The Seahawks play on Thursday Night Football at San Francisco this week. While there is often concern for Fantasy owners about sluggish performances on a shorter week, that should not be the case with the Seahawks. They will likely be highly geared to put on a very good performance on both sides of the ball after last week's game against Carolina.
The 49ers present a prime opportunity for the Seahawks to operate smoothly on offense and deliver quality Fantasy numbers in the process. The 49ers defense ranks 31st in the league in yards allowed per game, surrendering an average of 409 yards per contest.
This is a great week to start Russell Wilson, as San Francisco ranks last in the league in passing defense, allowing 306 yards per game. They have generated only nine sacks, and have allowed 11 TD passes. Wilson, who has become a dynamic master of buying time to throw, should be good for a minimum of two TD passes this week. San Francisco allows 20.03 Fantasy Points Per Game to opposing quarterbacks on NFL.com. After facing Carolina's formidable unit, Wilson will find more time and room to operate successfully this week.
A quality performance from Wilson should naturally mean another impressive Fantasy outing from Jimmy Graham. The star tight end came through with his best performance as a Seahawk last week, registering 14 Fantasy points in standard NFL.com formats. Wilson truly seemed to show that he has become ideally comfortable with Graham against Carolina. Look for the duo to build on last week's success, and for Graham to be a major red zone threat for at least one TD reception.
The Niners allow the fourth-most Fantasy points to opposing QBs, so naturally, wide receivers are very prolific against them as well. San Francisco surrenders 29.13 Fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts. With key wideouts from Green Bay, Denver and Cincinnati on byes, this is an ideal time to consider Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse for usage. Baldwin will help Wilson move the sticks on key downs and is definitely worth a PPR start if you need him. Kearse is a regular TD threat who can be a quality standard league option.
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A successful passing attack will naturally help open up running lanes for Marshawn Lynch and also will put him into position to convert a short TD run or two. Lynch scored for the first time this season last week. The 49ers have allowed 102.8 rushing yards per game and have surrendered six rushing scores. Lynch has rushed for five TDs in his last five regular season games against the Niners, and ran for 195 yards in two games against them last year. After he returned last week, Lynch should be even more comfortable in the offensive flow this time and he is a must-start in all seasonal formats.
The outlook is improved for the Seahawks defense as well this week, as San Francisco is averaging a league-low 16.7 points per game. They rank 29th in passing yards per game and have only totaled six TD passes. Colin Kaepernick has been sacked 19 times. With Earl Thomas ensuring that Torrey Smith does not bust loose for a big play, the 49ers passing game won't threaten the Seahawks defense very much. There could be coverage sacks for Bruce Irvin and company.
The Niners are averaging 118.3 yards per game on the ground, but the Seahawks are allowing 99.7 yards per game and Bobby Wagner will keep a close watch on both Carlos Hyde and Kaepernick along with help from Kam Chancellor. The Seahawks defense should be one of the best in points allowed for Week 7.
Steven Hauschka is the second-most prolific Fantasy kicker on NFL.com with 62 points. He appears to be headed for another prolific week, as a solid performance by the Seahawks offense should mean a healthy amount of scoring chances. Field goal tries, though, could be limited as the Seahawks appear poised to threaten the 49ers defense with both Graham and Lynch in the red zone. Still, he remains a clear-must start.
In other games, Blake Bortles should continue to throw enough to be a good start in an early Sunday start against Buffalo in London. Ryan Fitzpatrick will be good for two TD passes in the Jets' showdown with the Patriots. Ryan Tannehill will at least be adequate as the Dolphins host the Texans.
Frank Gore will get in the end zone more than once against New Orleans. Jonathan Stewart will get more short-yardage scoring chances vs. the Eagles. Christine Michael may be in for the biggest workload of his pro career so far against the Giants, and he is worth flex consideration. Chris Thompson is a good PPR league fill-in as he faces Tampa Bay.
Jeremy Maclin will be a quality WR2 play against the Steelers. Travis Benjamin can burn the Rams with a big play as Josh McCown gets good enough protection to find him. Stefon Diggs has arrived, and he'll draw more defensive attention from Detroit, helping Mike Wallace to get open more often for a nice PPR outing. Michael Floyd is a nifty play as his Cardinals meet the Ravens.
Ladarius Green is a good bet to score against Oakland. Jacob Tamme will provide you with a solid Fantasy line against Tennessee. The Miami defense will come through with its second consecutive impressive performance vs. Houston. The Redskins will aggressively and successfully harass Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers.
For more in-depth Fantasy Football analysis from Scott and his team at RotoExperts.com, register now for the Xclusive Edge Fantasy Football package right here and take advantage of a very special discount offer for Seahawks fans by entering the promocode "seahawks" at checkout. You can also watch Scott on the Fantasy Sports Network (FNTSY) with the new app on Xbox One and Xbox 360.
