The preseason is in the books and soon the initial 53 man roster will be published. This preseason has been entirely about the positions needing competition and very little about those who will be providing fantasy points. My rundown is going to be focused on injuries and projections.

QB:

There are some that want to compare QB Drew Lock with great quarterbacks of the past who fought through similar tendencies for interceptions. That is fine. That is one part of what the preseason is about. Another part is having someone stick around as a roster backup and then make their statement in the games that count like QB Geno Smith has. Smith is the clear starter in Seattle. Lock may have great moments and may yet turn out to be a valuable starter, but that will not be this season. Smith's fantasy ceiling is really more related to injuries in the other skill positions than anything about himself. There are still some debates about his line, but this offensive line is the best Seattle has put on the field in at least a decade. At least since that TE Jimmy Graham trade disaster. More importantly now is the question, can Smith consistently provide 300 yards and 3TDs a game without a completely healthy group of receivers and a completely healthy set of running backs? 'Hawk fans have to be hoping that will be the case and may over value Smith at this point compared to someone who holds to hard analysis of these positions. As a 'Hawk fan I see Smith as a top ten fantasy projection. I think he should be drafted accordingly. If you are the type of fantasy coach that is going to have more fun watching the games if the Seahawks win, then you also should value Smith higher and add to your enjoyment when he does well or your frustration just like 'Hawk fans had for generations before the Super Bowl win against the Broncos and have gone back to after the Graham trade. Honestly, I see QB Matt Hasselbeck numbers (220 yards per game and 2 TDs) as being a failure for Smith. Any analysis should show him likely to exceed those numbers and validate taking him fairly high in a fantasy draft.

RB:

Injury discussion #1. RB Ken Walker is back from injury but has essentially not played at all. RB Zach Charbonnet has flashed greatness, but not really been what he looked like he could be yet. If these guys are both healthy and Charbonnet steps up his game, they both can catch out of the backfield and they both can require a defense to focus on the run, either of which improves Smith's projected numbers. Charbonnet did not overwhelm in Walker's absence which makes me think that Walker will get the majority of the carries out of the gate. I would draft Walker with confidence, but still think Charbonnet should be drafted late by anyone who has already drafted Walker.

WR:

Injury (and suspension) discussion #2. WR Dee Eskridge is out of the discussion with his suspension which is the only reason we are not discussing that his performance may not even make him the fourth best receiver on this roster anymore. At any rate, do not draft him! WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the solution at #3 for Seattle, but he managed to get injured in preseason and will miss some undisclosed amount of time. Or maybe that is smoke and mirrors and he will be on the field for the first snap? This impacts his draft position because he is likely to get a lot of attention from Smith when he is healthy and in the rotation. I would still pick him in the top half of the draft because of his ceiling. WR DK Metcalf is the star and should be the first 'Hawk receiver drafted. WR Tyler Lockett is a bit more of a risk as he ages and seems to have more risk of injury. But both have proven to be valuable starters each year though sometimes one at the cost of the other. Meaning a fantasy coach can be sure they should start one of the two based on the opposing defense, but starting the wrong one can cost you your fantasy game. When Smith-Njigba is back from injury that should change a bit by freeing up both Lockett and Metcalf from either being double-teamed. That is a very scary line up for opposing secondaries. The other name to know is WR Jake Bobo. Bobo looks to be the third receiver as the year starts. He has become that training camp fan favorite who may or may not be completely forgotten a few weeks from now. But for now, I would recommend picking him up at the end of your draft just to see how he plays out as a sleeper. All others are underperforming or injured and really not in the conversation for fantasy drafts.

TE:

As Seattle's offensive line gets better perhaps these tight ends will see more and more routes? I do like the idea of TE Colby Parkinson having a breakout season. It would be a nice story and the potential is there. I always look at the fantasy tight end as a weekly gamble because there are so few who are truly consistent week after week, so I would draft Parkinson over TE Noah Fant or TE Will Dissly just because he has the higher ceiling for growth. Fant is solid and a more logical start. Dissly has been in the system longer and is all 'Hawk. But I just have the feeling that Parkinson is going to be fun to have on a fantasy team this year. That feeling and a fiver might be worth a cup of coffee, but that is where my head is at.

K:

Here is the deal and I will say more in the defense breakdown. Pun intended. Seattle's defensive line and linebackers have a lot to prove and may well be the weakest link on the team. That makes it likely that Seattle will have to score often. So PK Jason Myers should benefit from this as long as the games are not so out of line that Coach Carroll is avoiding field goals entirely. I think Myers should be drafted in the top ten based on his solid year last year, which hopefully was not all contract year driven, and the likely need and opportunity for scoring that the 'Hawks will have.

D:

At the time you read this something may have changed. Seattle may do something logical and bring in more talent and size for this line. DT Cameron Young has missed most of the preseason with a calf strain and most likely was not enough to make up for these issues on his own anyway. Seattle has some scheming ideas with veteran personnel, but expect them to be slapped around in the trenches when this season gets started. Returning LB Bobby Wagner should have brought a posse with him to hunt down a run defense.

That said, this may well be the best secondary in football and one that is so good that they have extra depth and could line up some of these guys on the edge. SS Jamal Adams looks to be healthy again and would be difficult to defend in that role.

As a team defense I cannot recommend drafting Seattle very high. If you do draft them they likely will overperform early and then fall after game 6 or so when whatever schemes they have in mind play out and are no longer surprises. IDP leaders are likely to be Wagner and Adams and they should be drafted high.

Go 'Hawks!

End.