Seattle, Team Vibes and Players to Target and Avoid

As we race toward August, Footballguys.com will look at one team per day with our quick-hitting Team Vibes and Players to Target and Avoid, where we check out the overall mood of each team's offense and let you know the players we are in on (because they are great values at the cost it takes to acquire them) and who we're out on (because they are too expensive and won't give you a good return on that investment).

Go Deeper: See in-depth projections for every Seahawks player here >>>

This is a daily series that will stretch through July 31. If you like this and want another, come back tomorrow. Another will be here. And all 32 of them will be free to Insiders. To become an Insider, simply sign up with a free account.

And here are all of the Team Vibes and Players to Target and Avoid articles we've done so far:
Seattle | Tampa Bay | Tennessee | Washington

Quick Hits

Want a brief overview? Here it is:

• General Vibes - Good
• We're In On at Cost - Ken Walker III
• We're Out On at Cost - Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Want a longer breakdown of how it's going in Seattle? Read on.

Seahawks, Team Vibes

• Good - 15
• Neutral - 2
• Bad - 0

Staffers with Good Vibes

• Chad Parsons: I love that Seattle doubled down on Geno Smith with a new contract and no Round 1 competition breathing down his neck, plus added notable pedigree at running back and wide receiver.
• Ben Cummins: Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Zach Charbonnet provide even more talent to an already exciting offense.
• Daniel Harms: An Improving offensive line and adding more weapons to the offense for Geno Smith? Sign me up.
• Phil Alexander: Last year's most surprising offense gets younger and better with the additions of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Zach Charbonnet.
• Jeff Bell: Few teams have as much skill talent, and Geno Smith was more capable of propping them up.
• Dan Hindery: The combination of an ascending young offensive line, solid veterans, and a pair of talented rookies added to the mix gives this offense plenty of upside.
• Jason Wood: Returning nucleus with an improving offensive line and massive depth upgrades in Smith-Njigba and Charbonnet.
• Jeff Tefertiller: Strong returning offense and young defense. The lines are improving, and draft capital was used at the skill positions.
• Jeff Haseley: A career year for Geno Smith in 2022, and the offense has improved at both running back and wide receiver.
• Dave Kluge: Geno Smith proved he belongs as an NFL quarterback, and the additions of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Zach Charbonnet will make his job even easier.
• Joey Wright: Seattle was one of three teams to finish with two top sixteen wide receivers in PPR leagues.
• Ryan Weisse: Consistency at quarterback with improvements at running back and wide receiver should mean good things for fantasy.
• Andy Hicks: It all relies on Geno Smith being as good or better than last year
• Christian Williams: Both sides of the ball trend upward, and the scene is set for a division title run.
• Sam Wagman: A playoff berth last year, coupled with additions on both sides of the football, should result in plenty of good vibes for the Seahawks

Staffers with Neutral Vibes

• Matt Montgomery: There is definitely a buzz about this Seahawks and Geno Smith resurgence. But their offense was still only 13th in the NFL, and they were in a division that way underperformed and was riddled with injuries to top talent.
• Justin Howe: The offense dipped from 27 PPG to 19 down the stretch, and the talent they've added impresses me less than most.

Staffers with Bad Vibes

• None.

Players We Are Targeting

• Ken Walker III - 5
• Geno Smith - 4
• Tyler Lockett - 3
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba - 3
• Zach Charbonnet - 2

Reasons to be In on Ken Walker III

• Phil Alexander: Don't let Charbonnet scare you off one of the best runners in the league. Obscene value at his current ADP.
• Jeff Bell: There is speculation he will still see the lion's share of the work, but the downside is sacrificing both goal line and passing work to Zach Charbonnet.
• Jason Wood: Charbonnet complicates things, but the ADP reaction went too far in the other direction.
• Jeff Tefertiller: The selection of Charbonnet has lowered the price too far. Walker flashed as a rookie and will be even better in 2023.
• Andy Hicks: With the Seahawks drafting another running back high, Walker has seen his draft price dip way below his actual value

Reasons to be In on Geno Smith

• Chad Parsons: Affordable cost and pairs elite weapons with enough rushing upside to hang with plenty at the position. 2023 is a big year for Smith to get on a multi-year trajectory of job security or turn into a one-hit-wonder heading into 2024.
• Joey Wright: Last season’s fifth-best quarterback in fantasy only saw the offense around him improve.
• Ryan Weisse: The firepower around him gives him a great floor, and his ceiling is Top 5, based on last year's performance.
• Christian Williams: It will be difficult for him to fail with the pieces around him.

Reasons to be In on Tyler Lockett

• Ben Cummins: Lockett will put up 1,000+ yards for the fifth season in a row.
• Daniel Harms: Still one of the best deep threats in the NFL, and Smith wants to take chances downfield.
• Sam Wagman: America's Most Undervalued WR rides again - with a WR34 ADP - lower than new teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Lockett will be a major factor.

Reasons to be In on Jaxon Smith-Njigba

• Dan Hindery: As with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave last season, expect Smith-Njigba to hit the ground running. He should have a big rookie year.
• Jeff Haseley: His talent and knowledge will be seen from the beginning making him difficult to ignore in the offense
• Matt Montgomery: I am most excited to watch Smith-Njigba. In Ohio State receiving rooms that featured Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Chris Olave, Smith-Njigba was the "Wow!" receiver you saw through the TV.

Reasons to be In on Zach Charbonnet

• Dave Kluge: He’s bigger than Kenneth Walker, profiles as a better pass-catcher, and can be had for much cheaper. A second-round investment likely means the team has big plans for him.
• Justin Howe: Charbonnet may be a more gifted back than Walker, which would make him zero-RB gold in the middle rounds.

Players We Are Avoiding

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba - 8
• Ken Walker III - 4
• Geno Smith - 3
• Tyler Lockett - 2

Reasons to be Out on Jaxon Smith-Njigba

• Chad Parsons: Tyler Lockett will be tough to unseat for steady volume, and DK Metcalf is locked into his role.
• Ben Cummins: Smith-Njigba is being drafted aggressively. I love the talent but don’t love his projected role and cost in year one.
• Daniel Harms: He’s a slot player on a team that doesn’t target the slot very often with a lower passing rate.
• Phil Alexander: Love the player, but can't imagine why he is getting drafted ahead of Tyler Lockett in year one.
• Jeff Bell: Explain to me, like I'm five, why his ADP is higher than Tyler Lockett's.
• Jason Wood: He’s coming off the board ahead of Tyler Lockett. That makes no sense.
• Jeff Tefertiller: With an ADP above the steady Tyler Lockett, Smith-Njigba miss expectations
• Dave Kluge: He is a very talented player, but he’ll come off the field on two-wide receiver sets. There’s no reason he should be drafted ahead of Tyler Lockett.

Reasons to be Out on Ken Walker III

• Joey Wright: The arrival of Zach Charbonnet puts a cap on Walker’s upside and presence in the red zone.
• Ryan Weisse: Hard to pay up for a running back who could end up in a 50/50 timeshare and doesn't catch passes.
• Christian Williams: Zach Charbonnet could get a larger workload than expected, and the highest value touches may go to Charbonnet.
• Sam Wagman: It's very hard for me not to see a possible scenario where Kenneth Walker cedes enough touches to Zach Charbonnet that he is clearly unable to pay off his current ADP.

Reasons to be Out on Geno Smith

• Matt Montgomery: I do not have a lot of faith he can replicate these numbers. Teams will watch tape and adjust to this "new" quarterback in Seattle.
• Justin Howe: Smith made for a great story, but his late-season slide looked much more realistic. They'll look to limit his impact even more.
• Andy Hicks: Smith is hard to draft with confidence and expect starter stats. If he falls, sure.

Reasons to be Out on Tyler Lockett

• Dan Hindery: He has been a model of consistency but turns 31 in September and will likely see Smith-Njigba eat into his target share.
• Jeff Haseley: If Jaxon Smith-Njigba develops and produces out of the gate, as I expect, Lockett's role will be diminished.