Here are the Seahawks players to draft and avoid in fantasy football leagues

• ADP: 3rd round (33rd overall), 17th wide receiver drafted
• 2022 stats (17 games): 90 receptions, 1,048 receiving yards, 6 touchdowns, 231.2 PPR fantasy points, 13.6 PPR points per game

Fantasy outlook: From a positional perspective, Metcalf's value has essentially remained the same from 2022 when he was the 16th wide receiver drafted in fantasy leagues. But the bigger shift is a market-wide one: More teams are preferring to draft wide receivers over their riskier running back counterparts, meaning Metcalf's average draft pick has jumped from 43rd in 2022 to 33rd overall this season. 

Metcalf, for his part, is still Metcalf: He surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in 2022 again but had fewer touchdowns. His total fantasy output dipped as a result.

But Metcalf's 24% target share -- the percentage of targets earned among his team -- led the Seahawks and he registered 0.24 targets per route run, a strong mark for a lead receiver in a predictive metric. 

Metcalf is just 25 years old too, still on the right side of the age trajectory. His late third-round draft price is perfectly palatable, but he does not represent a huge value at the cost. Take Metcalf if he's there, but just note that Travis Etienne, Jahmyr Gibbs and Breece Hall all go in the same range -- and all carry top-tier running back upside at their position. They make better selections than Metcalf in most drafts. 

• ADP: 4th round (48th overall), 17th running back drafted
• 2022 stats (15 games): 1,050 rushing yards, 9 rushing touchdowns, 27 receptions, 165 receiving yards, 202.5 PPR fantasy points, 13.5 PPR points per game

Fantasy outlook: The explosive second-year running back has rose four rounds in value from 2022 when he was drafted in the eighth round of fantasy drafts. 

After an injury to Rashaad Penny, Walker took over the starting job for the Seahawks and ran for 1,050 yards and nine rushing touchdowns. While Walker III was inconsistent from a success rate standpoint, he separated himself from his peers with his big play ability.

There's plenty to like about the 22-year-old entering his second year: He had a 62% rushing share as a rookie and he ran routes on 43% of Seahawks dropbacks. Walker is in a good offense, behind a steady hand at quarterback and an experienced head coach. Those factors should give him chances for double-digit touchdowns. 

Walker's deficiency as a pass catcher, however, prevents him from truly being a top-five caliber running back in point-per-reception leagues. He'll need to be more efficient as a receiver (he averaged a pedestrian 0.67 yards per route run in 2022) to be a true difference-maker in fantasy. 

But Walker is being drafted in the back of the fourth round, or early fifth round in some cases. That makes him a nice play for your fantasy team -- with the potential for much more value if he ascends as a receiver. 

• ADP: 5th round (58th overall), 28th wide receiver drafted
• 2022 stats (16 games): 84 receptions, 1,033 receiving yards, 9 touchdowns, 241.6 PPR fantasy points, 15.1 PPR points per game

Fantasy outlook: Once again, Lockett was the cheaper, but more productive Seahawks wide receiver for fantasy purposes in 2022. 

Lockett finished with over 1,000 yards for the fourth straight year and another nine touchdowns. For the past four years, he's been remarkably steady, averaging between 1,000 and 1,200 receiving yards with as many as 10 touchdowns in a season. 

The smaller Seahawks receiver is a metronome of consistency, with his superpower being his uncanny ability to separate from his defender. According to Five Thirty-Eight's advanced player tracking data, Lockett had a 95 "open" score, the second-best mark in the entire National Football League (NFL). In other words, Lockett was better at carving space in the defense and freeing himself for productive targets than any receiver in the league (not named Diontae Johnson). 

Despite seeing fewer targets than Metcalf per game and on a percentage basis, Lockett outscored Metcalf in fantasy because A) he scored more touchdowns and B) he was more efficient on a per-route basis (averaging 1.94 yards per every route run). 

There is just one problem with Lockett's profile: He is 31 years old, on the wrong side of the age curve you want to target in fantasy football. This isn't a death knell to his value in 2023, but it's something to caution against if you want to be aggressive in selecting Lockett in drafts.

At his draft cost, Lockett has a good chance of paying off but he does not have the high-end upside that other wide receivers have in this range. Brandon Aiyuk, a rookie we will name later and George Pickens are also selected around Lockett in drafts and are better bets for high-upside than the steady Lockett.

And you don't win fantasy leagues by taking small swings and getting small wins; you win by swinging big and hitting big. Lockett is best left for other managers to draft, though I wouldn't fault you if you want some safety at wide receiver in the middle of drafts. 

• ADP: 7th round (84th overall), 38th wide receiver drafted
• 2021 and 2022 stats (college, 16 games): 100 receptions, 1,649 receiving yards, 9 touchdowns

Fantasy outlook: Ah, speaking of the rookie to be named later that we referenced in the Lockett section. 

Now this is the Seahawks receiver you need to be selecting in drafts this year. No matter what. (Bolded for maximum emphasis!)

Smith-Njigba is the cheapest Seahawks wide receiver to grab this year. The Ohio State product is being selected in the late seventh round or early eighth round in drafts. He also has the best chance of surpassing his draft value, because Metcalf is fairly priced in the third round and Lockett's high-end upside doesn't really warrant a fifth-round pick.

But Smith-Njigba in the 7th round? 8th round?

When he can do this?

Easy screaming buy even factoring in Smith-Njigba's wrist surgery he had on Tuesday. The touted rookie could still be available for the start of the regular season according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, but the Seahawks plan to determine that after reviewing the results of the surgery, which will repair a broken bone in his wrist.

The injury, as long as it's not serious long-term, will likely sink his draft cost further and make him an even better value for fantasy drafts. There's a real chance you can get an elite receiver prospect for a discount on a good offense. 

Take Smith-Njigba whenever possible knowing that it's the kind of upside play that can be a difference-maker in your fantasy league. 

• ADP: 9th round (111th overall), 38th running back drafted
• 2022 stats (college, 10 games): 1,359 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, 37 receptions, 321 receiving yards 

When the Seahawks used a late second-round pick on one of the best running back prospects in the 2023 class, many scratched their heads.

Myself included.

But, ignoring roster context and Walker III's standing as the No. 1 Seahawks running back, Charbonnet is an enticing play in the ninth round considering the cost.

Charbonnet is drafted after the following:

• Brian Robinson Jr, who isn't as talented. He also plays for a worse offense. 
• Rashaad Penny, who is older, can't stay healthy and is battling two other Eagles running backs for snaps. 
• Samaje Perine, a steady veteran that played well in spurts last year, but will need to fend off Javonte Williams for snaps late in the season when he slowly gets healthy. 
• Jamaal Williams, who scored 17 touchdowns on fewer than 300 rushing attempts in 2022. That isn't sustainable. Also: Alvin Kamara will return after Week 3. 

Charbonnet is a high-end prospect, who has high contingency value in case Walker III is injured. It's the same thesis that Walker had after Penny's injury and it's in play for Charbonnet.

At a ninth-round cost, you can take Charbonnet as your third or fourth running back in drafts and add sneaky upside to your overall running back room. I'd do it. 

• ADP: 10th round (115th overall), 15th quarterback drafted
• 2022 stats (17 games): 4,282 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 366 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 323 fantasy points, 19.0 fantasy points per game 

Fantasy outlook: Yes. (See: My take last year that went horribly wrong.)

• ADP: Undrafted
• 2022 stats (17 games): 50 receptions, 486 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns, 122.4 PPR fantasy points, 7.2 PPR points per game

Fantasy outlook: No.

Fant isn't drafted in an average fantasy football league in 2023 and for good reason. He's clearly the Seahawks' fourth passing option, a bit player with unrealized talent. In 2023, Fant had a career-low in receiving yards (486). He ran a route on just 54% of Seahawks dropbacks, a mark that needs to be higher than 70% to make him a viable target in fantasy football.

Fant is still a talented player, but his role doesn't make him a good dart throw at the end of drafts. Luke Musgrave, Jake Ferguson, Michael Mayer and Hunter Henry are better late-round options if you chose to wait at tight end. Stay away from Fant.