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 tight end AJ Barner (oblique) is entering ...
Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner emerged as his team's ...
Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner played through a lot ...
Fully healthy after offseason procedures, AJ Barner enters 2026 coming off a 52-catch campaign backed by a 17.1% Target Rate and a 15.0% Target Share. Seattle’s shift toward two-tight-end sets under new coordinator Brian Fleury expands route participation for Elijah Arroyo while keeping both tight ends on the field.
Commanding short-yardage rushing usage and red zone touchdown equity, Barner has the edge over Arroyo in this upgraded Seattle offense. Barner is the perfect late-round tight end target in fantasy football TE premium league formats.
Despite being selected with No. 50 overall draft capital, Elijah Arroyo remains trapped behind AJ Barner on the depth chart after a pre-draft knee injury dampened his rookie campaign.
With a low TE39 Average Draft Position, Arroyo must battle just for designed touches while Barner commands the primary tight end role. We will continue to track training camp reps, but Arroyo is merely an upside dynasty league stash until he earns meaningful target share, which is unlikely in Seattle’s run-first scheme.
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.
