Week 5 vs Rams
Russell Wilson didn't fully cook through the air against the 49ers, but he did enough damage through the air and on the ground, totaling three touchdowns and Wilson still has not lost three straight in his career. Now he gets his nemesis, the Rams. LA has gotten the better of Wilson lately, winning six of their last eight meetings, including last season's Wild Card Playoff. In fact, Wilson has just one touchdown pass versus three interceptions in his last three regular-season games against the Rams and had just 174 yards, two touchdowns and an interception back in January. It's a short week, but Arizona also just showed that LA's defense isn't invincible. Wilson should continue to be started, especially at home.
Week 4 at 49ers
He didn't fully cook against the Vikings, but Russell Wilson still hit almost 300 yards and a touchdown in a losing effort in Week 3. Now he'll try to avoid losing three straight for the first time in his career as he faces the 49ers on Sunday. Wilson threw six total touchdown passes against the 49ers in 2020. Fantasy owners certainly wouldn't mind a repeat of one of those performances, preferably his four-touchdown outing in Week 8. He clocks in at No. 10 among fantasy quarterbacks this week in what almost amounts to a must-win for the Seahawks, with the division leader going to be 4-0 with the Rams and Cardinals squaring off Sunday.
Week 3 at Vikings
Another strong week for Russell Wilson, throwing for 343 yards and two touchdowns. Too bad his defense let him down, as the Seahawks blew a 24-9 lead and lost in overtime to the Titans. This week, it's the seemingly annual meeting with the Vikings, though the teams meet in Minnesota for the first time since 2015. Wilson has two straight multi-touchdown games against the Vikings and Minnesota just got carved up by early MVP candidate Kyler Murray. Wilson is our No. 7 QB this week as Seattle continues to let him cook.
Week 2 vs Titans
Now that's the Russell Wilson we know and love. Four touchdown passes against the Colts and Wilson is back on track. Here's hoping that continues against the Titans, who got absolutely shredded by Kyler Murray in Week 1. Wilson is back among the top options this week at the quarterback position and a very good DFS option as well in Week 2. Let Russ cook.
Week 1 at Colts
Will we get the Russell Wilson from the first half of 2020 or the second half of 2020? That's the big question for his fantasy owners and for the Seahawks it what's going to be a battle in the NFC West, as all four teams will be in the thick of the race. As for Week 1, he faces the Colts, who ranked 20th in the league in passing defense in 2020 and are dealing with a possible injury to Xavier Rhodes at the cornerback position. Having made Duane Brown happy and adding Gabe Jackson, Wilson should have a better offensive line in front of him, so the hope is he starts like he did last year. He's a top-10 option this week.
Fantasy Upside
Wilson was on fire during the first half of 2020. He had 14 passing touchdowns in the first three games and at least three passing touchdowns in six of his first seven games. If Seattle goes back to letting Russ cook, he can return Seattle to a high-powered passing offense. He still has D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and now adds TE Gerald Everett to the mix. He can still sling the ball. Seattle just has to let him.
Fantasy Downside
The downside to Wilson is what we saw in the second half of 2020. In seven of his last eight games, Wilson had two or fewer touchdowns and in five of those games, he threw either one or zero touchdown passes. Seattle became more of a run-based offense and the passing offense lost some of its luster as a result, making Wilson a volatile QB1. And while things seem to be fine now, there was also that little matter of Wilson supposedly not happy in Seattle and the trade rumors that began to swirl around him. Wilson and Pete Carroll have seemingly patched things up now, but it will be really interesting to watch their connection as the season progresses, especially if things go south.
2021 Bottom Line
Wilson should still be viewed as a QB1 and a mid-round pick. The Seahawks brought in OG Gabe Jackson to help beef up the line and Shane Waldron, who was the Rams' passing-game coordinator, is now the offensive coordinator for Seattle. He also still adds some rushing value which has gained more importance in today's game.
Week 17 vs 49ers
It’s been a bit of a quiet finish for Russell Wilson, but the team has done just enough to get them to the NFC West title. They still have something to play for as they’re fighting with an outside chance of getting the top seed in the NFC. They gave a 49ers team that has fought extremely hard despite all the injuries and bad luck this season. It’s also a 49ers team that Wilson three four touchdowns against back in Week 8. Will lightning strike again?
Week 16 vs Rams
Wilson continues to be somewhat quiet, at least compared to what we're used to seeing from him. And now he gets his old friends, almost his kryptonite lately in the Rams. In the last two games against the Rams, Wilson has zero touchdowns and three interceptions. Wilson has an interception in three straight games and has thrown for less than 250 in five of his last six games. It's rare to see Wilson ranked as low as he is, but here we are. Will Seattle try to let Russ cook Sunday with a chance to win the division? It should be an interesting follow.
Week 15 vs Washington
The New York Jets have been a get-right game for just about every quarterback this season. Russell Wilson was no different. Four touchdown passes against the Jets. That puts him second in the league with 36 passing touchdowns, three behind Aaron Rodgers. However, Washington has been pretty good against the pass, only allowing four total passing touchdowns in the last four weeks. But this is still Russell Wilson and you've rolled with him all year and you're most likely not going away from him now.
Week 14 vs Jets
There's no more Gregg Williams to call an ill-timed Cover 0, but this is still the poor Jets defense and Russell Wilson comes in as our No. 1 quarterback this week, due to the matchup. Wilson has still been cooled off in recent weeks, including last week's surprise home loss to the Giants. If there was ever a get-right week for Wilson and the Seahawks, it's this week against the 0-12 Jets.
