With a win over the NFC West rival 49ers this week, the Seahawks can strengthen their positioning in the conference playoff race. At the same time, Fantasy players are getting closer to the end of their regular season schedules, and need to nail down their postseason seedings in the next week or two in many cases. While the Seahawks look to get back to .500 and back on the route to the playoffs, they can certainly help Fantasy owners solidify their postseason outlooks this week.
This will be an excellent week to ride with Marshawn Lynch, who is certainly looking forward to facing the 49ers at home after delivering his best performance of the season at San Francisco in Week 7. In that game, he rushed for 122 yards and a TD, scoring 18.20 standard Fantasy points on NFL.com. Lynch has scored in three of his past four games this year and in five of his past six regular season games against the Niners.
Lynch seems like a near-lock for RB1 type of Fantasy production this week. San Francisco allows 21.69 standard Fantasy points per game to opposing running backs on NFL.com, sixth-most in the league. San Francisco has surrendered 111.9 rushing yards per game, 20th in the NFL. They have let up nine rushing TDs. The Seahawks held the 49ers to three points in the last meeting, and a similar type of defensive performance will mean that San Francisco's defense may spend a lot of time on the field and the Seahawks will also be able to protect a lead by running the ball often in the second half.
Those who roster Lynch should also make sure they have Thomas Rawls as a handcuff at this time of the year. With the playoffs approaching, it's a smart move to have the top backup to your top Fantasy RB as insurance. Rawls has certainly answered the call when needed this season and will definitely be a Fantasy RB2 starter if pressed into action again.
A strong running game should set up Russell Wilson for an efficient, solid Fantasy outing overall. The Niners allow 17.91 Fantasy Points Per Game to opposing quarterbacks, and more notably, they are 29th in the league in passing yards allowed per game. Wilson should have read option and play action opportunities to make strikes downfield. San Francisco only has 16 sacks this year, so Wilson should have enough time to locate his key pass-catchers on important downs this week. Wilson was sacked five times by the Niners in the last meeting, but expect the coaching staff to adjust for this matchup. Wilson is a very viable starter for Week 11 if you have a top passer on a bye or play in a two-QB format. Expect more than one TD pass from him.
San Francisco surrenders 26.37 Fantasy Points Per Game to opposing wide receivers, the sixth-most on NFL.com. If Wilson gets his chances to sling the ball downfield in important situations, Doug Baldwin will undoubtedly be in for a quality performance in PPR formats. He should certainly get strong consideration if you need to find a starter in a larger league or must replace another WR on a bye. He's a nifty option in any format this week. Tyler Lockett caught five passes for 79 yards in the first meeting with the Niners in his best receiving of his career so far. Jernaine Kearse totaled 64 receiving yards in that Week 7 game. All of the Seahawks WRs are possible options in deeper leagues this week.
As the Seahawks jostle for a position in the NFC playoffs, continuing to establish Jimmy Graham will certainly be a priority. There is a strong possibility he will score this week if the Seahawks control the action defensively and establish a very good ground game. Wilson will be able to take his shots to Graham in the red zone if Lynch and timely passing move the team into scoring position. Graham remains a Top 10 Fantasy tight end that should still be started in all formats.
Steven Hauschka is the sixth-best kicker on NFL.com and registered 8.00 Fantasy points against the 49ers in Week 7. He is a steady Fantasy performer who should be started every week. The Seahawks defense will be one of the very best starts in Fantasy Football this week. The unit totaled 13.00 Fantasy Points on NFL.com in the first meeting, totaling six sacks. Seattle's front should be able to impede the Niners' running game early and often and adverse passing situations will lead to sacks and interceptions. There may not be a better Fantasy defense to start than the Seahawks this week.
In other games, Tony Romo returns and should immediately be put back into lineups as he takes on the Dolphins. Matthew Stafford is a good bye week replacement as he faces the Raiders. Mark Sanchez is expected to start for Philadelphia and has a good matchup against Tampa Bay.
LeGarrette Blount is getting a lot of work and should get into the end zone against Buffalo. Jonathan Stewart is also a strong bet for a score vs. the Redskins. Danny Woodhead is a PPR must-start as his Chargers take on the Chiefs. He is playing a very large role on offense. Jay Ajayi is worth a look as a bye week sub with yardage and TD potential against the Cowboys.
Michael Crabtree is a terrific start against Detroit, and Davante Adams is a solid PPR play as the Packers meet the Vikings. Jordan Matthews should get WR3 consideration vs. Tampa Bay. Tavon Austin has some upside and is a good bye week sub as his Rams oppose the Ravens.
Eric Ebron is a good TE play vs. Oakland. Jacob Tamme faces his former team, the Colts, and will provide healthy production. Defensively, Kansas City should be able to keep the score down in a divisional matchup for the Chargers. The Patriots may do the same against Buffalo.
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