Eons feel like they've passed since Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson, the Seahawks' Super Bowl-winning combo, were still together in Seattle. It was just four seasons ago, but a lot has changed since then. The Seahawks were coming off a down year, finishing with a 7-10 record. Wilson suffered a finger injury that threw a wrench in their season, but he was the Seahawks' long-term starter. No major cause for concern.

When the Seahawks traded Wilson after the season ended, confusion rippled through NFL fan bases. Most fans have waited a lifetime for a quarterback of Wilson's caliber. And the Seahawks traded him away for a package of picks and role players. They replaced their legendary quarterback with Geno Smith, who had just 15 starts over the previous seven seasons. 

After back-to-back 9-8 seasons with Geno Smith and Pete Carroll, the Seahawks looked better than they did in Wilson's final season. And then they made the shocking decision to fire Carroll. Carroll had coached 14 seasons, with winning records in 11 of the last 12. He had gone to two Super Bowls, winning one. Like the decision to trade away Wilson, most outside fans struggled to understand the rationale behind it.

Mike Macdonald, the Ravens' defensive coordinator, was brought in to be their head coach. With the incumbent Smith at quarterback, Macdonald improved the team's record to 10-7. And after the season, they traded Smith to the Raiders for a third-round pick. They traded DK Metcalf for a package of picks. They walked into free agency and the NFL Draft with so many needs that it was hard to envision how they'd even field a team in-season.

Then they signed Sam Darnold, a move largely mocked after his late-season meltdown. The addition of Cooper Kupp was ridiculed. Kupp was much older than the young receiver they had just traded away, and his skill set overlapped with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, doubters parrotted.

Not many teams drew as much criticism this offseason as the Seahawks.

At the season's halfway point, this new-look Seahawks team looks like one of the best teams in football. A stifling defense, a potent run game, an explosive passing offense, and a play-making special teams unit allow them to match up against any team. They are 6-2.

While the vision wasn't immediately apparent at the time, the rebuild (or retool), in retrospect, was executed to perfection.

There are two traps almost every general manager falls into. Complacency with mediocrity. And a desire to please the fans. John Schneider couldn't care less about either.

The Seahawks were perfectly middling in 2022. They were a game below .500 and had an excuse for their struggles: Russell Wilson got hurt. Revered as a Super Bowl winner and perennial Pro Bowler, Seattle fans didn't want to see Wilson shipped off. But Schneider pulled the plug.

When Pete Carroll won with Geno Smith, Schneider could have settled. But Carroll's read-option offense had become stale. What was innovative and exciting a decade ago was now a wrinkle in almost every team's playbook. Carroll was a fan favorite, but Schneider knew a change was needed.

When Mike Macdonald and Smith improved the team's record the following season, Schneider could have run it back. They were just short of a playoff berth and posted their best record since 2020. However, there was a clear cap on Smith's ceiling. He moved on.

Over the years, Schneider has nailed some draft picks, adding talented players at crucial defensive positions: Devon Witherspoon, Byron Murphy II, Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant, Boye Mafe, Ty Okada, Derick Hall, and others. They traded for Leonard Williams. They signed DeMarcus Lawrence. The personnel made Macdonald's job with the defense easy, and rebuilding that side of the ball was the first step.

Then came the offense.

Amidst all the trades, transactions, firings, and draft picks, the firing of Ryan Grubb and hiring of Klint Kubiak were lost in the fold. With Macdonald being a defensive-minded coach, giving offensive control to Kubiak made a lot of sense.

Schneider and the front office had already struck gold a few years ago with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a receiver who can thrive in any system. They signed Sam Darnold to a team-friendly deal. The duo of Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet has provided stellar complementary production. The Seahawks traded away Noah Fant to clear the pathway for promising second-year tight end AJ Barner. And this year, after hiring Kubiak, they drafted the players he needed to make his system thrive.

Robbie Ouzts is the necessary hybrid fullback who can move around the formation a la Kyle Juszczyk. Tory Horton is a big-play receiver who can beat man coverage out wide. Elijah Arroyo is the seam-busting tight end who has always found a role in Kubiak's offenses. Those players were selected to highlight what they already had in place. Their offense can keep just two receivers on the field, relying on their running backs and tight ends to live in jumbo formations.

The Seahawks use three-receiver formations at the second-lowest rate in the league. They often have multiple running backs and tight ends on the field at once. Their offense's goal is to stress defenses with the versatility of their skill players, and it's working. Pulling defenses in and using pre-snap motion keeps defenses guessing, allowing the offense to get behind them while they're still processing these complicated and new looks.

They're playing a unique style of football on both sides of the ball, with specific personnel to match the coordinators' desires. It's a perfect matrimony between the front office and the sideline.

The major takeaway here is that the right person in charge can make all the difference. It took cojones to do what John Schneider did. Many of his moves over the years were met with a crowd of tomato-throwing boos. But he stuck to the process.

Is Schneider a genius? Did he have this all mapped out when he traded Wilson away in 2022? Probably not. But he set the team up for success by making consistent, smart decisions, swinging for the upside regardless of the fans' reactions.

Looking around the NFL, I want to identify similar situations; teams making the right moves that could quickly ascend.

The Jaguars brought in James Gladstone and Liam Coen this year, two offensive-minded guys who seem aligned in their long-term vision. While they have some talented players in premium positions, will Gladstone be able to make the difficult decisions that may be required down the road?

The Panthers are starting to mesh. They invested heavily in the interior offensive line a couple of years ago, and now they're winning games with a dominant run game. Tetairoa McMillan has proven to be an excellent receiver, but Bryce Young might be overstaying his welcome. Will Dan Morgan settle for slightly-above-average play or make a massive change?

The Bears fan in me sees some parallels in Chicago. Moving on from Justin Fields, Roquan Smith, and David Montgomery were not moves that fans agreed with. However, Ryan Poles stockpiled picks, targeted premium positions, and has already begun to add players who are tailor-made for Ben Johnson's scheme. To find long-term success, though, he'll probably have to continue upsetting the fans.

The reality is that if we knew what to look for, the Seahawks wouldn't be a story. It's the surprising success that makes them so intriguing. I'm always looking for lessons in scenarios like this, and I think the biggest one here is to follow a good process. While it's not a guaranteed recipe for success, a decision-making method sprinkled with a bit of luck is how you build a good NFL team. And really, the same can be said for fantasy football. Good process works, but luck plays a huge factor. Did Jonathan Taylor fall to you in Round 2? Did you avoid drafting Malik Nabers and Tyreek Hill? You can do all of the right things, but it's that sprinkle of luck that makes magic happen.

The Seahawks spent years making the right decisions, often to the dismay of their fans. Now the luck is trending in their direction, and they'll hope to ride it all the way to a Super Bowl, just like Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson did just over a decade ago. Hopefully, as we approach the fantasy playoffs, you will also realize that your preparation has brought you good luck.

As we pass the mid-point of the season, most of the rankings remain stable. It takes a significant event (such as an injury, trade, retirement, release, etc.) for any major shakeups to occur. But there is constant tweaking every week, and players fall in and out of usage. As always, these are just the opinions of one staffer. Next to every riser and faller will be a (+) or (-) signaling how much they've moved from last week's rankings. Be sure to check out Bob Henry's rest-of-season projections.

Let's dive in, starting with the wide receivers.

Wide Receivers

My friend Chris (Harris Football) often refers to "Melancholy and the Infinite WR3 Sadness," and this year it feels like that feeling starts well before the WR3 range. NFL passing has been trending down every year since 2020. The passing frenzy of the 2010s has subsided, and it's making for a lot of inconsistent production from wide receivers. Teams are running more and playing from jumbo sets with more running backs and tight ends, and wide receivers have been the biggest casualty. Compared to the 2020 season's first nine weeks, fewer receivers are scoring at almost every key point threshold. The top nine receivers, in my opinion, comprise the safe tier right now. Beyond that, you have to accept weekly inconsistencies and frustrating production. When shopping for WR2s and WR3s, pick your flavor. There are consistent low-ceiling guys, boom/bust speedsters, high-volume target hogs on bad offenses, and hyper-efficient beneficiaries of good offenses. Everyone prefers different types of receivers, and the median projections through this range are incredibly flat.

• WR1 - Ja'Marr Chase
• WR2 - Jaxon Smith-Njigba
• WR3 - Amon-Ra St. Brown
• WR4 - Puka Nacua
• WR5 - CeeDee Lamb
• WR6 - Drake London
• WR7 - Rashee Rice (+1)
• WR8 - Justin Jefferson (-1)
• WR9 - Davante Adams
• WR10 - A.J. Brown
• WR11 - Nico Collins (+1)
• WR12 - Emeka Egbuka (+1)
• WR13 - Rome Odunze (-2) - While touchdowns hid Odunze's inconsistencies through the season's first month, they've become much more apparent in his four recent scoreless games. Since the bye, Odunze has amassed 32, 31, 114, and 0 receiving yards in his four games. The passing pie in Chicago is divided into thin slices, often leaving fantasy managers hungry. Odunze had a dropped touchdown in Week 9 that could have masked his otherwise quiet day, but a zero is hard to ignore. After a blistering start to the year, Odunze has fallen to 25th among wide receivers in raw receiving yards. He's a top-ten NFL Draft pick with obvious talent. His upside was evident early in the year, but expectations can be dialed back.
• WR14 - Zay Flowers (+6) - Despite not catching any of Lamar Jackson's four touchdowns in Week 9, Flowers led the team in targets. That has been a fairly common theme this year. Flowers has 60 targets on the year, 19th among receivers. Among players with one or fewer receiving touchdowns, none have more targets than Flowers. And if we just look at the games Flowers has played with Jackson, his target pace would be eighth among receivers. He's a screaming candidate for positive touchdown regression, especially as a key figure in one of the league's best offenses. He's drawing many valuable targets from an efficient offense and not scoring. The production has been frustrating, as he's the WR17 in PPR scoring. But a bit of variance in his direction should help him get back on track as a high-end WR2.
• WR15 - George Pickens (+1)
• WR16 - Tetairoa McMillan (-2)
• WR17 - Ladd McConkey (-2)
• WR18 - Garrett Wilson (+3)
• WR19 - Michael Pittman Jr. (+5) - Quietly top 15 in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns, Pittman is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Colts' newfound offensive success. Just halfway through the year, Pittman has already tied his career best with six receiving touchdowns. His 67.9% success rate is by far the best of his career. Pittman is tracking for a slight decrease in targets from his most voluminous seasons, but he's offsetting the dips in usage with huge jumps in efficiency. He's the WR6 through Week 9, operating as the primary receiver on a prolific offense. Some regression is likely, but he likely retains value as a steady WR2.
• WR20 - Jaylen Waddle (-3)
• WR21 - Xavier Worthy (-3)
• WR22 - DK Metcalf (-3)
• WR23 - Marvin Harrison Jr. (+2)
• WR24 - Tee Higgins (+10) - At this point, we should probably start projecting Tee Higgins the same way we did when Joe Burrow was healthy. Of course, Joe Flacco will generate more turnovers, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it pushes the offense into game scripts that benefit the pass catchers. In the four games Higgins and Flacco have played together, Higgins has scored four times. Extrapolating his yardage over a 17-game season would come out to 1,317 yards. Higgins is a talented player in a high-volume offense who consistently poses a threat to break off big plays and score touchdowns. Last year, Higgins finished the year as the per-game WR6 in PPR. Over the last four weeks with Flacco under center, Higgins is fantasy's WR7.
• WR25 - Chris Olave (-3)
• WR26 - Quentin Johnston
• WR27 - Brian Thomas Jr. (-4)
• WR28 - Courtland Sutton (-1)
• WR29 - Jauan Jennings (+7) - There might not be a more plug-and-play position in the league than the X-receiver in Kyle Shanahan's offense. Whether Deebo Samuel Sr., Brandon Aiyuk, Kendrick Bourne, or Ricky Pearsall has held the role in recent history, it has always proven to be lucrative for fantasy managers. For now, that's Jennings' role. He's lining up out wide and at the line of scrimmage, consistently getting schemed into downfield opportunities with room to run. This week's production wasn't anything too exciting. The game plan against the Giants centered on the running backs. Jennings caught four of his five targets for 41 yards, bailing out an underwhelming day with a touchdown. Still, this is a prolific role worth chasing. He may lose these looks once Pearsall returns. But in the short term, Jennings can be relied on as a high-end WR2, especially as he distances himself from the injuries that plagued the early part of his season.
• WR30 - Ricky Pearsall (-2)
• WR31 - DeVonta Smith (-2)
• WR32 - Stefon Diggs (+3)
• WR33 - Deebo Samuel Sr. (-2)
• WR34 - Keenan Allen (-1)
• WR35 - Jameson Williams (+3)
• WR36 - Jordan Addison (-4)
• WR37 - Wan'Dale Robinson (+2)
• WR38 - DJ Moore (+4)
• WR39 - Khalil Shakir (+1)
• WR40 - Romeo Doubs (+1)
• WR41 - Terry McLaurin (-4)
• WR42 - Alec Pierce (+13) - Despite missing time with a concussion early in the season, Pierce ranks third on the team in targets per game. Since returning, he's averaged 82.5 receiving yards per game, a 1,400-yard pace over 17 games. His deep-threat role has continued to grow year over year. Pierce's average depth of target jumped from 12.2 to 15.7 to 22.8 in his first three seasons, and it now sits at 20.5, the second-highest in the NFL behind Tyquan Thornton. His standard efficiency metrics (catch rate, success rate, yards per target) are nearly identical to last year, but the big difference is volume: up from 4.3 targets per game to 6.4. The only thing missing is touchdowns. Jerry Jeudy (52) and Jakobi Meyers (48) are the only receivers with more targets than Pierce (43) who haven't scored yet. Given the Colts' offensive efficiency and Pierce's ability to hit chunk plays, that should correct itself. He's missed games, he hasn't scored, and he's still the WR41 in fantasy. That makes him an easy buy before what looks like a second-half breakout.
• WR43 - Christian Watson (+7) - In his second game back from last year's ACL tear, Watson resumed the role we saw in Week 8 as the team's WR2. He trailed only Romeo Doubs in routes run and targets. Rookie Matthew Golden, who was already ceding work to Watson, left the game with a shoulder injury and didn't return. Any absence from Golden will only benefit Watson further. Especially with Tucker Kraft out for the year, Watson is poised to be the team's secondary weapon in the passing game.
• WR44 - Troy Franklin (+7) - It's become evident that Franklin emerged from the pack to become the Broncos' WR2 behind Courtland Sutton. Is he actually their WR1? He's seen more targets than Sutton in six of nine games and leads him 64 to 62 overall. Sutton is besting Franklin in most other metrics: routes, receptions, and yards. But his usage shouldn't be ignored. Franklin and Bo Nix were college teammates, and their chemistry has started to show again this year. The second-year receiver works primarily across the middle of the field, where he can catch in-breaking routes to make plays after the catch. Sutton's role as a perimeter receiver gives him a deeper average target depth and more opportunities for big plays. The differences in roles make Sutton the preferred option in fantasy. However, Franklin's role as a possession receiver gives him usage as a high-floor WR4. 
• WR45 - Tez Johnson (-2)
• WR46 - Chris Godwin Jr.
• WR47 - Rashid Shaheed (+2)
• WR48 - Josh Downs (-3)
• WR49 - Tre Tucker (-1)
• WR50 - Jakobi Meyers (-3)
• WR51 - Tory Horton (+7) - Big-time players make big-time plays, and that's all Tory Horton has done so far in his rookie season. In his second career game, he caught a 21-yard touchdown on a deep crosser against the Steelers. The following week, he returned a punt for a 95-yard touchdown and then beat Kool-Aid McKinstry in press coverage for a fade in the end zone. Two weeks later, a 21-yard catch on fourth down to take the lead over the Buccaneers with 3:25 remaining. And most recently, in his first game without Cooper Kupp, he ran a career-high 20 routes and caught two more touchdowns. Horton fell to Day 3 in the draft due to some injury concerns, but has quickly calmed those. His 9.83 Relative Athletic Score ranked third among receivers from this year's Draft class. He's a great athlete on one of the team's most efficient passing offenses. His ceiling will be capped if and when Kupp returns, but he's a viable starter when he's out.
• WR52 - Parker Washington (+15) - With Travis Hunter out for the foreseeable future, Washington will have a legitimate opportunity to take over as the team's WR1. Brian Thomas Jr.'s season has been odd. He's playing in a role that isn't suited to his skill set. He has dealt with endless injuries. He has struggled with drops and contested catches. Washington, on the other hand, has thrived this year. He is a slasher who can play a role similar to what Chris Godwin held in Liam Coen's Buccaneers offense. Last week, Washington led the Jaguars in routes, targets, and receiving yards. He's looked strong in the role and should be rewarded with more opportunities. He quickly vaults himself into the weekly WR4 discussion and becomes a priority add in all formats.
• WR53 - Kayshon Boutte (-9) - Boutte exited Week 9's game with a hamstring injury and didn't return. He was trending up after stringing some good games together. The severity of this injury isn't known yet, but it's worrisome enough to push him down the rankings.
• WR54 - Marquise Brown (+2)
• WR55 - DeMario Douglas (+4)
• WR56 - Matthew Golden (-4)
• WR57 - Jerry Jeudy
• WR58 - Cooper Kupp (-5)
• WR59 - Calvin Ridley (-5)
• WR60 - Christian Kirk (+5)
• WR61 - Rashod Bateman (+14) - Lamar Jackson returned from injury, and Bateman immediately caught his first touchdown since Week 3. He ran just as many routes as Zay Flowers. He's a full-time receiver on a good offense. There should be better days ahead.
• WR62 - Brandon Aiyuk (+6)
• WR63 - Chimere Dike (+7)
• WR64 - Dyami Brown (+9)
• WR65 - Elic Ayomanor (-2)
• WR66 - Jalen Coker (-4)
• WR67 - Darnell Mooney (-6)
• WR68 - Olamide Zaccheaus (+3)
• WR69 - Keon Coleman (-9)
• WR70 - Xavier Legette (-6)
• WR71 - KaVontae Turpin (-2)
• WR72 - Jayden Higgins (-6)
• WR73 - Luther Burden III (-1)
• WR74 - Tre' Harris
• WR75 - Malik Washington (+3)
• WR76 - Calvin Austin III
• WR77 - Tyquan Thornton (+2)
• WR78 - Darius Slayton (+7)
• WR79 - Andrei Iosivas (+7)
• WR80 - JuJu Smith-Schuster (-3)
• WR81 - Travis Hunter (-51) - Landing on IR with a non-contact knee injury in practice, Hunter is an obvious faller. At best, Hunter can return in Week 13. In most fantasy leagues, that would give two weeks before the fantasy playoffs. There were already concerns about how Hunter would fit into fantasy lineups coming out of the bye. Expecting him to be healthy, back up to speed, and startable in just four weeks is a tall order. Hopefully, we'll have news on the injury's severity before waivers run on Tuesday. But if we don't, it's probably safe to drop Hunter in shallow leagues.
• WR82 - Roman Wilson (-2)
• WR83 - Pat Bryant (+4)
• WR84 - Kendrick Bourne (-1)
• WR85 - Jordan Whittington (-3)
• WR86 - Marvin Mims Jr. (-5)
• WR87 - Michael Wilson (+6)
• WR88 - Jaylin Noel (-4)
• WR89 - Jalen Tolbert (-1)
• WR90 - Sterling Shepard
• WR91 - Isaiah Bond
• WR92 - Cedric Tillman (+28) - There has been little production for the Browns' wide receivers this year. Especially since Dillon Gabriel took over, the targets have funneled to their tight ends. However, Tillman is set to be activated from IR. The Browns desperately need a receiver to step up. Tillman is kind of tall. Maybe Gabriel confuses him for a tight end and makes him fantasy relevant.
• WR93 - Ray-Ray McCloud III (+29) - After being released by the Falcons, McCloud joined the Giants and immediately became a full-time player. His 36 routes tied Darius Slayton and trailed only Wan'Dale Robinson. He's worth a stash in deep leagues to see how his role develops.
• WR94 - Jalen Nailor (+1)
• WR95 - Chris Moore (+6)
• WR96 - Xavier Hutchinson (+9)
• WR97 - Jack Bech (-8)
• WR98 - Mike Evans (-4)
• WR99 - Elijah Moore (-3)
• WR100 - Savion Williams (+3)
• WR101 - Jahan Dotson (-3)
• WR102 - Tyler Lockett (-5)
• WR103 - Curtis Samuel (New)
• WR104 - Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (-2)
• WR105 - DeAndre Hopkins (-6)
• WR106 - Brandin Cooks (-6)
• WR107 - Van Jefferson (+5)
• WR108 - Tyler Johnson (-4)
• WR109 - Jaylin Lane (-2)
• WR110 - Josh Reynolds (-4)
• WR111 - Malik Heath (New)
• WR112 - Tutu Atwell (-4)
• WR113 - Kalif Raymond (New)
• WR114 - Mack Hollins (+10)
• WR115 - Greg Dortch (+13)
• WR116 - Ryan Flournoy (+9)
• WR117 - Arian Smith (-8)
• WR118 - Demarcus Robinson (-8)
• WR119 - Jamari Thrash (-8)
• WR120 - Adonai Mitchell (-7)
• WR121 - Tyrell Shavers (New)
• WR122 - David Sills V (New)
• WR123 - Xavier Smith (New)
• WR124 - KhaDarel Hodge (-8)
• WR125 - Luke McCaffrey (-33) - McCaffrey left the game early with what appeared to be a collarbone injury. He was tapping into some of his potential this season, but this likely pushes him off the fantasy radar for the rest of this year.
• WR126 - Jalen McMillan (-12)
• WR127 - Devaughn Vele (-12)
• WR128 - Isaac TeSlaa (-5)
• WR129 - Joshua Palmer (-11)
• WR130 - Dontayvion Wicks (-11)
• WR131 - Kameron Johnson (-14)
• WR132 - Jimmy Horn Jr. (-11)
• WR133 - Dont'e Thornton Jr. (-7)
• WR134 - Adam Thielen (-7)

Quarterbacks