Will Bobby Wagner Be An IDP Superstar Again In Seattle? Fantasy Football Outlook

Bobby Wagner has been one of the most reliable linebackers in the NFL for 11 straight years.

Every single year of his career, Wagner has tallied over 100 combined tackles. Since 2015, no player has had more tackles than Wagner. He played for the Seattle Seahawks for 10 seasons, making eight Pro Bowls and six All-Pro first team appearances.

Now after playing one season for the Los Angeles Rams, which included making the All-Pro second team, Wagner is back in Seattle. Will he be an IDP superstar in 2023?

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Where Does Bobby Wagner Fit In Seattle's LB Core?

Wagner is the starter at right inside linebacker, a position he has played most of his career. In reality, he plays about a third of his snaps at right inside linebacker, middle linebacker, and left inside linebacker.

In Seattle, Wagner only rushed the passer 7.1% of the time during his last three years there and only made seven sacks (per PFF). In LA, he was utilized much more as a pass rusher (10.5%) and made 6.0 sacks in just one year.

While he made fewer tackles in LA, his sacks and impact plays kept him in the top 10 among IDP linebackers. In 2021, he was the LB8 in RotoBaller IDP scoring. In 2022, he was the LB6.

Last season, the Seahawks' off-ball linebackers only rushed the passer 72 times. Clint Hurtt returns as defensive coordinator and Wagner will probably see fewer pass rushes this season.

Could Bobby Wagner Be the LB1 In Fantasy Football?

Wagner is still an excellent player, but the days of him contending to be the highest-scoring linebacker in the league are gone. It's not just that he won't be making so many impact plays, but he's also not going to make as many tackles.

In 2021, Wagner made 170 tackles while the Seahawks had teams run the ball on them more than almost any other team. In 2022, Wagner made 140 tackles. Playing behind Aaron Donald, not as many running backs reached his level. His missed tackle rate dropped from 6.6% to 1.4%.

This season, he might have more opportunities to tackle unchallenged running backs; the Seahawks' defensive line is poor compared to the Rams. His missed tackle rate might increase as the tackles become more difficult, but his tackles per play will increase, too.

Wagner has played over 1,000 snaps in each of the past four seasons. He will be 33 years old this year. The Seahawks signed Devin Bush to back up Wagner and Jordyn Brooks, who is recovering from an ACL tear. Wagner will be the three-down linebacker, and the team has depth.

Wagner should rank between LB6 and LB12, but he will not be the LB1.

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