Most fantasy football managers are just one win away from hoisting their championship trophy heading into Sunday, but injuries could still play a huge role in impacting the outcome of their final game.
Will Seattle Seahawks WR DK Metcalf be able to take the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17? Let’s take a closer look at the latest update we have for the star WR and the potential fantasy fallout from this injury.
Is DK Metcalf Going To Play Week 17?
The Seahawks’ leading receiver in yards and receiving touchdowns isn’t a guarantee to play against the Steelers on Sunday. A recent report from Ian Rapoport detailed that Seattle’s starting wide receiver is questionable for Week 17 while dealing with a back injury.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll did address Metcalf’s injury while speaking with the media on Friday.
“He’s got a little bit of lower back stiffness,” said Carroll, “So we’re taking care of it.” When Carroll was asked whether or not he thought Metcalf would play on Sunday, he answered, “Yes.”
Rapoport’s report did suggest that Metcalf is in a “good place to play,” but fantasy managers will certainly need to monitor the inactive list around 90 minutes prior to kickoff to confirm whether he’s going to take the field against Pittsburgh.
The Seahawks’ passing game has been a bit inconsistent this year with QB Geno Smith getting a little banged up and taking a step back with regards to his passing production in comparison to last season. However, he could be in a good spot to produce against Pittsburgh in a must-win situation in front of Seattle’s home crowd.
Metcalf has been an ironman throughout his time in a Seahawks uniform, missing just one game to this point of his NFL career. His 998 receiving yards, 60 receptions, and eight scores have him at WR21 on the year in full-PPR formats.
On occasions, he’s still capable of putting your fantasy team on his back, which is evident by Metcalf’s six receptions for 134 yards and three touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys back in Week 13.
If he suits up on Sunday, Metcalf will be a WR2 for fantasy managers.
Potential Fantasy Options If Metcalf Is Out Include Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Jake Bobo
If Metcalf happens to miss his second game of the season on Sunday, his average of 7.5 targets per game would certainly stand to benefit Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and potentially Jake Bobo.
Lockett and Smith-Njigba, who have been consistently involved in the passing game along with Metcalf this year, would be the first to see a bump in fantasy value to top 30 consideration at the WR position for Week 17.
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Bobo would stand to become a viable dart throw because of his jump in usage when Metcalf was unavailable against the Arizona Cardinals. In that Week 7 matchup, Bobo played a season-high 75% of the offensive snaps while seeing career highs across the board with five targets, four receptions, 61 receiving yards, and a score.
Lastly, if Metcalf is unavailable, Smith would likely see a small tumble down the fantasy rankings at the QB position without his best big-play option in the passing game.
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