SEATTLE (vs. N.Y. Giants)
This is a difficult matchup for the Seahawks. The Giants' success is also a surprise (though not as much as Seattle), and their defense is tough. Although below-average in yards allowed, only five teams have allowed fewer points (under 19 per game). Seattle's own defense ...
... is weak, so they might find themselves playing from behind more in this one, pressed to force some things. In any case, not a great situation. ... Kenneth Walker, at least, should be fine. He's been killing it since Rashaad Penny got hurt, rushing for 88, 97 and 168 yards the last three games, with 4 touchdowns. Favorable matchups (Saints, Cardinals, Chargers), but the Giants have also been soft against the run (28th). In the last six games, only Green Bay has failed to run for over 140 yards against this defense (and they averaged 4.7 yards per attempt). They've tended to tighten things up around the goal line, allowing just 4 rushing scores (and 11 touchdowns total), but ...
This report is taken from today's Week 8 edition of Fantasy Index Weekly. The newsletter includes our player rankings and 20 pages of matchup previews, plus stat projections and custom rankings for the games being played this weekend.
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... Walker should run for plenty of yards against this defense. And 3 of the rushing scores against this defense have come in the last two weeks, so cracks may be starting to show. Walker isn't being used much in the passing game, with only 8 catches, but he's been effective with his limited opportunities (10 targets). DeeJay Dallas will likely be the change-of-pace and play in at least some passing situations, but he's averaged just 4 touches (9 runs and 3 receptions) the last three games. Seattle likely will be getting Travis Homer (rib) back, and he may emerge as their primary back on passing downs. ... Geno Smith once started a game for the Giants (and also started for the other New York team), but he's playing his best ball right now. He's averaging 245 passing yards and 19 more as a runner, with a 12 TDs. He's benefited from facing a lot of poor defenses (last five: Falcons, Lions, Saints, Cardinals, Chargers), but he's playing well. The Giants rank 10th in pass defense, but their ranking has also been helped somewhat by schedule (first four were against Tannehill, Mayfield, Rush and Fields). Last three (against Rodgers, Lamar Jackson and Lawrence) have seen the Giants give up an average of 247 passing yards, which is below-average these days. But just 7 touchdowns all season, with New York tightening things up when it counts. We're expecting fairly modest production, with this a better matchup for the run game, although Smith himself will account for some of that. ... DK Metcalf injured a knee last week. He's expected to miss this game and probably more, although Pete Carroll was a predictable mix of optimistic and vague when discussing it. But should be Tyler Lockett as the main wideout, and he's been having a solid season. Other than a game he missed most of with a hamstring injury, Lockett in his last five has caught 36 passes for an average of 85 yards, with 2 touchdowns. Better matchup for the ground game, but Lockett looks like a solid choice in PPR formats. Marquise Goodwin should be the other starter. He's 31 and has bounced around the league some, but he's produced at times, most notably with a 962-yard season in San Francisco (granted, five years ago). He stepped up with 4 catches for 67 yards and 2 TDs last week, but that was a leaky Chargers defense that lost J.C. Jackson along the way. Dee Eskridge will also play, but expectations should be low. Eskridge has caught 16 passes in 17 career games. Just 3 touchdowns by wide receivers against the Giants so far. ... Seattle is involving multiple tight ends, with Will Dissly and Noah Fant taking turns stepping up. Dissly has more yards in four games, Fant in three. Fant has 1 more catch (20-19), Dissly has the 3-1 scoring edge, both average 22-28 yards. A tight end has scored against New York in two of three, should anyone want to wade into this uncertainty. ... Jason Myers has double-digit kicking points in four of his last five games. The Giants have allowed 17 field goals, more than all but three teams; it's a defense that frequently bends without breaking (19th in yards allowed, but 6th in points). Thumbs up on Myers. ... The Seahawks Defense has given up a ton of production, but it's making some big plays, too. It has 12 takeaways (5th) and 17 sacks (10th), impressive considering the way it's been bleeding yards and points. But Daniel Jones isn't making the key mistakes; he's thrown just 2 interceptions and lost 2 fumbles. Jones has taken 20 sacks, nearly 3 per week, so Seattle grades out well in that area. Neither DeeJay Dallas nor Dee Eskridge is making an impact on returns.