SamHowell

News: 6 days agoHowell completed 16 of 27 passes for 130 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions and rushed four times for 17 yards in the Seahawks' 16-3 preseason win over the Chargers on Saturday night.

Spin: Howell drew the start due to Geno Smith being a healthy scratch, and the offseason arrival played until just the halfway point of the third quarter. The 2022 fifth-round pick of the Commanders led two first-half touchdown drives and also spearheaded a 14-play, 84-yard march on his last possession that ended on downs at the Chargers' two-yard line. It was a relatively solid in-game Seahawks debut for Howell, who seems to have a clear advantage over journeyman PJ Walker for the No. 2 quarterback job heading into Seattle's second preseason game next Saturday night at Tennessee.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Howell was traded to Seattle in March and is set to work as Geno Smith's backup in 2024. Washington gave Howell a shot to be the team's starter and while the North Carolina product flashed at times, he mostly flopped. Blunders were the hallmark of Howell's 2023 campaign, as he registered 21 passing scores and 21 interceptions (with 12 of those INTs occurring the final seven games of the season). Howell's mobility was a bright spot for fantasy purposes, however, as his five rushing scores padded his overall stat line and allowed for a top-15 positional finish. The 23-year-old could (once again) provide streaming value if Smith were to be sidelined for an extended period.