The 2026 NFL season officially gets underway on Wednesday night with a rematch of Super Bowl LX.
The Seattle Seahawks won that matchup, and they’ll be looking to knock the New England Patriots off again to begin the season. In the Super Bowl, both defenses played well, and it was the Seahawks’ run game that ended up being the biggest difference.
However, the Seahawks lost Kenneth Walker II in free agency, so there’s no guarantee they’ll have the same success. The Patriots also upgraded their offense with wide receiver A.J. Brown, so this will be an exciting battle.
Now, let’s take a look at how some of the Seahawks could perform from a fantasy football standpoint. Obviously, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is going to be a start every week, so he won’t be included in this exercise.
Start or Sit: Jadarian Price
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Rookie Jadarian Price is stepping into a large role with the Seahawks. As mentioned above, Walker left in free agency, and Zach Charbonnet is going to miss at least the first few games of the season.
This means Price has a golden opportunity to cement himself as the lead back and as a solid fantasy starter. The Patriots had a top run defense last year, but that didn’t matter in the Super Bowl. The last time these teams played, the Seahawks rushed for 141 yards.
Even if Price doesn’t have a huge game, he’ll get plenty of touches, making him worth a start at least until Charbonnet gets back.
Verdict: Start
Start or Sit: A.J. Barner
A.J. Barner had an underrated 2025 campaign, ending with 52 catches for 519 yards and six touchdowns. The tight end really showed up in the Super Bowl, catching four passes for 54 yards and one touchdown.
Barner isn’t one of the most dangerous tight ends in the game, but there are worse options to start this week. Barner has at least two receptions in nine of his last 10 games, and he’s becoming a nice safety blanket for Sam Darnold.
Unless you have an elite option like Trey McBride or Brock Bowers, Barner is a fine start for this week.
Verdict: Start
Start or Sit: Rashid Shaheed
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Rashid Shaheed was kept in check in the Super Bowl. The speedster ended with just two catches for 27 yards and his impact in the return game was limited as well.
The Patriots were very good against the pass in 2025, mostly thanks to star cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Gonzalez will be locked in on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, meaning Shaheed might get open a time or two down the field.
Shaheed could easily score a long touchdown in this game, but if he doesn’t score, he won’t do you much good. The Patriots are stout on special teams, too, so probably shouldn’t expect a return score. There are better receiver and flex options this week.
Verdict: Sit
