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    Barner catches three passes in loss to Niners

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    SEA Tight End #88
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    AJ Barner caught 3-of-5 targets for 20 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 5 loss to the 49ers.

    Barner continues to be a non-factor in the Seahawks’ passing game. Outside of a Week 3 game against the Commanders in which he went for 5-69-0 on nine targets, Barner has totaled 53 yards in his other four games combined and has yet to find the end zone this season. Barner won’t be on the streaming radar in Week 6, even with four teams on bye.
Week 6 brings rare feat for two NFL divisions
Mike Florio examines the AFC North and NFC North entering Week 6 with every team boasting a winning record, a feat accomplished by an entire division just three times in NFL history.

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  • SEA Tight End #88
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    After a solid effort against the the Commanders where he caught five passes for 69 yards, Barner was once again a non-factor in this one. The 24-year-old is clearly the top tight end in the passing attack, but outside of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the rest of the options just haven’t done much. He’ll be a boom or bust TE1 for Week 5 against the 49ers.
  • SEA Tight End #88
    It was easily Barner’s best receiving day of the year, although he was unable to find the end zone. His nine targets were second on the team behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 14, and it’s clear he and Sam Darnold have more of a connection than he did with Drew Lock. Barner will be on the TE1 precipice for Week 4 against the Chargers, but this was encouraging.
  • SEA Tight End #88
    Up 24-7 on 4th-and-goal with just over three minutes left in the game, the Seahawks started a fresh set of downs from the Cardinals’ three-yard line. Both RB George Holani and RB Emanuel Wilson were given chances to punch it in before Seahawks OC Brian Fleury dialed up a Tush Push play for Barner on 4th-and-goal. Barner jumped up and across the line, bringing his fantasy stat line from something unusable to something we can live with. He remains a boom-bust TE1 against the Commanders next week. Seahawks TE2 Elijah Arroyo nabbed a 17-yard pass on a post route, but that was it for him. So far, the Seahawks’ reported uptick in usage for the tight end position has not panned out.
  • SEA Tight End #88
    Barner also had a tush push attempt that was called back by a penalty. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba soaking up 11 targets on just 24 team pass attempts, there wasn’t much volume to go around for the rest of the Seattle pass-catchers. Barner only topped four catches in 20 combined regular and postseason appearances last year. If Week 1 is any indication, he won’t be putting up big box scores very often this season either. He will barely crack the TE2 ranks when Seattle takes on Arizona next week.
  • SEA Tight End #88
    The Seahawks’ starting tight end is firmly on track to play in the 2026 season opener on Wednesday night. Barner is reportedly set to handle a bigger role than he did last year, when he finished as the PPR TE14. He can only be viewed as a borderline TE1/2 early on, though.
  • SEA Tight End #88
    Destin notes that new Seahawks OC Brian Fleury served as the 49ers’ TE coach for four seasons “and is expected to feature the position prominently.” Aside from that, and an increase in shifts and motion, he thinks the offense is “going to look very similar” to last year. Barner underwent two offseason surgeries, one of which was to address a nagging ankle injury that Barner said he initially suffered during the 2024 Senior Bowl before the Seahawks drafted him. After turning in the PPR TE14 performance last season, Barner might have a shot to crack the position’s top 12.
  • SEA Tight End #88
    Fowlers said the team expects Barner to be more involved as a pass catcher in 2026 after recording 52 receptions for 519 yards and six touchdowns last season (while being targeted on 19 percent of his routes). Barner, following multiple offseason surgeries to clean up nagging injuries, is fully healthy and ready for a more prominent role in Seattle’s offense. New Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, meanwhile, is expected to use plenty of two tight end sets in 2026, meaning TE Elijah Arroyo could see an increase in snaps and routes. Barner has a little bit of extra hidden upside as the Seahawks’ primary tush push option near the goal line.
  • SEA Tight End #88
    Barner was listed with calf, elbow and hip injuries last season. We don’t know which ailments required surgery. Barner said he is “definitely feeling better,” but he still has a few hurdles to clear before he can back out there. Barner finished as the PPR TE14 last season, operating as a big-bodied target for QB Sam Darnold and as the Seahawks’ tush push specialist in short-yardage situations.
  • PHI Quarterback #1
    Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts fumbled on a tush push attempt in Philadelphia’s 24-15, Week 13 loss to the Bears. He told reporters after the game that it is “becoming tougher and tougher” to run the play. Teams are having more success against it, defensively, than they did previously, while others have begun successfully running it themselves. Several teams turned to using it with tight ends, most notably Seahawks TE AJ Barner moonlighted as a tush push quarterback this season. Barner picked up one touchdown and nine first downs on 11 rushing attempts across the full NFL season. Connor Heyward (Steelers) and Cade Stover (Texans) also ran the play a non-trivial amount of times in 2025. It is still possible for teams to submit a ban proposal, but at this point, McKay does not “envision it” happening this offseason.
  • SEA Tight End #88
    The No. 121 overall pick of the 2024 Draft, Barner had a solid rookie season but upgraded as a sophomore, turning his initial 30/245/4 line into 52/519/6. The 23-year-old was a consistent big-play threat down the stretch, and finished third on his Super Bowl squad in yards. Quietly, he was also the TE14 by total PPR points. Considering his youth and steady early-career trajectory, Barner could easily ascend to TE1 status in 2026. He is an exciting dynasty league asset.

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    Evan Engram caught both targets for 13 yards in the Broncos’ Week 6 win over the Seahawks.

    Engram has not seen more than five targets in a game this season and has been held out of the end zone since Week 1, making him a difficult start in fantasy leagues of all sizes. He can safely remain on the bench in an enticing matchup against the Cardinals in Week 7.
  • DEN Wide Receiver #14
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    Courtland Sutton caught 2-of-3 targets for 19 yards in the Broncos’ Week 6 win over the Seahawks.

    Nix’s only incompletion when targeting Sutton resulted in the veteran receiver getting rocked over the middle of the field on a ball Nix led him directly into oncoming contact. Sutton vented his frustration by repeatedly pounding the ground following the hit, with it unclear whether it was due to the hit or the incompletion on third down on a night the Broncos struggled to move the football to the tune of only 168 yards of total offense. Fantasy managers likely aren’t utilizing Sutton as a weekly option, but will want to track his practice status ahead of a Week 7 meeting with the Cardinals if bye week fill-ins are required.
  • DEN Running Back #12
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    RJ Harvey rushed six times for 25 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos’ Week 6 win over the Seahawks, adding 31 yards on three receptions.

    The fact that the 31 yards through the air led the team in receiving is a comment on the state of an offense that gained only 168 yards of total offense against the defending Super Bowl Champions. Even so, a relentlessly aggressive defense willed the team to victory behind a consistently positive game script, which allowed J.K. Dobbins to handily lead the backfield in opportunities. Harvey remains a matchup-dependent fantasy option best utilized in trailing game environments, which is unlikely to be the case when the Broncos face the struggling Cardinals in Week 7.
  • DEN Running Back #27
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    J.K. Dobbins rushed 17 times for 41 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos’ Week 6 win over the Seahawks.

    Dobbins found little room to run on a night the Broncos gained only 168 yards of total offense but handily led the backfield in opportunities in what was a consistently positive game script due to the dominance of their defense. Dobbins has now failed to eclipse a modest 50 yards on the ground in four of five appearances but might be useful as a bye week fill-in when the Broncos travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals in Week 7.
  • DEN Quarterback #10
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    Bo Nix completed 17-of-27 passes for 107 yards in the Broncos’ 17-14, Week 6 win over the Seahawks, adding two yards on four carries.

    The Broncos managed just 168 yards of total offense on a night their defense carried them to victory in overtime. Nine of the Broncos’ 11 possessions, excluding the two kneel downs to end each half, ended in punts on drives that lasted five plays or fewer. Two second quarter touchdown drives had the Broncos playing with a lead for much of the game but they were otherwise unable to move the football with any consistency. An overtime interception by nickel corner Ja’Quan McMillian allowed for a game-winning, 53-yard field goal from kicker Will Lutz after the Broncos again failed to gain a first down. The win sends Denver to 4-2 while averaging only 18.7 points per game through six weeks. The team gets a scheduling gift with the Cardinals on deck in Week 7, although Nix cannot be treated as a starter-worthy fantasy asset outside of the deepest leagues.
  • SEA Wide Receiver #10
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    Cooper Kupp caught 5-of-10 targets for 50 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 6 loss to the Broncos.

    Kupp’s 10 targets finished second on the team behind alpha Jaxon Smith-Njigba but were largely a product of 51 Sam Darnold pass attempts in game that had all the ingredients for increased pass volume, including an inability to run the football, negative game script, and overtime. It continues to appear as if Kupp’s fantasy-relevant days are far behind him, with the veteran best left on the waiver wire ahead of a Week 7 showdown against the Chiefs on deck.
  • SEA Wide Receiver #22
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    Rashid Shaheed caught 5-of-8 targets for 66 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 6 loss to the Broncos, adding two yards on one carry.

    Shaheed’s eight targets were a product of 51 Sam Darnold pass attempts in a game the Seahawks could not find any room to run on the ground. He lost a fumble on a fluke play in the second quarter in which he rolled over the tackling defender, only for the defender’s knee to knock the football loose before Shaheed’s rear end touched the playing surface. he would fumble a punt return in the fourth quarter but easily had time to regain control before the ball was in real trouble. Shaheed remains the third option through the air for an offense typically not seeing this level of volume, making him a touchdown-or-bust fantasy option, for the time being. That doesn’t change ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Chiefs in Seattle.
  • SEA Wide Receiver #11
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    Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 12-of-16 targets for 134 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 6 loss to the Broncos.

    Smith-Njigba overcame a sluggish first half to extend his stranglehold on the overall WR1 in fantasy circles with a dominant second half and overtime period. While the 51 pass attempts from Sam Darnold were highly uncharacteristic of this Seattle offense, a complete inability to run the football paired with a negative script to form the perfect environment for Smith-Njigba to set a season high in targets and receptions. Smith-Njigba has now gone over 100 yards in five of six appearances to start the 2026 regular season and is in a good spot to continue that dominance when the Seahawks host the Chiefs in Week 7, where he remains a top-tier WR1 in fantasy circles.
  • SEA Running Back #36
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    George Holani rushed five times for 20 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks’ Week 6 loss to the Broncos.

    Holani split primary change of pace duties with recent practice squad call-up Velus Jones Jr, the latter of whom turned four carries into 20 yards while losing one yard on his lone reception. Both backs appear unlikely to return fantasy value as Zach Charbonnet nears a return from injured reserve.
  • SEA Running Back #23
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    Emanuel Wilson rushed 14 times for 52 yards in the Seahawks’ Week 6 loss to the Broncos.

    Wilson is now down to just 3.4 yards per carry while filling in for numerous key injuries in the Seattle backfield, with the team clearly waiting with bated breath for the return of Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet continues to inch closer to a return from injured reserve and appears likely to bring an end to the Wilson experiment, relegating the latter to bench fodder in fantasy circles in the process. That could come a early a Week 7 when the Seahawks host the Chiefs.