Week 2 at Los Angles
Russell Wilson struggled in Week 1. He did throw for 258 yards, but it took 43 pass attempts to do so. He only threw one touchdown and also had an interception. Wilson's rushing yards continue to drop with only 16 on Sunday.
Now, you have to be concerned about his health as he suffered an ankle injury and although he is expected to play, is he 100 percent?
The Rams defense was expected to be pretty decent and they only allowed 170 passing yards in Week 1. However, they San Fran running game was doing most of the damage so it's hard to say if the pass defense was good or not.
Despite being on the road and the injury, start Wilson in all leagues as solid QB1. He shouldn't throw as many passes, but you should have better overall numbers with less attempts.
Week 1 vs. Miami
Russell Wilson really blossomed as a passer in 2015, putting up career highs across the board. Wilson's receivers have developed, and you could see last season he didn't really have a favorite receiver as he spread the ball around.
We expect to see more of that in 2016, as Wilson was one of top quarterbacks taken in almost every draft format. And expect a big week to start the season. The matchup is good against a Miami defense that was 24th in aFPA in 2015, and the game is in Seattle, where Wilson has been at his best.
Start Wilson in every type of league and format. He is the top-ranked fantasy quarterback for Week 1.
Fantasy Upside
Russell Wilson was a proven winner long before he became a solid fantasy quarterback. But the Seahawks' signal caller's passing numbers have climbed every year since his rookie campaign in 2012. Last year, he recorded his first 4,000 yard passing season, threw a career-high 34 touchdowns and kept his interception total in single digits for the third straight year. And don't forget he still likes to run. He was second in the NFL behind Cam Newton with 553 yards. Wilson has proven he is the real deal and after a blistering second half in 2015 (268 yards per game and 25 TDs), the numbers could continue to go up.
Fantasy Downside
A lot of people think Wilson has been lucky. Not with his play, but with his health. His body frame is not typical of the 21st century quarterback weighing in at 206 pounds. He runs a lot and gets sacked a lot yet has not missed a game in his career. He also has to deal with an offensive line that has been constantly rebuilt the last couple seasons. There probably is going to be four new starters in 2016. One other set of numbers to note is Wilson's fantasy rushing numbers, which were off-the-charts into 2014, came back down to earth last season, including a career-low one rushing touchdown.
2016 Bottom Line
Wilson is a top 5 fantasy quarterback. There is not doubt about it. But how high should you be willing to take him? His ADP suggests he has been going in the 4th round, but if you are considering taking him hire, keep in mind the depth at the quarterback position this season. There is plenty of good value in rounds 8 through 11. Of course, you would love to have Wilson on your team, but if that means taking him high, it could cost you some value at another position.
Week 19 vs Panthers
The weather along with an impressive defensive effort from the Vikings held Russell Wilson to some of this lowest totals of the season. He now has thrown for less than 200 yards in back-to-back games (only times this season he has been under 200) and last week threw one TD pass and one pick. It was the first time since Week 10 he had not thrown multiple touchdown passes and it was only his second interception during that span.
Wilson will play the Panthers for the second time this season. Carolina is 8th in aFPA to quarterbacks. Wilson threw for 241 yards in the first meeting and only one touchdown and that was in Seattle.
Wilson has been outstanding the second half of the season and the weather will be warmer in Charlotte. There are quarterbacks who rank higher for Divisional Playoff weekend, but he still is a good play.
Week 18 at Minnesota
Russell Wilson finished his strong second half with a three-touchdown pass (and one rushing) TD day against the Cardinals. In the last seven games, he threw 24 touchdowns and one interception. Included in that was a three-touchdown game against Minnesota. The conditions will be cold on Sunday, but Wilson is red-hot. He is the highest rated quarterback of Wild Card Weekend and should continue to put up great numbers. Start him in all formats for Week 18.
Week 17 at Cardinals
It was an interesting game for Russell Wilson who struggled at home, something you don't see very often. He threw his first interception since November 15th and just didn't look sharp. He did throw 41 passes which tied him for his season-high, but they didn't produce the fantasy results we have seen in recent weeks.
Wilson will face the Cardinals who are 13th in aFPA to quarterbacks and he struggled in the first meeting this season. This time he will be on the road, too.
We are going to bank on the fact that Wilson had a hiccup last week (still threw two touchdowns) and say he goes to Arizona and performs. Start him as a low-end QB1 for Week 17.
Week 16 vs St. Louis
Russell Wilson continues his historic run. He has now gone five games without a pick and has thrown 19 touchdowns over that span. He has been in a zone. The consistent fantasy numbers have never been done by Wilson over a time period this long.
Wilson has not seen the Rams since Week 1 when he threw for 254 yards, a touchdown and an interception. St. Louis ranks 10th in aFPA to quarterbacks. But with the way Wilson has been playing, it shouldn't matter. Start him in all leagues and formats as a Top-5 fantasy QB.
Week 15 vs Cleveland
It has been a historic run for Russell Wilson during the Seahawks four-game winning streak. After the first nine games, he threw 10 touchdown passes. In the last four, he has thrown 16.
And he has to licking his chops for Week 15 against Cleveland. They are 30th in aFPA to quarterbacks. Wilson is in a zone right now and it's very unlikely the Browns will will figure him out. Start him in all leagues as the No. 1 overall fantasy quarterback this week.
Week 14 vs Baltimore
What has gotten into Russell Wilson? After throwing for more than one touchdown once in the first nine games, he has thrown 3, 5 and 3 over the past three games. His completion rate is still off the charts and his yardage up weekly as well. Wilson has turned into a passing quarterback all of the sudden.
The Ravens are the next opponent for Seattle and Baltimore is 27th in aFPA to quarterbacks. We would like to use the road excuse this week when justifying Wilson's ranking, but after picking apart a good Minnesota defense last week on the road, Wilson seems to be in the kind of zone that it doesn't matter where he plays. Start him as a top-5 fantasy quarterback for Week 14 and expect more of the same from the last three weeks.
Week 13 vs Vikings
Russell Wilson exploded last week against Pittsburgh and might finally be heating up from a fantasy angle. Over the past two games, he has thrown for 605 yards and eight touchdowns after throwing a total of 10 in the previous 9 games. The matchups have been favorable, so take that into consideration, but maybe Wilson has turned the corner and will continue to be what we thought he was going to be at start of the regular season.
Wilson will face Minnesota this week, ranked 12th in aFPA to quarterbacks. The game is on the road which could make it tougher than it has been the past couple weeks. Still, we think Wilson is on a roll and we are going to ride him. Start him in all leagues and formats as a solid QB1 for Week 13.
