers doubting whether Smith is for real in 2023.

When the Seattle Seahawks traded Russell Wilson in the spring of 2022, it looked like the organization was throwing in the towel on the present and starting a franchise-shifting rebuild. As many teams have done, the conventional opinion suggested Seattle was going to finish dead last in the NFC West and leverage multiple picks to get in the annual quarterback draft sweepstakes.

The sentiment was largely based on the team making no effort in signing another quarterback after acquiring Drew Lock in the Wilson deal. Pete Carroll seemed content with Geno Smith, a player who lasted only two years as a starter with the New York Jets a decade ago – throwing 34 interceptions in 29 starts – and had only started five games in the ensuing six years.

Not only did the Seahawks not tank in the post-Wilson era, they posted a 6-3 start and, while they struggled down the stretch, made the playoffs with a 9-8 record. Smith led the league in completion percentage (69.8) and successfully delivered 399 of 572 passes for 4,282 yards with 30 touchdowns, while rushing 68 times for 366 yards and another TD.

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In most league scoring methods, Smith finished fifth in fantasy points for a quarterback – behind only Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow. That’s pretty big company he’s keeping there.

The question being asked this year is whether or not 2022 was a fluke?

Down the stretch when those needing fantasy help at QB chose him, Smith reverted back to old habits. In the seven weeks leading up to the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17 in most leagues), Smith tossed 16 touchdown passes and threw for 264 or more yards in five straight. In the final four games of the season, his passing yardage totals were meager (238-215-183-213), and he threw just five touchdown passes.

Smith proved a lot last season – the stat to focus on is the completion percentage. After six years of NFL irrelevance, Smith posted the kind of consistent fantasy numbers that you look for in a starter, much less a waiver wire pickup. The season didn’t end nearly as strong, but Seattle signed Smith to a three-year deal in the offseason worth up to $105 million, so, for 2023 at least, he isn’t going anywhere.

Fantasy football outlook

Smith has elite, time-hardened weapons in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. The quarterback’s run in November and early December was impressive, but the question you need to ask is whether you’re willing to put your season on the line this December with Smith as the guy?

Most rankings and ADP have him right in the middle of the pack – the 14-17 range. The quarterbacks in his immediate vicinity include Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray. Two of them are Super Bowl champions and Hall of Famers. The other is only ranked this low because of an injury that will likely sideline him to start the season.

Take any of those players ahead of Smith. He’s 11 years in the league with three years as a full-time starter. If I’m looking for a QB2 on my roster, I want somebody that has a history of huge games as a QB1.

Even after an impressive 2022 season, do not go all-in on Smith being that guy as opposed to other available quarterbacks to fill the roster spot. He’s definitely not a starter but isn’t necessarily an unreasonable backup to a top-flight QB1.

Can one of Seattle’s tight ends make a difference in fantasy football?

How will Seattle’s stable of TEs shake out in fantasy?

A run-heavy club for most of quarterback Russell Wilson‘s decade-long tenure, the Seattle Seahawks figured to be even more dependent on the ground game after they shipped Wilson off to the Denver Broncos and replaced him with a bona fide journeyman in QB Geno Smith. Instead, Smith passed for 4,282 yards, which eclipsed Wilson’s single-season best of 4,219 yards (albeit in one more game).

While the Seahawks still rushed for a respectable 2,042 yards, which ranked 18th in the NFL, the shift to a more pass-happy offense doesn’t feel like a one-off. To that end, Seattle used a first-round pick on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was considered by many to be the top wide receiver in the draft. He’ll join returning 1,000-yard wideouts DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, giving the club an imposing three-receiver look.

Today’s question, though, is what that means for the tight end position after the trio of Noah Fant, Will Dissly, and Colby Parkinson combined for 109 receptions, 1,156 yards, and nine TDs in 2022.

Fantasy football: 2023 NFL free agency roundup

NFL free agency will drastically help reshape the fantasy football landscape as the new league year begins.

Now that NFL free agency is upon us, we’ll run through the fantasy football outlooks for trades, re-signings, midrange players, and tag recipients.

This analysis will be updated as players sign/re-sign in free agency, so be sure to check back regularly.

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Will Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks offer fantasy football value?

Could fantasy owners be overlooking value among Seattle quarterbacks?

For the past decade, the Seattle Seahawks have been led by the combination of head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson. That changed this offseason when the Seahawks flipped Wilson to the Denver Broncos in exchange for QB Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive end Shelby Harris, and five draft picks, including two first-rounders.

That move announced Seattle’s decision to start rebuilding their roster after winning just one playoff game over the last five years. There were rumors that more moves could be in the offing, most notably trading away one (or both) of wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, though as of now the tandem remains on roster and appears likely to remain there, at least to start the 2022 season.

Regardless of who lines up on the outside, it’d be surprising to see the Seahawks not lean into their long-preferred formula of featuring a ground game that includes running backs Rashaad Penny, Kenneth Walker III, and possibly Chris Carson (neck), though a neck injury clouds his future.

With Wilson gone, Lock and veteran Geno Smith are set to compete for the starting job in the Emerald City. The team has had a lot of positive things to say about Lock, and their decision not to target a quarterback in the draft, even as several of the better prospects tumbled into the middle rounds, suggests there’s more than just bluster there. Smith went 1-2 as a starter when Wilson was hurt last season, but his two losses were by a combined six points, so the team knows it can be competitive with him.

Drew Lock

A second-round pick of Denver in 2019, Lock went 8-13 in 21 starts, most of which came in 2020. He had his moments, passing for four TDs against the Carolina Panthers, and throwing a touchdown pass on the final play to upend the Los Angeles Chargers, but those were overshadowed by the type of poor decision-making that saw him tie for the NFL lead in interceptions (15) in 2020 despite finishing 20th in attempts. It was painfully obvious that the Broncos coaching staff had lost faith in Lock by last season, electing to play a visibly injured Teddy Bridgewater ahead of him.

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While the results have been lacking, Lock isn’t without some talent. He has good size, a strong arm, and underrated athleticism that could allow him to supplement the ground game if Seattle decides it wants to incorporate read options or designed runs.

There’s considerable talent at the skill positions as well, though it’s not like he’s coming over from a talent-strapped squad in Denver that included WRs Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. Entering Year 4, Lock needs to prove he can be a starter in the NFL, and perhaps a change of scenery is what he needs.

Geno Smith

Per Carroll, Smith has a leg up for the No. 1 job by virtue of having spent the last year in the team’s system, and the veteran has reportedly been splitting first-team reps with Lock in Smith’s second season with Seattle. That’s all well and good for June, but you must believe the team wants Lock to win the job considering how limited we know Smith to be after bouncing around the NFL since 2013.

While Smith has 34 career starts, 30 of them came in his first two seasons, meaning he’s made just four in seven years since. He’s a game manager, but he won’t lose many games for you, and that carries some value in the NFL.

Fantasy football outlook

There’s only intrigue here if Lock wins the job. If Smith is the starter, you can bank on a steady diet of handoffs and short throws where ball security is the top priority.

If it’s Lock, he at least carries a mix of athleticism and arm strength that could potentially generate some fantasy value — his ceiling might be as a Wish.com version of Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts.

Unless you’re bullish on Lock, however, it’s safe to leave him as a watch-list candidate. In best-ball formats, Lock is worth a QB3 selection behind two safe options or No. 4 spot otherwise.