Fantasy Football Player Notes

We don't know how this backfield will shape out, but it's hard to see the Seahawks taking the starting job away from Carson after the year he just had. With that being said, health can be a question mark after he suffered a season-ending hip injury that forced him to miss the playoffs last year. When you add in Hyde and the fact that they drafted a running back (DeeJay Dallas) in the fourth round, it's clear they were preparing for the worst. The Falcons could be described as an average defense last year, as they were around the league average in every major statistical category to running backs: rush attempts (20th), rushing yards (19th), rushing touchdowns (24th), receptions (19th), and receiving yards (23rd). It makes sense that Carson totaled 90 total yards and a touchdown against them in last year's meeting. He was one of 14 running backs who posted top-16 numbers against them. There were three running backs who totaled 100 yards on the ground last year, though nobody was able to eclipse 111 rushing yards. With Hyde on the roster, it's possible they do some sort of 60/40 split, which would hurt both Carson's floor and ceiling. I don't see the Seahawks blowing out the Falcons (neither do oddsmakers), which would play more into Carson/Dallas' role than Hyde's, as Hyde isn't a good pass-catcher. I feel Carson should be considered a mid-to-high-end RB2 in this game who has a little bit more touch concerns than he did in 2019, though not enough to move him out of RB2 territory, especially in a projected high-scoring game. There's a good chance he scores here, though I wouldn't bank on it with cash games now that Hyde's in the mix.

The Falcons looked to be a pretty average team against wide receivers last year, allowing the 16th most fantasy points to them. But looking a bit closer, they were very bad. They allowed a 67.5 percent completion rate (fifth-highest), 9.52 yards per target (second-highest), and a touchdown every 17.3 targets (eighth-most often) to wide receivers. What does all that add up to? 1.97 PPR points per target, which ranked as the third-highest mark in the league. Not an average secondary now, eh? Lockett caught all six of his targets for 100 yards in their meeting with each other last year. Considering they lost long-time starter Desmond Trufant, it's hard to say they're going to get better. Start Lockett as a rock-solid WR2 who comes with plenty of upside in this matchup.

We watched Metcalf progress as the season went on in 2019, climaxing with a rookie record 160 yards in a playoff game. This offseason, Metcalf and Russell Wilson worked out together at Wilson's private field and reportedly developed a "brotherly" bond. Now they get to start the season against the Falcons secondary? They lost long-time starter Desmond Trufant this offseason and replaced him with rookie A.J. Terrell in the first round of the NFL Draft. Their "top" cornerback is Isaiah Oliver, who allowed a massive 106.9 QB Rating in his coverage last year, including 794 yards in his coverage, which ranked as the eighth-most among cornerbacks. When you add in a rookie cornerback who's taking in his first NFL game action, it could be a playground for Metcalf/Wilson. Knowing the Seahawks never added a true No. 3 wide receiver to syphon targets from Metcalf/Lockett, we should be able to rely on semi-consistent WR2 numbers with week-winning upside. This matchup is a great one and playing in a dome should only accentuate Metcalf's speed.