The NFL offseason kicked into high gear with a blockbuster trade: the Seattle Seahawks sent quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. This move, reuniting Smith with his former coach Pete Carroll, has sent ripples through the NFL. With free agency looming and the 2025 season on the horizon, let’s break down the fantasy implications for the key players affected by this trade, based on their 2024 performances and the change at the quarterback position for both teams.
Stock Up
Brock Bowers
Brock Bowers is the biggest winner of this trade. Geno Smith isn’t Patrick Mahomes, but he’s a massive upgrade over the Raiders’ 2024 QB carousel. Smith’s skillset is a significant upgrade in terms of accuracy and playmaking which should boost Bowers’ efficiency and TD production. Last season we saw Bowers finish with 112 catches for 1194 yards and 5 touchdowns resulting in a breakout rookie season. Bowers enters 2025 as the consensus TE1 in fantasy drafts, with some analysts even floating him as a late first-round pick in single-TE leagues. Expect a stat line pushing 1,300 yards and 8-10 TDs in year two for the star tight end.
Jakobi Meyers
Just like his fellow pass catcher, Jakobi Meyers gets a value bump with Geno Smith’s arrival. Smith has a track record of supporting multiple pass-catchers during his tenure in Seattle, so Meyers will look to build off of his career season in 2024. Meyers finished last year with 87 catches for 1027 yards and 4 touchdowns resulting in a career high 14.5 fantasy points per game. While Bowers will dominate the pecking order, Meyers projects as a solid WR3 with WR2 upside in PPR formats, potentially hitting 900-1,000 yards and 6-8 TDs in 2025. He’s a reliable flex option with a higher floor than in 2024.
Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold will now draw potential interest from the Seahawks and there are already rumors of him returning to Minnesota on a multi-year deal. Both situations are ideal in terms of surrounding talent. In Minnesota we saw him average a career high 18.1 points per game. If Darnold lands in Seattle, he’ll be a borderline QB1 in 2025. With JSN and potentially Metcalf, plus Walker, he could replicate his 2024 success (4,000+ yards, 30+ TDs). If Darnold lands in either spot next season, he is a sneaky late-round flier at quarterback.
Kenneth Walker III
The QB change doesn’t drastically alter Kenneth Walker’s outlook. Seattle will most likely lean on their running backs no matter what quarterback they bring resulting in more volume for Walker. Last season in 11 games player Walker only managed 20 carries twice, this number will increase with a new signal caller. He remains a volatile RB2—capable of RB1 weeks (15-20 points) but plagued by inconsistency and Charbonnet’s presence. I would expect similar production in 2025 despite a potential increase in volume unless Seattle upgrades its offensive line or clarifies the backfield split.
Stock Down
Geno Smith
The move to Las Vegas offers a slight downgrade for Geno Smith’s fantasy value. He leaves behind a shaky Seahawks offense with JSN, DK Metcalf, Kenneth Walker, and Zach Charbonnet for the Raiders. While the Raiders have Bowers and Meyers this team needs to make more offensive additions to surround Geno Smith with more talent. If the Raiders can add another pass catcher, running back, and a lineman I would feel confident in Smith having a better season in 2025. Ultimately, none of those are a guarantee and the current construction of the Raiders offense is not as strong as the one in Seattle resulting in a slight downgrade.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Geno Smith’s departure introduces uncertainty at the quarterback position hurting both Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf’s value. Since we don’t know if Metcalf will be around in 2025, JSN’s stock is taking a slight hit. He broke out last season with 100 receptions for 1130 yards and 6 touchdowns but the quarterback uncertainty heading into next year will result in a drop in price for the time being. If Darnold signs, JSN could maintain or even exceed his 2024 production, especially if Metcalf is traded, leaving him as the unchallenged WR1. He projects as a high-end WR2 with WR1 upside (1,200-1,300 yards, 8-10 TDs) in 2025 drafts. Even with a lesser QB like Sam Howell, his target volume keeps him in the WR2 conversation.
Overview
The Geno Smith trade reshapes fantasy outlooks for 2025 for the time being. Geno Smith to Las Vegas has boosted both Meyers and Bowers outlooks for next season while some of his former teammates in Seattle see a small drop in value. Ultimately both teams will be making a few more moves to help fix some holes in the coming weeks. As free agency and the draft unfold, we will get a clearer outlook on how both teams will look next season, stay tuned for the next domino to fall.