LestersLegends.com » Matt Hasselbeck


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You might as well call it the NFC Mess. Aside from St. Louis, this division is riddled with questions.
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Sam Bradford set the rookie completion record and truly delivered as the first overall pick. Bradford still has a ways to go before he can be considered a QB1, but he certainly has the makings of one. He only had six multiple touchdown games and just one 300-yard effort. Amazingly he did it without many weapons. The Rams added  tight end Lance Kendricks and receivers Austin Pettis and Gregory Salas in the NFL Draft.
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Matt Hasselbeck would probably be the second best quarterback in the league, if he returns to Seattle. That has become a major question mark. Charlie Whitehurst didn’t quite cut it. We’ll have to wait and see who wins the starting gig next year we can say if their quarterback has fantasy value next year.
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Alex Smith is expected to be back with the 49ers, but Colin Kaepernick is expected to be the future. Smith can be a decent spot starter if he wins the job, but he may not respond well to looking over his shoulder. Seems like a situation to avoid.
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Then you have Arizona, who is in dire need of an upgrade at the position. They are rumored to be the front runners in the Kevin Kolb sweepstakes. If he does land in the desert, he would instantly become the second best quarterback in the division. Other than St. Louis, this really is a wait-and-see division.
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Not that it should affect your NFL Playoffs fantasy team, but Matt Hasselbeck will get the nod over Charlie Whitehurst in the Seahawks’ playoff matchup with the Saints.
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Apparently Pete Carroll thinks that Hasselbeck’s experience better equips the team for their upset bid. I wouldn’t recommend either quarterback for fantasy teams, but I do think this gives Big Mike Williams a slight bump in value. It should also make things a little easier for Marshawn Lynch.
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I expect Pete Carroll to be successful with the Seahawks…eventually. They just don’t have the pieces in place for it to happen right away.

 

Fantasy Playoffs Schedule:   Difficult
The Seahawks take on the Niners in San Francisco in Week 14. Then they play the Falcons at home. They have a nice match-up against Tampa Bay in Week 16, but it’s on the road. Plus, how many Seahawks are you going to rely on in the fantasy championship.

 

Five Star Fantasy Options
None

 

Four Star Fantasy Options
John Carlson – Somebody has to catch the ball. Carlson has been effective despite the Seahawks struggles, averaging 53 catches for 600 yards and 6 TDs the past two seasons.

 

Three Star Fantasy Options
None

 

Two Star Fantasy Options
Justin Forsett – For now, Forsett is probably the best option. If Leon Washington is healthy or Marshawn Lynch is acquired, you can all but write Forsett off. Until then, he’s the best option they have in the running game. He’s also a good receiver out of the backfield. Very quick and elusive.

 

T.J. Houshmandzadeh – Housh had a choice between the Seahawks and the Vikings last year. I wonder if he’d still go for the money if he could do it over again. He has good hands and size so he’ll have some moments. He’s just not in a good situation. He is playing with either an old or an inexperienced QB. There isn’t much of a running game to keep defenses honest. There aren’t a lot of other receivers to keep defenses from keying in on him.

 

Golden Tate – As long as he isn’t too tempted by late night snack runs, Tate should have some moments along the way, but consistency will be an issue.

 

Seahawks Defense/Special Teams – If Washington returns to form, the Seahawks will have a strong return game. Their defense should improve with rookie Earl Thomas’ arrival.

 

One Star Fantasy Options
Matt Hasselbeck – He’s old. He can’t stay healthy. He has very few options in the passing game. If you’re taking Hasselbeck as your QB2, you may be drafting the name.

 

Charlie Whitehurst – He’s going to get his snaps so Carroll can see what he has. It’s hard to gauge a QB that has never taken a snap at this level. When you have a bad line, non-existent running game, and limited options at WR, you can’t get too excited over his prospects.

 

Julius Jones & Leon Washington – Jones bores me to tears while Washington must prove his back from a horrific leg injury. Jones will have a few solid games if he gets 15-20 carries, but they will be few and far between. Forsett’s skill set is similar to Washington, which could limit his fantasy impact.

 

Deon Butler – Butler has good speed, but will likely be fighting for crumbs after Carlson, Housh, and Tate have been fed.

 

Half Star Fantasy Options
Louis Rankin & Quinton Ganther – Since the Seahawks’ RB situation is so cloudy, this duo should at least be mentioned. They could get meaningful carries at some point of the season. That said, You surely don’t need to draft them unless they ascend up the depth charts (unlikely) during Training Camp.

 

Deion Branch – Branch has had too many injuries to be a factor any more.

 

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Time for another Fourth & 1 Roundtable Debate.  Junkyard Jake came up with this week’s topic.  Click here to see the full article.

Every year there are Wide Receivers that get off to quick starts. The key is sniffing out if they are contenders or pretenders.  The obvious choices early on are the Giants duo of Mario Manningham and Steve Smith and St. Louis’ Laurent Robinson.  I would endorse those three, especially the Giants duo first and foremost, but I decided to dig a little deeper.

A name that comes to mind is Seattle’s Nate Burleson.  He started the season with a bang with 7 catches for 74 yards and a TD in a win over St. Louis. He followed that up with 4 catches for 46 yards in a loss to San Francisco. Aside from the production, the encouraging aspect was the number of targets.  He led the Seahawks in targets both games, with 11 and 10 respectively.

The key for his continued success is his health.  Though Matt Hasselbeck is questionable with a fractured rib, Seneca Wallace is a capable replacement. With T.J. Houshmandzadeh and John Carlson receiving most of the defensive focus, Burleson makes a solid fill-in player during the bye weeks.

Panelists
Junkyard Jake of www.junkyardjake.com
Ryan Lester of www.lesterslegends.com
Paul Greco of www.fantasypros911.com
Bryce McRae of www.kffl.com
Kurt Turner of www.top-fantasy-football.com
Eric Stashin of www.rotoprofessor.com
Lee of www.footballjabber.com
Smitty of www.fantasyfootballxtreme.com

Mike Bell (sprained knee) is not serious.  There is a chance that he plays this week against Buffalo.  Look for Pierre Thomas to get more work.  It seems like the trio will get theirs every week.  It’s just a matter of who can stay healthy.  With their passing attack, they could probably drag Deuce McAllister off his couch and he’d be productive.

Troy Williamson (shoulder) is done for the year.  He’ll always have his preseason.

It appears that DeSean Jackson’s groin pull was a mild one and he should be good to go against Kansas City this weekend.  His role could be limited, and with the risk of aggravating his injury, it may be best to look for a replacement.

Marion Barber also looks to be fine after straining his quad.  With Felix Jones and Tashard Choice as options, Barber could have a limited workload against Carolina.

It appears that Matt Hasselbeck has a fractured rib and will miss their tilt with Chicago this week.  Seneca Wallace is an option in two QB leagues, but I wouldn’t consider in standard leagues.  When Wallace replaced Hasselbeck last year, he looked to Deion Branch.  T.J. Houshmandzadeh could see more targets.  I’d downgrade Nate Burleson and John Carlson if Hasslebeck can’t go.


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