The question of Tyler Lockett playing in Week 8 only really became an issue for fantasy football managers on Friday. While he has been on the injury report all week with a hamstring injury, it is a late-week designation of “ribs” that has him at risk of missing time.
What is the latest update regarding Lockett’s Week 8 status, and what are the fantasy implications for the Seattle Seahawks WR if he does or does not suit up this week?
Update: Tyler Lockett is active for the Seahawks in Week 8.
Is Tyler Lockett Playing Today?
As it stands on Sunday morning, the chances of Lockett playing appear to be closer to yes than no. While ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Lockett is expected to play, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport called him a game-time decision with “optimism” he will play.
On Friday, Lockett was described as having an “oblique kind of something” by Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. While he was limited in practice on Friday, Lockett is still considered a game-time decision after receiving the questionable tag Friday.
Rib issues can often be a case of pain management for players getting on the field in a given week. The positive element of that is that we should not see a major performance impact. However, if Lockett is dealing with pain, a bump to the area could cause him to leave the game and not return.
With Lockett appearing on track to play, he could be a potential option for people on Underdog Fantasy. Whether it is in daily fantasy lineups or picking higher or lower on his Pick ’em Week 8 projections, there is an option for everyone. If you have never tried Underdog Fantasy before, then new users can get up to a $100 deposit bonus upon signing up.
Should Fantasy Managers Trust Lockett This Week?
The issue really appears to be pain management of the rib situation for Lockett at this point. The fact he was a full participant at practice Thursday and has played through the hamstring issue previously means we can almost discount that particular issue when assessing Lockett.
Coming into the 2022 season, the knock on Lockett was the inconsistency of his performances, and really that has not changed to this point. In half-PPR scoring, he is averaging 11 fantasy points per game, his lowest number since 2017.
And despite a 4.3 fantasy point performance in Week 1, it looked like the inconsistency issues were gone after Lockett scored double digits in half-PPR every week between Weeks 2 and 5.
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However, in the past two weeks, Lockett has scored 2.7 and 8 fantasy points despite seeing 13 targets across the two games. Three single-digit and four double-digit returns just emphasize that the inconsistency concerns are still very much the case.
We also have to take into account the matchup against the Giants and what that means. So far this season, WRs have averaged the third-lowest number of fantasy points against the Giants at 20.46 per game. The problem is that the consistency of the performances has been difficult to trust.
On three occasions this year, the Giants have allowed more than 29 fantasy points to opposing WRs. However, they have also allowed single digits to the position on two occasions. The three 29-point plus performances and the two double-digit performances all came in the last five weeks. It has been a real rollercoaster trying to project how WRs will perform against the Giants this year.
Combining the trio of Lockett’s inconsistency, his injury situation, and the Giants’ unpredictability makes knowing what to do with Lockett a tough decision. Normally, you might expect the duo of Lockett and DK Metcalf to be able to exploit the Giants’ secondary. However, with both injured, it is really hard to project how this might go.
That trio of uncertainties we just discussed leans towards fantasy managers potentially taking precautions against starting Lockett this week. The fact that this is a late-afternoon kickoff adds to the concerns.
If you do not have another late-afternoon or primetime option on your roster, then you should lean towards benching Lockett with his status as a game-time decision.
If Lockett Is Inactive, Can Fantasy Managers Trust Any Other Seahawks Players?
While it seems as though both Lockett and Metcalf will be active this week, it is less than certain. If one or both ended up being inactive, is there another Seahawks’ WR that fantasy managers could consider turning to?
The Seahawks Week 8 roster has seven wide receivers listed. There is Lockett, Metcalf, Marquise Goodwin, Dee Eskridge, Penny Hart, Dareke Young, and Cade Johnson. The Seahawks elevated Johnson from the practice squad on Saturday as cover.
They have three WRs on the injury report. While Lockett and Metcalf are questionable, Hart is listed as doubtful and is not expected to play.
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Of those players listed, only Lockett (53), Metcalf (52), Goodwin (15), Eskridge (9), and Hart (1) have seen targets this year. Therefore, if Lockett, Metcalf, and Hart are out, we should see Goodwin and Eskridge take leading roles. Last week, with Hart out and Metcalf leaving the game, Godwin saw a bump in playing time in two WR sets, while Eskridge saw a large bump in snaps.
In Week 7, Goodwin led Eskridge five to one in targets. He made the most of them with four receptions, 67 yards, and two touchdowns. Therefore, it would seem likely that Goodwin is in line to be the main beneficiary if one of Lockett or Metcalf were to miss time. In that instance, Goodwin could volume his way into fantasy value. However, he will be tough to trust, limiting his value to a 16-team boom-bust option.
The only way that Eskridge has even close to reasonable fantasy value would be if both Lockett and Metcalf were out. That would likely elevate Eskridge into two wide receiver sets alongside Goodwin. However, that is not a certainty if the Seahawks prefer Eskridge in a more specific role when three WRs are on the field.
Even if we did see Eskridge with considerable playing time, it is tough to project him as anything more than a deep-league desperation option. During his 17-game career, Eskridge has just 29 targets, 16 receptions, 119 yards, and one touchdown. Therefore, we simply do not know what Eskridge can bring to the field in a starting role this Sunday.