2025 Team Previews: Seattle Seahawks
All ADP data is courtesy of Fantasy Pros.
** = target in drafts at this ADP
Relevant Players
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR (ADP: 32, WR13): JSN started the season a bit slow, but as time passed he finally revealed what all the hype was about when he was considered the cream of the crop of his rookie WR class. He finished last season with 100 receptions, 1,130 yards and six touchdowns, all of which were significant gains from his disappointing rookie season. Now, that’s not to say that there’s no risk with now taking JSN this high in drafts. We don’t have any doubts about his talent, but his role is going to change dramatically this season in a new offense so growing pains can happen, and might be enough to tank his value at this high of an ADP.
Last year JSN was operating mostly out of the slot. He’s “the guy” now, and D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are both playing elsewhere. The main pass catcher that was brought in by the Seahawks was Cooper Kupp, a player who is essentially a slot-only guy. We are pretty sure Smith-Njigba can more than hack it on the outside; he posted a 75% success rate (81st percentile) vs. man coverage last year and was in the 68th percentile vs. press. Between bringing in Kupp, and some of the role players brought in fitting an X receiver mold, it seems like Seattle plans to toggle their ace between the slot and flanker roles, with the latter being his primary spot. That’s perfect for what he did last season, which was churn out great win rates on every route besides the nine and the curl.
This ADP doesn’t leave much room for value since he’s already being taken high, but it’s about right for a player with his pedigree and who showed so much potential in Year 2. Any issues about fitting into a new role should be mitigated by the massive target share he can expect, and he’s proven he can deal with man and press coverage. This isn’t a “value,” but it’s a fine spot to draft a likely WR1.
**Kenneth Walker III, RB (ADP: 42, RB17): Walker is always one of the best RBs in football, and he’s also a near-lock to miss some time. He’s never made it through a full season healthy, and even in his first two seasons when he managed 15 games, some of them are games in which he gets dinged up and leaves early or misses chunks of. That’s why his ADP is where it is, but I don’t play scared. If you are too nervous about health, you can miss out on something special that one magical season when the player does stay healthy and that is the upside that Walker has.
Last season was the least efficient of Walker’s career, as his yards per carry fell all the way to 3.7, but it was his best in terms of pass catching. He caught a career-high 46 passes for 299 yards and an additional touchdown, and this represents his full potential as a bell cow. Pass catching from the RB position may be more necessary with the receiving corps stripped down a bit, so if he can maintain that volume and get back to his efficient rushing he’ll blow this ADP away. He’s an RB1 if healthy, and going as a mid-RB2. That’s value.
Cooper Kupp, WR (ADP: 93, WR41): Injuries and age have chipped away at Kupp since his legendary triple crown season in 2021, and by the end of 2024 he was just out on the field doing cardio for the Rams he once carried on his back. He’s signed with a division rival now, likely hoping to show the Rams that they gave up too quickly, but the numbers tell a story of a WR we probably need to let go of no matter how much we don’t want to.
Since flirting with 2,000 yards in 2021, Kupp has maxed out at 812 yards, and hasn’t played more than 12 games. In 2022 and 2023, Kupp’s play remained at a high level though, so he contributed when healthy. In 2024, his play fell off a cliff too and that’s why the Rams phased him out as time progressed. His route success tree looked like the Red Wedding, with everything bright red except for his out patterns, which he won at a 78.1% rate. Never a man beater, Kupp cratered to a 3rd percentile mark, winning a truly putrid 50.5% of the time against man. He was just as bad against press, at just 41.4%, also a 3rd percentile mark. As horrible as that is, Kupp was always basically the league’s biggest cheat code vs. zone coverage. Maybe it was the injuries, or maybe his myriad injuries over his career have caught up, but he was down to 76.2% vs. zone coverage (30th percentile).
Kupp will probably still see a lot of targets in this offense because beyond him there’s not much of note, but he will need to be peppered with looks because he’s down to outs and flats as his lone successful routes. Kupp is still rugged and can win after the catch, but if layup routes are the only way he’s getting open then Kupp’s ceiling isn’t anywhere near where it used to be.
Interesting Sleeper(s)
**Zach Charbonnet, RB (ADP: 105, RB37): Charbonnet is a really good RB who is just stuck behind a better one. Charbonnet was a pure handcuff last year when Walker was healthy, but when he had the chance to play the primary role he succeeded. He was actually more efficient than Walker, and had similar success as a receiver out of the backfield. With a new staff in place, we could see a more substantial workload for Charbonnet, especially given Walker’s injury history. He’ll still be on the lesser end of a timeshare, but a steady standalone role for Charbonnet will make him fantasy relevant on his own. Pair that with his league-winning upside if Walker misses a lot of time with injury, and I am finding this whole running game to be a value.
Notable Players
Sam Darnold, QB (ADP: 177, QB27): Darnold’s big season went down in flames in the final two games of it, and his perception in fantasy plummeted too. This guy threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns last season, and is getting zero respect from that campaign. It is true that he is leaving Kevin O’Connell’s Minnesota offense, which most credit for Darnold’s success, and he’s coming into a completely new system that does not have Justin Jefferson as part of it. Still, what he did in 2024 can’t be ignored, and he is definitely a value in terms of two-QB and SuperFlex leagues. Also, it’s worth noting he can run a little bit too which can smooth over some of his lower-yardage outings.
Elijah Arroyo, TE (ADP: 195, TE25): Seattle parted ways with TE Noah Fant, clearing the runway for Arroyo to be the man. His ADP doesn’t capture it, but there’s definitely buzz about him as a deep sleeper. He put up 35 receptions for 590 yards and seven touchdowns with Cam Ward at Miami, numbers that are solid but not overwhelming. He’s big and fast and it’s easy to see how he can create mismatches that are exciting for an offense, but these are the things that have been said about countless TEs before him. I wouldn’t rule out him being a breakout candidate, and if he pops early in the year I’ll be very interested, but for now he’s not on the Draft Day radar.
Tory Horton, WR (ADP: 254, WR78): Injuries ruined Horton’s final college season, but in 2023 he lit it up with 96 receptions, 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns. His 2022 and 2023 campaigns at Colorado State were incredibly productive, and his prospect profile paints the picture of someone who can make an instant impact on the outside. Horton wasn’t a burner, and his routes deep down the field didn’t bear much fruit. He did excel though on outs, digs and slants proving his chops as a technician overcoming some physical limitations. His shortcomings on the deep stuff make him a little iffy as an X receiver, and with JSN projecting as more of a flanker, playing time could be difficult to come by. If the Seahawks decide that he’s just too valuable in the areas he’s great at to keep him off the field, it’s possible JSN can just play the X role, win, and make this WR corps sneaky deep. That latter scenario is a long shot, but it’s worth paying attention to Horton because he has talent.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR (ADP: N/A): The efficiency of MVS when he joined the Saints last season was crazy, and unrepeatable. He caught 17 passes in eight games for New Orleans, turning them into 385 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 22.6 yards per catch. Absurd stuff, and while he’ll get run in Seattle on the outside, you are banking on those bomb shots ending in touchdowns. Don’t do that.
Handcuffs
Jalen Milroe, QB (ADP: 272, QB34): Milroe is a total project as a passer, which isn’t awesome considering he’s been a starter for two years at Alabama. There’s an Anthony Richardson-esque vibe to him, which is scary because we’ve seen Richardson be historically inaccurate at the NFL level and get benched. We’ve also seen him be extremely fantasy relevant because of what he can do as a rusher, and Milroe can do those things too. Milroe ran the ball 160+ times in back-to-back seasons for the Crimson Tide, and last season compiled 726 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. 20! If Milroe does get a chance to start this year, throw out your passing game qualms and add him, even if it’s as a wait-and-see play. A QB who can run like this can be truly special for fantasy, and Milroe’s talented enough to be the best rushing QB in football.