The obvious beneficiary from Russell Wilson’s metamorphosis from run-first winner to suddenly scary pocket passer was Doug Baldwin. Baldwin was a fantasy championship-swinging force along the lines of 2013 Josh Gordon, 2010 Mike Vick or 2008 DeAngelo Williams.
But Tyler Lockett emerged as well, and the explosive rookie made consistent flash plays that justified the Seahawks trading up to grab him in the third round. Even by the preseason, the Kansas State product graduated from being the guy who made you think, “How does Kevin Lockett already have a son in the NFL?” to one of the best fantasy performers to come out of the 2015 draft class.
Despite Seattle strangely deciding to bring back Jermaine Kearse to keep him in the Baldwin-fronted receiving corps, and Jimmy Graham’s impending return, Lockett is too talented not to carve out a regular niche in this newfound pass-first offense.
He’s a WR3 whose talent could put him in the WR2 realm this season.
And the Seahawks crowded cast of pass-catchers could obscure some real value here for those unfamiliar with Lockett’s standout ability. He’s a threat to approach 1,000 yards as an NFL sophomore, and his return-game dominance is reminiscent of a young Percy Harvin.
The real Harvin not working for the Seahawks in a similar role — one he didn’t really get to play due to injuries — should not dissuade drafters from queuing up Lockett. Seattle’s offense peaked down the stretch last season after Graham was lost for the season. Wilson put together that monstrous second half due to players like Baldwin and Lockett frequently finding space.
Despite playing more than 100 fewer snaps than Kearse, Lockett saw more targets (69) and caught more passes (51) than Kearse, and he looks like Seattle’s second-best wide receiver for fantasy purposes going forward.
Lockett’s 664-yard, six-touchdown showing looks like a baseline for what he’s capable of, and the lethal return threat (two special teams scores) may be entering his last fantasy draft for a while as an off-the-grid commodity.
Aside from Amari Cooper and maybe Stefon Diggs (due to his current status as the Vikings’ WR1), Lockett usurped all of 2015’s rookie receivers in dynasty value. The 23-year-old is more talented than Diggs, and that could soon show in his numbers for a Seahawks offense that just saw its franchise quarterback become the only player in team history to throw for 4,000-plus yards in a season.
Beyond the return of Graham, who did not look like a fit in Seattle’s attack, an impediment to drafters targeting Lockett as a sleeper is his lack of involvement in the red zone.
His two multi-touchdown-grab games notwithstanding, the 5-foot-9 wideout only saw four regular-season looks inside the 20. And although he caught all four and scored on two such sequences, that total was fifth on the team and well behind most wideouts owners will queue up this summer. Baldwin, Graham, Kearse and even Fred Jackson saw more red zone passes go their way. Kearse drew 11 such looks, and Graham 10, so Lockett still has some ground to make up in this area.
But it’s not like Lockett is Kenny Stills or Mike Wallace out there. The Seahawks used Lockett in a variety of methods.
Baldwin averaged 13.0 yards per reception and made plays across the field, working from both sides of the formation and in the slot. His broken-play catch-and-run over the middle in Minnesota turned that wild-card game around, and though it came in a one-catch contest, it showed the versatility of a player on the rise.
His ability to work across the formation, while having the deep-ball element to his game, also separates the diminutive auxiliary receiver from gadget cogs like Harvin or Tavon Austin.
Yes, it was surprising to see the Seahawks bring back Kearse after he’d already said he expected to follow the likes of Golden Tate out of the Pacific Northwest, but Lockett is a better player and his place in Seattle’s passing progression should show that this season.
The young weapon’s diverse repertoire will make up for his perceived standing within the Seahawks’ bevy of options. He’s worth monitoring immediately as the WR2 class thins.
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