Lions vs. Seahawks Fantasy Football Worksheet, Week 4

The Worksheet, a comprehensive fantasy football preview by Rich Hribar, breaks down everything you need to know about the Week 4 matchup between the Lions and Seahawks on Monday Night Football.

Find a breakdown of every Week 4 NFL game in our Worksheet Hub.

Trust = spike production for that player

Quarterback

Jared Goff: Goff is coming off his best game of the season, completing 78.3% of his passes for 8.7 yards per attempt with 2 touchdowns in Arizona.

Unfortunately, that was only good for the QB18 (14.6 points).

Goff has had great matchups through three weeks and closed those weeks as the QB18, QB27, and QB18.

Goff is QB28 in passing points per attempt (0.311).

While Goff is best used as a floor-based QB2, this week should reveal more about how improved this Seattle defense is under Mike Macdonald.

Seattle has allowed the fewest passing points per attempt in the league (0.187) and only 4.7 yards per pass attempt.

But they also have faced Bo Nix, Jacoby Brissett, and the combination of Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle.

Seattle has pressured those quarterbacks 44.2% of the time, third in the league.

Pressure has always been the name of the game against Goff.

With the Lions, Goff has a 111.7 rating when kept clean (QB3) as opposed to a 60.9 rating when pressured (QB28).

Geno Smith: Smith threw for a season-high 8.5 yards per pass attempt and completed a season-high 76.5% of his passes on Sunday, but with only one passing touchdown and a pair of interceptions, he ended the week as QB22 (11.4 points).

Outside of ball protection hiccups, Smith is completing 74.8% of his passes (third) for 7.6 yards per pass attempt (10th) early this season.

Seattle is using motion on 42.0% of the dropbacks (21st) and play action on a league-low 15.5% of dropbacks.

We would like to see Ryan Grubb incorporate more easy buttons into this offense, but the early results have been positive despite those lower-end rates in motion and play action.

Smith has had a ton of success in the past two matchups with these teams.

He has closed those weeks as the QB2 (31.7 points) and QB7 (23.1 points).

I prefer to use Smith as a QB2, but his success against Aaron Glenn, who tried multiple points of attack, offers upside for a better fantasy line.

Glenn has blitzed Smith on 32.9% of his dropbacks in those games, but he dialed back the pass coverage in the last meeting, playing man coverage just 20% of the time, their fourth-lowest rate a year ago.

Right now, the Lions are playing man coverage on 42.7% of passing plays, which is third in the league.

When Detroit has gone to man coverage in this matchup, Smith has hit on 16-of-22 (72.7%) of his passes for 8.1 yards per attempt and 2 touchdowns.

Finding a way to put pressure on Smith without being aggressive on the back end will be critical for Detroit.

Like Goff, Smith’s largest bugaboo is handling pressure.

When pressured to open the season, he has a 58.3 rating (22nd), throwing 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions.

Kept clean, Smith has completed 82.6% of his passes for 7.9 yards per attempt and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions.

Detroit has played better pass defense as a unit to open this season than in previous versions, which is why there is hesitation in going all-in on Smith.

The Lions just being middle-of-the-pack against the pass is a significant development compared to the past two seasons when they were at the bottom of the league.

Detroit has allowed 7.0 yards per attempt (15th) and a 2.9% touchdown rate (11th) through three weeks.

Running Back

Jahmyr Gibbs: Gibbs turned 16 touches into 103 yards on Sunday, finding the end zone on a sweet hook and ladder play call.

Gibbs joined the rare company of having a touchdown reception without being credited with a reception in a game.

Gibbs has been out-touched by David Montgomery in two of the opening three games of the season, but he keeps finding ways to hit as a fringe RB1, posting 74 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, 106 yards in Week 2, and last week’s 103 and a touchdown.

That fringe-RB1 level is where he is in this matchup.

Seattle has not faced strong offensive opponents based on quarterback play, which makes it hard to gauge where this defense is and adds a layer of potential volatility.

The one thing we do have a good idea of is that this Detroit backfield has a track record of being productive regardless of matchup.

David Montgomery: Montgomery turned 26 touches into 122 yards in Arizona, finding the end zone for the third straight game.

Montgomery has scored a touchdown in six consecutive regular season games and eight of his past nine games.

He is tied to those scores, which keeps him as an RB2, but he continues to log touchdowns.

Even with a touchdown in each game this season, only one of those was an RB1 scoring week.

Detroit will be without center Frank Ragnow, which is a potential downgrade, but Leonard Williams may miss the game for Seattle to balance the scales on the interior.

Byron Murphy also left last week’s game.

We are not overly leaning on the success of the Seattle defense to this point without gauging it against a run game like this one, but they are fifth in points allowed per touch to backfields (0.68).

Seahawks RBs: With Seattle having an extra day this week, Kenneth Walker may have a shot at returning to the lineup after missing the past two games with a chest injury.

We did not see the receiving usage Ryan Grubb talked up this summer for Walker in Week 1 (2 catches for 6 yards), but Walker was in complete control of this backfield when active.

Through three quarters in Week 1, Walker out-snapped Zach Charbonnet 35-to-9 and even out-snapped him 6-to-1 on third downs.

Grubb may not have worked Walker into passing game touches, but his increased use of 11 personnel did create an advantage for Walker in seeing light fronts.

Walker faced six or fewer defenders in the box on 55.0% of his runs in Week 1, his highest rate in a game for his career.

Walker could be more limited in his first game back, so we will follow his practice status this week.

If Walker is not ready to return, Charbonnet has handled 100% and 87.5% of the backfield touches the past two weeks.

If Walker plays, then he is a volatile RB2.

If Walker sits another week, then Charbonnet is a volume-based RB2.

That is because this matchup is one of the worst for running games.

So far, Detroit has faced 50 running back runs, allowing 2.8 yards per carry (2nd) and ranking fourth in rushing points allowed per game (6.6) to backfields.

The Lions have not allowed a running back to hit 70 yards rushing yards in a regular-season game since the start of last season.

Walker did have 2 touchdowns when these teams played last season, but the Seattle backs combined for 62 yards on 22 attempts.

We are looking for either back to get into the end zone to aid their fantasy line on Monday.

Wide Receiver

Amon-Ra St. Brown: After 3 catches for 13 yards in the season opener, St. Brown has quickly rebounded with games of 11-119-0 (19 targets) and 7-75-1 (8 targets).

He has soaked up 34.0% and 36.4% of the team targets in those games.

St. Brown is a fantasy WR1 and will reveal how to handle this Seattle defense for the rest of the season.

He is splitting snaps outside (51.7%) and the slot (45.8%), which helps in this matchup.

While I question just how good this Seattle defense is based on the quarterbacks they have faced, this team still has strong boundary corners in Tariq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon.

Seattle is allowing 6.0 yards per target to outside receivers (third).

St. Brown had 6 catches for 102 yards in this matchup last year, with 4 of those catches and 58 yards coming from the slot.

DK Metcalf: Metcalf got loose behind the defense again last week, catching a 71-yard touchdown to get the scoring started for the Seahawks.

He has now gotten free for long scores in the past two weeks.

It would be great if that keeps happening, but Metcalf is still a borderline WR1 option.

Metcalf leads the Seahawks with 23.8% of the targets and a target on 22.9% of his routes.

If Detroit does not alter their game plan and remain aggressive here, Metcalf leads the team with 27.8% of the targets against man coverage.

For his career, Metcalf has been at his best against man coverage, averaging 2.55 yards per route run compared to 1.89 yards per route run against zone coverage.

In the previous two matchups with these teams, Metcalf had games of 6-75-0 and 7-149-0.

Jameson Williams: After games of 5-121-1 (9 targets) and 5-79-0 (11 targets) to open the season, Williams only managed to catch 1-of-3 targets for 9 yards on Sunday.

A potential absence for Sam LaPorta can boost Williams’ targets, but given what was mentioned earlier with St. Brown, I do have pause about this matchup.

Williams is playing 72.6% of his snaps outside, which is the strength of this pass defense even if applying a grain of salt for the opposing quarterbacks.

Williams is fast enough to hit against anyone, but Seattle has allowed one reception to a wide receiver on throws 20 yards or further downfield.

In this matchup, Williams is a boom-or-bust FLEX.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba: It has been a roller-coaster ride with JSN to open the year.

He has opened the season as the WR76 (2-19-0), WR8 (12-117-0), and WR59 (3-39-0).

While the production has been uneven, Smith-Njigba leads the team with a 94.6% route participation rate.

His role as a primary slot receiver puts him in play as a matchup-based WR4/FLEX.

Smith-Njigba is playing 76.8% of his snaps in the slot.

Detroit has allowed a league-high 27 receptions to slot receivers, allowing the Rams (14-123-1), Buccaneers (6-116-1), and Cardinals (7-55-0) interior wideouts to have success.

Smith-Njigba is not Cooper Kupp or Chris Godwin, but slot receivers have had double-digit targets in two of those three games including Arizona last weekend.

Tyler Lockett: Lockett secured 5-of-8 targets for 46 yards on Sunday.

Usage has been up and down, with Lockett garnering 28.0%, 4.7%, and 24.2% of the team targets while running a route on 80.4% of the team dropbacks.

Lockett has run the fewest routes among the Seattle receivers in all three games.

With Smith-Njigba playing more this season, Lockett has played more outside than in previous seasons.

He is playing 71.2% of his snaps outside, which would be the highest rate of his career.

That could hurt him if the ball goes to JSN in the slot in this matchup, but Lockett is drawing targets against man coverage.

He has been targeted on 23.3% of his routes against man coverage compared to a 16.9% rate versus zone coverage.

If Detroit plays aggressively, Lockett could make a play as a WR4/FLEX.

Tight End

Noah Fant: Fant has caught 9-of-13 targets for 85 yards to open the season.

He is only a dart to throw in single-game DFS, running a route on 67.9% of the dropbacks with 12.9% of the team targets.

Brock Wright: With Sam LaPorta working through a low-ankle sprain and Detroit having a Week 5 bye, the Lions could use this opportunity to ensure LaPorta gets 100% with two full weeks off.

We will follow LaPorta’s status through the week, but open the week pessimistic that he will be out there against Seattle.

If LaPorta does miss, Brock Wright will take his place.

Wright ran a route on 87.5% of the dropbacks with LaPorta off the field last week.

He caught 4-of-5 targets for 34 yards, but all those catches came with LaPorta on the field.

Wright is a lower-end streamer for needy gamers and is best used in single-game DFS.

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