Dugar said Kupp’s “wiggle” allows him to maintain high-level play on three “little” routes that keep him operating in the short-to-intermediate field depths. Dugar adds that Seahawks coaches are lining up Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba “pretty much everywhere,” but he expects Smith-Njigba to handle perimeter duties in high-leverage situations. It sounds like the Seahawks will do everything they can to provide Kupp with fantasy-friendly layup opportunities in his age-32 season.

Critically, Smith-Njigba will still have ample opportunities to line up in the slot, and might not be used as a pure X-receiver “a ton,” due to OC Klint Kubiak’s frequent motion use and tight split formations. However, it appears as though Smith-Njigba’s career 77.3 percent slot rate will tick down a few notches this season. Dugar believes that when the Seahawks “need someone, on a particular play, to go win from the outside,” Smith-Njigba will be called upon while Cooper Kupp remains in the slot. Dugar simultaneously noted the Seahawks’ shallow wide receivers corps while complimenting Smith-Njigba’s development, saying he “is the only guy on the team who can win from everywhere.” Given that dynamic, Smith-Njigba should command both a WR1-worthy target share and the attention of No. 1 cornerbacks. Dugar thinks that “teams are going to learn very quickly that you have to put your best [cornerback] out there” when Smith-Njigba is lined up out wide.

As reported by The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Duggar, Milroe played behind both Sam Darnold and Drew Lock and “didn’t have many plays that stood out” during the week. The team’s decision to play him with the third-string shouldn’t come as a surprise, as there’s a good chance Milroe, who was considered an unpolished passer upon entering the draft, could redshirt in his rookie season as he looks to learn behind two vets. While he could usurp Drew Lock on the depth chart with a strong training camp, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect much out of Milroe as a rookie outside of the occasional gadget play.

Lucas says, “the offense is going to be based around” the run game. Under orders from head coach Mike Macdonald “to be a physical unit and dictate terms to the defense,” the Seahawks’ revamped offensive coaching staff is telling players that the goal is to be “elite” at “the basics,” and to make sure that they “can do it against anybody.” The Seahawks’ “old-school mentality” is further embodied by their plan to use a fullback this season, something that just 11 teams did last year, including OC Klint Kubiak’s former Saints squad. Pending good health, Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III is evidently in line for a significant rushing workload, and he was encouragingly on the field for voluntary organized team activities this week, after ending the 2024 season on injured reserve. It is unclear whether there will be enough work for No. 2 RB Zach Charbonnet to have standalone value, but at worst, he profiles as an elite bench stash.