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The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl with a classic defense and running game approach. 2013′s leading receiver Golden Tate is now with the Detroit Lions. Doug Baldwin was second on the team with 50 catches for 778 yards and five scores. Jermaine Kearse was the next WR with 22 catches. No other receiver on Seattle’s roster had more than five catches last year.
Will this pattern continue? The better question: will any one Seahawk WR be reliable enough week-to-week to be on your fantasy football team? I already stated that I think Russell Wilson will rank in the top half-dozen quarterbacks this year. What does this mean for his receivers? Likely, he’ll spread it around rather than pick a favorite. QBs like Aaron Rodgers historically frustrate me by throwing the ball twice to every guy on the team, making it impossible to start one of his receivers.
The only receiver I see making a consistent fantasy impact is Percy Harvin. Unlike the others, I see him getting multiple touches routinely on short passes and making big plays in multiple weeks.
What about other Seattle receivers? Although I like them all as a fan, as a fantasy owner I’m only picking one late. But be prepared for Seattle to surprise you. Play the “if” came.
If Marshawn Lynch continues to be a problem or if he gets hurt, Pete Carroll may turn the dial from “run” to “throw.” Wilson and his crew are prepared to be a run and gun squad.
If Harvin and another receiver get hurt, things will get tight regarding Seattle’s WRs. All the traffic will have to go through a couple players. If you have one on your bench later in the year, you could be rewarded.
So where would I draft Seattle wide receivers this year?
I consider Harvin to be around the No. 10 WR out there and would take him in round 3-4.
Baldwin is ranked in the 50s on most sites and is predicted to go in round 16-17. I think that’s a bit tough, but fantasy football in general has lately been pessimistic regarding Seattle receivers. I’d make Baldwin my fourth or fifth WR. He could easily catch 70-80 passes if Seattle throws more than last year. Note the could and if.
I would only take Kearse in very deep leagues. A number of bad things would have to happen to the Seahawks to make him a fantasy starter. Again, I love the guy, but this is not about love. It’s about what my frozen soulless brain thinks.
Paul Richardson is a potential breakout star. If injuries put him in the top three for Seattle, his wicked speed could make him a feast or famine starter. I’d consider taking him near the end of my draft just in case he makes me look brilliant later in the year. Hopefully someone will.
Tate, by the way, is in a prime position next to Calvin Johnson in Detroit. He may get 80-90 catches while Megatron absorbs the defense. I miss him, but it’s a good move. At least he’s not in Oakland or something.
I firmly believe in the progression of Seattle’s offense from complete conservativeness in Wilson’s first start to a balanced unit with a dangerous passing game. Bit by bit, Wilson and his crew are on their way to being a serious air power. Will it be this year? That’s why we play the game.
Eighty Six is a Seattle Seahawks writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @86ThePoet, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
