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Top 5 Passing Matchups
Denver at Seattle
The Broncos franchise is undergoing a sea change with Russell Wilson now under center. It’s the quarterback splash GM John Elway had coveted for years, and it’s hard to overstate the leap from the likes of Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, Paxton Lynch, and Drew Lock. The Broncos’ gifted receiving corps is intact, and the only real question in play now is that of chemistry. Wilson is one of the game’s premier downfield passers, and he’ll throw to a playmaking stud in Courtland Sutton who’s still mostly untapped. Sutton was described as Wilson’s go-to receiver in camp, routinely turning up when plays extended or broke down. Their big-play and touchdown upside is as palpable as anyone’s. Across the field, Jerry Jeudy continues to search for his breakout – or just his first stretch of truly efficient play. He’s caught just 53% of his NFL looks and ranks 94th in yards per target over the past 2 years. The team will look to him more in the red zone, where he’s scored just once as a pro, with Tim Patrick out for the year. Patrick’s loss could open the door for a third option, like tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, to carve out a role near the goal line. Or, it could pave the way for the 6-foot-4 Sutton to bully his way to double-digit touchdowns. The wild card is new No. 3 K.J. Hamler, a blazer who has missed 17 of his first 33 NFL games.
The Seahawks’ once-proud defense is rebuilding from the ground up just like the offense. Long gone are all-decade names like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Bobby Wagner. In is a mash-up of rookies and journeymen that make up one of the league’s weakest-looking secondaries. The team now leans on veteran safety Jamal Adams as its chief playmaker, but his play has slipped noticeably over the years. He was tremendously weak in coverage last season, grading among the NFL’s worst when targeted. Overall, this unit gave up the league’s second-most yardage in 2021, and it’s hard to see where it’s improved since. The cornerback spots are particularly troubling, with only one piece, ex-Eagle and Jaguar Sidney Jones, that looks starting-caliber. Jones has long flashed big coverage talent, but struggled to stay healthy; 2021 was his first time playing more than 12 games. With rising star D.J. Reed lost to the Jets, Jones will be flanked by rookies and a few castoffs. It’s not an inspiring bunch, to say the least, and this should be treated as one of fantasy’s free-square matchups until further notice.
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