The Worksheet, a fantasy football overview by Rich Hribar, breaking down everything you need to know for the Week 1 Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks Monday Night Football game.
| Denver | Rank | @ | Seattle | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -6.5 | Spread | 6.5 | ||
| 24.75 | Implied Total | 18.25 | ||
| 19.7 | 23 | Points/Gm | 23.2 | 16 |
| 18.9 | 2 | Points All./Gm | 21.5 | 12 |
| 60.9 | 26 | Plays/Gm | 56.1 | 32 |
| 61.1 | 8 | Opp. Plays/Gm | 70.6 | 32 |
| 5.4 | 19 | Off. Yards/Play | 5.8 | 8 |
| 5.3 | 14 | Def. Yards/Play | 5.4 | 16 |
| 43.92% | 10 | Rush% | 43.29% | 13 |
| 56.08% | 23 | Pass% | 56.71% | 20 |
| 42.44% | 18 | Opp. Rush % | 42.38% | 17 |
| 57.56% | 15 | Opp. Pass % | 57.62% | 16 |
- Seattle was second in the NFL in yardage produced per touchdown (114.7 yards) in 2021 as they were 20th in expected touchdowns scored but tied for 11th in actual touchdowns scored.
- 73.9% of the Seattle scoring plays were touchdowns, the highest rate in the NFL in 2021.
- The Seahawks averaged 14.5 fewer plays per game than their opponent, the largest per game differential since 2008.
- In 2021, Denver wideouts combined for just eight touchdown receptions, which was 31st in the league.
- The Seahawks allowed over 60 yards of offense on a league-high 56 drives in 2021.
Trust = spike production for that player
Quarterback
Russell Wilson (TRUST): 2021 left many wondering if Wilson’s days as an elite fantasy quarterback are over. Wilson missed games for the first time in his career and had just one top-six scoring week.
That said, he still did hold a steady floor, finishing as the QB13 in points per game (17.3) with a QB1 scoring performance in half of his starts. Despite the limited counting stats, Wilson still posted a 6.3% touchdown rate, his fifth straight season over 6.0%. Wilson was fourth in the league in passing points per attempt (.531) behind Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow, and Matthew Stafford.
Moving away from the archaic offensive approach in Seattle, Wilson has upgrades across the board in Denver. While the Broncos may not have individual wide receivers as good as DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, their wide receiver room runs deeper, while the running backs, tight ends, and offensive line are significant upgrades than where things left off with the Seahawks.
The Seahawks were 30th as a team in pressure rate allowed (37.7%) in 2021 while the Broncos closed the season 16th in the league in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric (61%). At Pro Football Focus, Denver ranked ninth in collective pass blocking grade.
Wilson gets to return to Seattle in his very first game with the Broncos to face his old team.
In 2021, Seattle ranked 25th in the league in passing points allowed per game (15.8) while allowing 7.2 yards per pass attempt (23rd). Seattle is starting one of the youngest secondaries in the NFL this season, with two rookies in Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant expected to start alongside Sidney Jones, who allowed a 62.5% completion rate and 13.1 yards per completion in coverage a year ago with Seattle. Both Woolen and Bryant played well this preseason but will have a tall task in their NFL debuts.