Camp is finally open! We are starting to see behind the curtain and I am changing some of what I think is going to happen this year and I will detail that as we step through the positions.

QB-

The new system is going to play well to QB Geno Smith’s strengths. There is no reason to expect anything other than an increase in his stats. The biggest risk to him is that the offensive line is very hard to predict. The more solid it becomes, the more Geno will be able to excel with the new system.

There are still plenty of questions regarding the offensive line. LT Charles Cross, LG Laken Tomlinson are the two that I am most certain are starting. OC Olu Oluwatimi, RG Anthony Bradford, and RT George Fant are who I would currently predict as finishing out the five.

RB-

Two big things here. There is an emphasis on the inside run game and RB Ken Walker providing pass protection. RB Zach Charbonnet is ideally suited to the inside run game and Walker being able to pass protect keeps him in on third downs allowing him more pass catching opportunities. Both of these guys will be more dangerous and have increased fantasy numbers next year. Right now I consider them to have equal fantasy potential perhaps giving a nod to Charbonnet.

WR-

I have been all about WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a fantasy sleeper. It just makes sense. But here is the deal. When this offense was run at the University of Washington it always focused on a particular receiver. For years it has been impossible to predict if WR Tyler Lockett would have the production in a game or if it would be WR DK Metcalf. Then came JSN who could have made that even harder to predict but instead it was like Seattle just never knew how to use him. DK is a freak. If you are picking one of these guys to build around it is DK. Welcome to a new era. DK has never been the focus of an NFL offense. It has always been a committee of dudes running deep and hoping to get picked. Sure JSN may increase in value. Or Lockett may have a swan song production bump. But my money is on DK showing what he could have shown all along.

TE-

I really have no idea where TE Noah Fant and TE Pharaoh Brown will land in fantasy production. I continue feeling like the line is up in the air enough that these guys will not part of the plan for offensive production for a good part of the season.

K-

Nothing to say about PK Jason Myers. He will be fine for middle value fantasy kickers.

D-

There is a lot going on with this defense. I am changing much of what I was expecting in the beginning, but even with that not much changes for fantasy football. I think that LB Tyrice Knight is going to be better than I first thought for instance. CB Devon Witherspoon is going to be a shutdown corner. CB Riq Woolen is not a big drop from Witherspoon. DT Byron Murphy and DT Leonard Williams have massive potential for interior pressure. However the team defense is still a middling fantasy value.

Go Hawks!

End.