Seahawks vs. Bears TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Geno Smith, Zach Charbonnet, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Caleb Williams, Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, D'Andre Swift

We made it to the last Thursday Night Football game of the year! In most fantasy football leagues, this is the last week and just the championship matchup remains. The Christmas Day games and Thursday Night Football kick off an incredible slate of games.

While the matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears may not be the most fantasy-friendly matchup of the year, there are still plenty of options to consider. With the Seahawks battling for the playoffs and the Bears offense evolving, this has the potential to be a great game.

I will bring you Thursday Night Football analysis all year, focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench. Let's dive into this next awesome Thursday night matchup for Week 17 of the 2024 season. Good luck in the championship, RotoBallers!

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Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears - 8:15 p.m. EST

Notable Injuries:

• Kenneth Walker III (RB, SEA) - Ankle - Out
• Travis Homer (RB, CHI) - Hamstring - Questionable

Seahawks vs. Bears Matchup Breakdown

What is each team playing for as it enters Week 17 of the NFL season? For the Seahawks, it's simple. They need to win their last two games to have a shot at the playoffs and take the NFC West crown. For the Bears, they are looking to maintain this late-season offensive surge and position themselves for a strong draft and a more competitive 2025.

Merry Christmas! 🎄 pic.twitter.com/0V7lDLE9UA

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 25, 2024

Unfortunately for the Bears, as the offense has improved under Caleb Williams, the defense has struggled. Over the last three weeks, only the Buffalo Bills have allowed more points per game than the Bears (34.0 points). It's a huge difference from the 22.8 they allow on the season and can be attributed to the fact they are bottom 10 in both rushing touchdowns and passing touchdowns allowed in that span.

Seattle, on the other hand, has been stout against the run (0.3 rushing touchdowns per game the last three weeks), but vulnerable in the passing game (2.3 passing touchdowns allowed). Don't be surprised at all if this turns into a Zach Charbonnet-Keenan Allen-DJ Moore slugfest.

Must-Starts for Fantasy Football Lineups

Zach Charbonnet (RB, SEA)

Update: Kenneth Walker III has officially been ruled out.

For the initial purposes of this piece, I am assuming Kenneth Walker III does not play on Thursday. He has not practiced this week, and could not finish the Week 16 game against Minnesota. In this scenario, Charbonnet would assume the full-time role he has had in the four games Walker missed this season.

In those four games, Charbonnet has averaged 19.5 touches and scored six touchdowns. More importantly, he played more than 80% of snaps in every game. He is a workhorse, championship-winning back if Walker is out, and is a must-start.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR, SEA)

JSN has erased any doubt he is this team's No. 1 wide receiver. He has 24 targets over the last two games and no one else on the team has more than 13. He is Geno Smith's favorite target and has at least 82 yards in each of his last three games.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s breakout into a legit elite WR1 has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of this NFL season. pic.twitter.com/lCaUer1NXB

— Mike Kennedy (@MikeKennedyNFL) December 22, 2024

DK Metcalf (WR, SEA)

DK Metcalf's targets have taken a hit with JSN's emergence, but he is still making big plays and demanding at least six targets per game. Chicago has allowed 12.9 yards per completion over the last three games (31st in the NFL).

DJ Moore (WR, CHI)

DJ Moore has at least eight targets in each of the last four games, including two with at least 10 targets. He led the Bears in red-zone targets last week and has at least six receptions in six straight games.

Keenan Allen (WR, CHI)

The resurgence of Keenan Allen as a PPR master has been a sight to behold. He has five touchdowns in his last five games to go along with 54 targets over that time frame. Despite the presence of Moore and Rome Odunze, Allen has become Caleb Williams' favorite target.

Solid Starts for Fantasy Football Lineups

Geno Smith (QB, SEA)

Geno Smith bounced back from his worst game of the year in Week 15 (149 yards, no touchdowns, one interception) to throw for 314 yards and three touchdowns against Minnesota. Seattle has passed 65% of the time over the last three games, the second-highest mark in the NFL. Smith could create a turnover or two, but the potential for a ton of passing yards and touchdowns is real.

Rome Odunze (WR, CHI)

Rookie Rome Odunze is a clear third on the receiving pecking order for the Bears this year but still has some WR3 or flex value. He caught four passes for 77 yards last week after seeing seven targets for the second straight week. The touchdowns have been hit or miss, but he has 45 targets in the last six weeks.

Caleb Williams (QB, CHI)

One underrated fact about Caleb Williams' rookie season is that he has stopped throwing interceptions. Since the Bears' Week 7 bye, Williams has eight passing touchdowns and zero picks. He is coming off his best game as a thrower with 334 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit.

Caleb Williams in the red zone this season:

217 yards
13 TD
0 INT
97.0 passer ratingpic.twitter.com/Umg9vicoog

— Dave (@dave_bfr) December 24, 2024

D'Andre Swift (RB, CHI)

D'Andre Swift is not anything more than an RB2 right now, especially since his usage went way down last week. After a strong middle of the season, Swift has digressed and now has not scored a touchdown or had 80 yards since Week 11.

Consider Sitting for Fantasy Football Lineups

Tyler Lockett (WR, SEA)

Tyler Lockett has not caught more than three passes since Week 7 and has just one touchdown in that span. He has four total receptions in the last three games and has become an afterthought in the Seattle offense.

Noah Fant (TE, SEA)

After the last four weeks, we seemingly know exactly what we are going to get from Noah Fant. If three receptions and between 20 and 50 yards are what you need to win your championship matchup, then go right ahead. Fant has three receptions in four straight games. The Bears have allowed just four scores to tight ends all season long.

Cole Kmet (TE, CHI)

Those who started Cole Kmet in Week 16 lucked into a touchdown when he caught two passes for nine yards. Beyond that, he has between one and three catches in six of his last seven games. Kmet is a very risky tight-end play in Week 17.

Cole Kmet’s first touchdown in over two months

Sad the #Bears haven’t prioritized him in the red zone. It clearly works! pic.twitter.com/qU21pPsCsr

— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) December 22, 2024

Roschon Johnson (RB, CHI)

After missing two games due to an injury, Roschon Johnson returned but touched the ball just one time for three yards against Detroit. The Bears have committed to getting the passing game going in every recent matchup, so Johnson should have almost no role.

Kirksey’s Thursday Night Football Picks

Current Spread: SEA -3.5
Over/Under: 43.5

Both of these teams enter Week 17 on a losing streak. The Seahawks have lost two in a row to fall out of the NFC West lead while the Bears have dropped nine straight after starting the season 4-2.

The Seahawks, despite being on the road, are in desperation mode. They need to beat the Bears to set up a winner-take-all matchup against the L.A. Rams in Week 18. With at least 24 points scored in three of their last four and Zach Charbonnet and JSN peaking, I'll pick Seattle to cover this spread.

Give me Seattle on the road winning 27-21.

The Pick: SEA -3.5, OVER 43.5

2024 Record (including Thanksgiving games):
Spread (10-8), Over/Under (11-6-1)

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