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Fantasy Football and NFL News, Rumors and Injury Updates

Seattle Seahawks Week 19 Fantasy Analysis

January 11, 2008 @ 11:11:03

By Herija C. Green
Edited by Michael Egnak

Seattle Seahawks Fantasy Matchups - NFC Divisional Round Playoff

Opponent: at Green Bay Packers

Seattle (11-6) survived a hard-fought Wild Card showdown with the Washington Redskins last Saturday, turning a 14-13 deficit in the fourth quarter into a 35-14 victory. The final score was hardly indicative of the game with Seattle returning a pair of late interceptions for touchdowns. This week they travel to face the Packers (13-3), who earned a first-round Bye. The two teams did not meet during the regular season, but this figures to be a tough task for a Seattle team that really struggled outside of the Emerald City in 2007 (8-1 at home including playoffs, 3-5 on the road).

Quarterback

Table: Per-Game Statistics - Weeks 15-18

Player	G	Comp/G	Att/G	Pass Yds/G	Pass TDs/G	INTs/G	Rush Yds/G	Rush TDs/G	PH
Matt Hasselbeck	4	20	31	212.2	1.25	1.00	8.2	0.00	X

Already battling a sore right wrist, Hasselbeck (quadriceps) sustained a deep thigh bruise during the team's Wild Card game but is expected to start this Saturday. The veteran struggled quite a bit against the Redskins, tossing a couple of interceptions and fumbling the ball. He did throw the go-ahead touchdown to wide receiver D.J. Hackett in the fourth quarter, but it was a pedestrian performance overall. This week he is a second-tier starter with a weak play on the road in Green Bay.

Table: Opponent vs. Position

Team	G	Comp/G	Att/G	Pass Yds/G	Pass TDs/G	INTs/G	Rush Yds/G	Rush TDs/G
Packers	3	17	34	188.7	1.00	1.33	-0.3	0.00

The Packers didn't allow much in their final three games despite resting many of their starters in Week 17. They figure to be well rested and could put some heat on Hasselbeck.

Running Back

Table: Per-Game Statistics - Weeks 15-18

Player	G	Util/G (%)	RZ Util/G (%)	In-5 Util/G	Rush Yds/G	Rush TDs/G	Rec/G	Rec Yds/G	Rec TDs/G	PH
Shaun Alexander	4	8.00 (18.34)	1.50 (29.46)	0.50	41.8	0.25	1.00	4.8	0.25	++
Maurice Morris	4	11.00 (18.34)	1.25 (18.41)	0.00	39.8	0.25	2.25	12.0	0.00	-
Leonard Weaver	4	6.25 (10.86)	0.25 (7.36)	0.00	16.2	0.25	3.00	19.5	0.00	N/A

It was pretty obvious last week which running back figures to get the majority of the touches for Seattle in the playoffs as Alexander carried the ball 17 times and added a pair of receptions to account for 45 total yards. The veteran has had some big games against the Packers during his career, though things are quite different entering this weekend as he is no longer the focal point of the offense while Green Bay features an improved defensive unit. Play him as a decent No. 2 option with a strong play.

With four carries and zero receptions last Saturday, Morris did little to instill confidence in many fantasy owners. We think he's in line for a bit of a bounce back performance this week as the Packers don't figure to be nearly as methodical as Washington, which might necessitate more of an aerial game from Seattle and would favor Morris' pass-catching ability. Like Alexander, Morris is a solid No. 2 back and a strong play against Green Bay.

Weaver had just one carry against the Redskins, but it went for a 17-yard touchdown and made him their top fantasy back for the week. He added a pair of receptions and can be played this weekend as a No. 2 or No. 3 fantasy runner with a strong play.

Table: Opponent vs. Position

Team	G	Att/G	Rush Yds/G	Rush TDs/G	Rec/G	Rec Yds/G	Rec TDs/G
Packers	3	30.0	118.3	0.67	4.00	46.0	0.00

Teams have had some success moving the ball against Green Bay on the ground, though it's worth noting that much of the damage was done by St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson back in Week 15. Still, the Seahawks could find some room to run if they commit to the ground game.

Wide Receiver

Table: Per-Game Statistics - Weeks 15-18

Player	G	Targets/G (%)	RZ Targets/G (%)	In-5 Targets/G	Rec/G	Rec Yds/G	Rec TDs/G	PH
Bobby Engram	4	5.75 (11.23)	0.00 (0.00)	0.00	5.50	68.8	0.25	N/A
Deion Branch	2	9.50 (7.11)	2.00 (14.73)	0.00	5.00	51.5	0.50	-
Nate Burleson	4	5.50 (10.86)	0.50 (7.36)	0.00	4.25	63.8	0.75	-
D.J. Hackett	2	4.50 (5.99)	0.00 (3.68)	0.00	5.00	71.0	0.50	+
Courtney Taylor	2	1.00 (0.75)	0.00 (0.00)	0.00	1.00	6.5	0.00	N/A
Ben Obomanu	4	1.25 (2.62)	0.00 (0.00)	0.00	0.75	8.5	0.00	N/A

Engram continues to be a solid option for Hasselbeck, catching four passes for 57 yards against Washington. His role could diminish a bit with Branch (calf) expected to return to the lineup this week, but he is still a No. 1 or No. 2 option.

Branch was inactive last Saturday due to a calf injury, but he did participate in practice Thursday. Head coach Mike Holmgren has said he expects the former Super Bowl MVP to play come Saturday. If he's a go, he can be played as a No. 2 receiver.

The Seahawks were clearly trying to get the ball in Burleson's hands with room to operate last week, and while he didn't break a big one he did finish with respectable totals of six catches and 64 yards. A lot of his better games have come when Seattle's receiving corps has been missing either Branch or Hackett, so it'll be interesting to see how much he contributes if both are indeed active. At this point we like him as a solid No. 1 selection.

Hackett caught the big touchdown pass and finished with a game-high 101 yards on six catches. Though he played in just six games this year, Hackett has been a big-time contributor when healthy. He is also a No. 1 fantasy wideout for this Saturday's matchup.

Neither Obomanu nor Taylor found their way into the box score last week, and both should remain on your league's waiver wire.

Table: Opponent vs. Position

Team	G	Rec/G	Rec Yds/G	Rec TDs/G
Packers	3	10.33	125.3	0.67

Green Bay features one of the NFL's better defensive backfields with cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson on the outside and emerging safety Atari Bigby, who was the NFC's Defensive Player of the Month in December, patrolling the middle. This figures to be an exciting matchup to watch.

Tight End

Table: Per-Game Statistics - Weeks 15-18

Player	G	Targets/G (%)	RZ Targets/G (%)	In-5 Targets/G	Rec/G	Rec Yds/G	Rec TDs/G	PH
Marcus Pollard	4	1.75 (3.37)	0.25 (3.68)	0.00	1.50	13.5	0.00	N/A
Will Heller	4	1.75 (2.62)	0.50 (7.36)	0.00	0.75	9.2	0.00	N/A

Pollard didn't record an official reception last week, but he did catch Hasselbeck's toss on the two-point conversion to give Seattle a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter. He is a low-end No. 1 or bench option this week.

Heller did not have a catch last week and has no fantasy value at this time.

Table: Opponent vs. Position

Team	G	Rec/G	Rec Yds/G	Rec TDs/G
Packers	3	2.33	17.3	0.33

The Packers have stifled opposing tight ends over the past month, though they haven't really faced anyone with big-time talent at the position. Then again, they're not facing such a player this week, either.

Place Kicker

Table: Per-Game Statistics - Weeks 15-18

Player	G	FG/G	FG Att/G	XP/G	XP Att/G	Kick Pts/G
Josh Brown	4	1.75	1.75	3.00	3.00	8.2

Brown converted both of his field goals and added three extra points for a nine-point afternoon last Saturday. Kicking in much harsher elements this week figures to make it more difficult, but he and his electric pants still make for a quality No. 1 kicking option this weekend.

Table: Opponent vs. Position

Team	G	FG/G	FG Att/G	XP/G	XP Att/G	Kick Pts/G
Packers	3	1.33	1.67	2.00	2.00	6.0

Green Bay hasn't allowed a lot of points to opposing kickers, but they aren't the type of shutdown unit some of the other remaining playoff teams are, either.

Defensive Team/Special Teams

Table: Per-Game Statistics - Weeks 15-18

Team	G	Off Pts Allowed/G	Net Yds Allowed/G	Sacks/G	INT/G	Fum Rec/G
Seahawks	4	19.2	324.5	1.75	0.50	0.75

The Seahawks kept the Redskins in check for the first three quarters before surrendering 14 quick points to begin the fourth. However, they came up big after Washington recovered a kick deep in Seattle territory, forcing a field goal attempt that was missed by Redskins place kicker Shaun Suisham. From there they took over the game, returning two interceptions for touchdowns to seal the victory. They also did a good job of applying pressure, particularly defensive end Patrick Kerney. However, containing Green Bay's offense figures to be a much more difficult task, which is why they rate near the bottom of fantasy defenses this week.

Table: Opponent Offense vs. Defense

Team	G	Off Pts/G	Net Yds/G	Sacks Allowed/G	INT Thrown/G	Fum Lost/G
Packers	3	24.7	315.7	0.67	1.33	0.67

Green Bay featured one of the league's best offenses throughout the 2007 season, which evolved from a pass-heavy group into a more balanced attack with the emergence of running back Ryan Grant. They can still spread out a defense with arguably the league's deepest receiving group and quarterback Brett Favre delivering the ball. Outside of a couple games against the Chicago Bears they've done a good job of ball security, and solid blocking along with Favre's quick release make it tough for teams to get a lot of pressure on the veteran.