Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald reaffirmed Friday that Sam Darnold will remain the starter, expressing the dreaded vote of confidence in the quarterback despite Seattle’s recent offensive struggles. Darnold’s seven interceptions are tied for No. 1 in the NFL, and he missed most of the season’s first two games with a glute injury. Regardless, Drew Lock’s effective relief work has not prompted a change atop the depth chart.

Fantasy managers should treat Darnold as a fringe QB2 against Kansas City in Week 7. Retain him in superflex leagues while his starting role remains secure, but prioritize alternatives in single-quarterback formats until his passing production becomes more dependable.

Medical tests cleared Sam Darnold of a hip fracture, though the quarterback will miss time following an MRI. Backup Drew Lock steps into the starter role after recording 187 passing yards, one touchdown, and zero turnovers in relief. Seattle will rely on their defensive more than ever to win games while Lock manages the offense.

All offensive pieces from Jaxon Smith-Njigba to AJ Barner will be downgraded slightly for fantasy football until Darnold returns.

Seattle Seahawks WR Rashid Shaheed has the opportunity to be a major contributor on the defending Super Bowl champions’ high-scoring offense in 2026. Shaheed will most likely overtake end-of-career WR legend Cooper Kupp as number 2 option in the pass game.

NFL defenses will do everything they can to stop Seattle’s superstar WR1 Jaxson Smith-Njigba and the rest of the 2026 Seahawks offense should see more work as a result. 33 year old Cooper Kupp, with only 593 rec. yds in 2025, is now more of a player-coach than an actual threat. That should leave the door open for big-play speedster Rashid Shaheed. Rashid was traded to the Seahawks early November last season and he mostly made his mark on special teams. He was re-signed by Seattle this offseason and they will try to re-tap into Shaheed’s big play prowess; his ADOT was down from 17.6 in 2024 (#3 in the NFL) to 11.4 in 2025 (#48 in the NFL).

~Justin Teck

Rashid Shaheed earned consistent looks from quarterback Sam Darnold during spring practices as Seattle expands his route tree. Regardless, Seattle self-identifies as a run-first offense, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba anchors this passing game following a massive season defined by an elite 35.9-percent target share and 3.72 yards per route run.

Adding short and intermediate targets to Shaheed’s portfolio raises his fantasy floor after being restricted to a low-volume deep role in 2025. Game scripts will drive Shaheed’s weekly upside. He has significant best ball appeal and is a screaming value in dynasty start-ups as PlayerProfiler’s Dynasty WR55.

The Seattle Seahawks are preparing to heavily deploy pre-snap motion under new play-caller Nick Fleury, a strategic shift that added an average of 0.25 yards per play across the league last season. This versatile alignment directly impacts tight ends AJ Barner, who earned a 15.0-percent target share in 2025, and Elijah Arroyo, who posted a 16.9 college yards per reception on his way to be drafted in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

While it remains uncertain how frequently quarterback Sam Darnold target tight ends, the schematic change elevates the overall fantasy ceiling for this entire passing offense. Under Fleury, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed should enjoy more clean releases, and Arroyo will likely see a significantly higher snap share and route participation rate per PlayerProfiler.