Clearly, at the start of the season, the Seattle Seahawks were in complete and total disarray. Sure, Kam Chancellor’s holdout and some tough opponents might have had something to do with it, but there’s no denying the fact that the Seahawks didn’t appear to be living up to their full potential on the field.
Well, that was then, this is now. Things have certainly taken a turn for the better. Take Russell Wilson, for example. At the start of the season, he was basically of no value to fantasy owners.
Now, with the fantasy playoffs scheduled to soon start in most leagues, he’s seen as a hot commodity. Just yesterday, Wilson had his third massive game in a row against Teddy Bridgewater and the Minnesota Vikings.
Not only did he complete 21-of-27 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns, but he added 51 rushing yards on nine carries to the mix. When all was said and done, he’d brought in a total of 39 fantasy points in most standard leagues. That’s three consecutive weeks with at least 31 fantasy points. The most shocking part of it all? Through the first nine games of the Seahawks’ season, Wilson had only broke the 20-point barrier twice.
Yes, the latter half of the season has brought with it more favorable matchups against teams like the San Francisco 49ers, but the Pittsburgh Steelers and Vikings aren’t pushovers, by any means. Needless to say, Wilson has had a bit of help. He’s throwing the ball well, but his receivers are making more plays now than they were at the start of the season. Doug Baldwin is very much one of them.
On Sunday, Baldwin brought in five catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Seeing as how he was only targeted 7 times, the feat is even more impressive. Also, for what it’s worth, Baldwin’s play hasn’t been one of those “one-game wonders” fantasy owners are so fearful of. In fact, Baldwin now has at least 10 fantasy points in standard league play in three of his past four games. Not too shabby.
But Baldwin’s not the only one getting in on the action. Tyler Lockett is also playing well. Against the Vikings, Lockett caught seven passes for 90 yards on seven targets. Against the 49ers, Lockett managed to bring in four catches for 48 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
So, needless to say, though things initially looked grim for the Seahawks, the team looks poised to make a run at a wildcard birth in the playoffs. Fantasy owners should take note and use Seattle’s talent accordingly in the coming weeks.