Doug Baldwin Injury: Is Tyler Lockett or Brandon Marshall the Fantasy Add?

Tyler Lockett

Getty Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett.

The status of Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin following his Week 1 knee injury was recently revealed. Shortly after halftime of the 27-24 loss to the Denver Broncos, the team revealed Baldwin would miss the remainder of the game due to a knee injury.

As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll stated the team’s No. 1 wideout suffered a sprained MCL.

UPDATE (Monday, September 10)

ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed Baldwin has a partial MCL tear, and his timeline for a return hasn’t been revealed.

As Gregg Bell of The News Tribune previously revealed, the injury was to Baldwin’s right knee – not the one which was banged up last month.

Regardless, knee injuries for wide receivers are bad news and depending on the severity, often result in at least some amount of time being missed. If that winds up being the case and Baldwin is forced to sit out, which seems likely, it then leads to the million-dollar question.  Which Seahawks receiver should fantasy football owners target on the waiver wire?

Let’s break down the two receivers which make the most sense to target, and which one gets the edge.


Tyler Lockett or Brandon Marshall Better Doug Baldwin Replacement?

Gauging how the offense looked through one game is tough, and neither Lockett or Marshall impressed in the first half. But immediately after Baldwin’s injury, we saw the latter haul in a 20-yard touchdown from Russell Wilson. Based on the role Baldwin plays in Seattle’s offense, Marshall would make sense as the more ideal fit.

But based on upside? That edge goes to Lockett.

Shortly after Marshall’s touchdown, Lockett had his own explosive moment, scoring a 51-yard touchdown. There’s no denying Lockett has the higher ceiling than Marshall at this point, but he also arguably has a higher chance of being a “bust” play than a “boom” one on a weekly basis.

If I’m forced to pick one name, based on safety and consistency, I’d roll out Marshall, especially if you play in a point-per-reception league. The 34-year-old isn’t the same player he was back in 2015, but the potential to hold down the fort for Baldwin over the span of a few games is there. The safest bet may be to put waiver claims in for both players and make Marshall your first target of the two, especially if you’re a big fan of the Seahawks offense.

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