NFL Today: NFC West Showdown

This week, Stefon Diggs was charged with strangulation and assault, putting a damper on the Pats’ great season; speaking of Diggs in hot water, Dallas released two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs (and the Packers swooped in to claim him); and San Francisco was missing some key personnel at practice as it prepares for its NFC showdown vs. Seattle. Other Fantasy football related news items we’re tracking include…

Seattle’s Frustrating Backfield Situation

Heading into the season, we wondered whether the Seattle Seahawks’ offense would be better, and if they had the type of system that would allow Sam Darnold to maintain the success he had in Minnesota.

Okay, so he has experienced some regression, but really not much, and Seattle’s offense has been vastly better. Even so, this is a team that is being driven by its first-ranked D.

Seattle heads into the season finale on Saturday riding a six-game win streak to reach 13 victories, yet it still hasn’t wrapped up the NFC West. This game against San Francisco will decide the division – just the kind of drama we crave heading into the playoffs.

Last weekend, we saw a breakout game from third year running back Zach Charbonnet, a Seahawk who has dealt with various minor injuries from time to time, dating back to his rookie season in 2023. But with a tremendous effort (110 yards with two TDs and catches on both his targets), he’s trending in the right direction as the stakes rise.

This showing pushed Charbonnet to a new career high in yardage, and he’d already busted his best in TDs. He hasn’t been as active in the pass game this season, and his career low 3.9 YPC isn’t a great look, but all in all, he continues to progress.

With the Seahawks employing Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III equally this season (they are posting identical Fantasy points per game numbers), it’s been a tough slog for Fantasy owners trying to determine who to roll with, but it’s worked out great for the team.

In Week 17, Charbonnet got 20 touches to Walker’s 17, but that could change on a moment’s notice depending on who is hotter on any given week. Maddening for us, fantastic for Seattle. But if you’re focused on TD options, Charbonnet has more than double the scores Walker has (11 to five).

Coming out of UCLA, Charbonnet had the build and patience to be projected to eventually evolve into an average starter; that may still happen, but it may take an injury or trade.

For Week 18, consider him a decent RB2 option

Omarion Hampton’s Solid Rookie Effort

When we last checked in on the Los Angeles Chargers, they had gotten off to a nice start, finally beating KC. Generally, it’s been a better than expected season for L.A., as the offense is slightly better and the defense – although giving up more points – has also shown a modicum of improvement.

They enter Week 18 with a chance to top 2024’s win total, but are near the bottom of the playoff bound teams in terms of odds to win the AFC Championship (currently +1000 as per FanDuel).

Last week, the Chargers had a four-game win streak snapped as their offense was shut down by Houston’s tremendous defense. L.A. managed just a field goal in the first half, not hitting paydirt until the third quarter.

Rookie running back Omarion Hampton – who seemed to be hitting his stride the last few games – ran into a brick wall, enduring the worst game of his short career. He was held to a mere 29 yards on 14 carries, although he did manage his fourth TD while pulling in a career-best eight receptions, so it wasn’t a complete disaster. But this showing was a disappointment considering fellow RB Kimani Vidal (neck) was inactive.

Based on Hampton’s work at UNC, we expected him to be a mid first round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, but he wound up lasting until No. 22. Still, despite missing over two months with a broken ankle, he’s enjoyed a strong rookie campaign, racking up 545 yards (4.4 YPC) while adding nearly 200 yards and a touchdown through the air. Hampton has posted a solid 15.1 Fantasy points per game, slotting him 13th among all RBs in PPR formats. Not too shabby!

However, don’t expect much from Hampton in Week 18, as the Chargers have little to play for so may opt to rest him — especially with him nursing an ankle woe. Consider him a high-end RB4 for the week (if he suits up at all).

RotoRob Tune of the Day

American jazz tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon got his start in 1940 and remained active until 1986, four years before his death. In 1962, he released Go, which included a cover of the 1940s torch song “I Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry.” The song also was included on the 1987 compilation, A Sample of Blue Notes.