Join the Footballguys Daily Update
Start your morning with our roundup of the most important stories in football - with the fantasy insight you need to make league-winning decisions. Delivered straight to your inbox, 100% free.
A fair question to ask may be "what happens if Percy Harvin stays healthy?", because he's only played 16 games once in his career. That being said, most projections for the Seahawks offense this year are expecting Harvin to be a major part of the attack. If Harvin is in fact injury prone, then isn't this question even more relevant? The Seahawks lost Golden Tate to the Lions and Sidney Rice to retirement meaning they've lost plenty from their passing attack.
Tate was first on the team in targets last year with 99 and Rice came in 6th despite only suiting up in 8 games. The only returning receiver from 2013 who had more than 50 targets is Doug Baldwin. The Seahawks are already a run-heavy team so it's hard to see them running even more if Harvin were to be lost. What a Harvin injury would do is open up even more targets for Baldwin and whoever is next in the pecking order. Zack Miller would be likely to see more targets as well and the Seahawks could focus on more two tight end sets, involving Luke Willson.
Russell Wilson is basically being valued the same as his production in 2013 without Harvin, but he'd essentially be without Tate/Rice with no experienced receiver to replace them. Wilson is a low-volume quarterback that relies on efficiency and the ground game for his fantasy value. It's difficult to see him being as efficient with Doug Baldwin as his WR1.
BUY
Doug Baldwin- Baldwin is a speedy, elusive receiver that has topped 700 yards and 4 scores twice in his 3 years in the league. He was thrust into the WR2 role in Seattle last year and performed well enough that the team feels comfortable with him there across from Harvin. His value would spike if Harvin were lost for an extended period because he'd be the only receiver with any kind of track record with Russell Wilson. Baldwin could be a solid WR2 in the absence of Harvin.
HOLD
Marshawn Lynch- As mentioned above, the Seahawks offense is already run-heavy, so it's difficult to see Lynch getting a big bump from the loss of Harvin. You also wouldn't expect the Seahawks offense to see a considerable decline if Harvin is lost because they've ridden on Lynch's shoulders the past two years anyway. The most likely scenario is that Lynch's workload and Seattle's offensive production stays steady as long as he stays healthy.
SELL
Russell Wilson- Wilson isn't exactly a highly coveted QB1 as it is but if Doug Baldwin is by far and away his best option then it may be difficult to trust him as a QB2. There is some thought that Wilson may see his attempts climb from the near-400 he's had in his first two years, but that won't be possible if the Seahawks don't have enough weapons in the passing game. Even the best passers need weapons to throw the ball to and it's difficult to trust Wilson without Rice, Tate or Harvin.
ADD
Zack Miller- That lack of weapons may open up the door for a resurgence from Zach Miller. Miller was a TE1 for three straight years in Oakland but saw his targets dwindle in Seattle. He's worth a speculative add if Harvin is lost because he's shown that he can deliver with the requisite number of targets and he was a red zone threat in 2013 scoring 5 touchdowns. Miller has seen 80+ targets 3 times in his career and posted at least 685 receiving yards all 3 times.
Paul Richardson Jr/Jermaine Kearse- This is still a fluid situation in Seattle. It appears as though Kearse is still in line to benefit the most from a long term Harvin absence, but there are many who feel that Richardson is much more talented. Kearse is a third year receiver who scored 4 touchdowns in 2013 but many do not see him as a high-ceiling guy. Richardson is a rookie with elite speed, but there are a lot of questions about whether he's ready for a significant role. By the time the season rolls around we should have a better idea which receiver is in a better spot but both are suggestions for deeper leagues only.
DROP
None- This Seattle offense will look a lot like it did in 2013, just not quite as potent through the air.