Jimmy Graham's Fantasy Predictions After Comments on Blocking Role with Seahawks

Jimmy Graham has been one of the most dynamic and productive tight ends in the NFL both in real and fantasy terms over the past four seasons, but his value in the latter category could take a hit in 2015.

The 28-year-old Pro Bowler was surprisingly dealt from the New Orleans Saints to the Seattle Seahawks during the offseason, which is a move that should help Graham in terms of pursuing a championship but isn't likely to do him any favors as a fantasy football asset. 

Even Graham himself seems to realize that his offensive production could be down during the upcoming season. According to Tim Booth of The Associated Press (h/t KOMONews.com), the former Miami (Florida) basketball player expects his role as a blocker to increase significantly this year.

"It's very important for me to be a part of (run-blocking) here because that's about 75 percent of the offense here, and if you have a back like (Marshawn Lynch), you want to be in there on those explosive runs, and you want to be part of that," Graham said.

While Graham is ready and willing to contribute heavily to the running game, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports questioned if that is the most effective way to utilize a player of his caliber:

Graham wasn't asked to block much in New Orleans' pass-heavy offense, but according to NFL.com's Kevin Patra, he was respectable in that regard last season, as Pro Football Focus rated him as the No. 15 blocking tight end in the league.

While refining his blocking skills could help Seattle's offense as a whole, it won't do Graham's fantasy owners any favors.

He reeled in 85 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns last year and averaged nearly 89 receptions for 1,099 yards and 11.5 touchdowns per season during his past four campaigns with the Saints.

For comparison's sake, the Seahawks' top pass-catching tight end has averaged just under 30 catches for nearly 345 yards and 2.75 touchdowns per season during that same time frame.

Also, as seen in this table, the Saints have been far more committed to the pass in recent years than have the Seahawks, who have ranked near the bottom in that regard since quarterback Russell Wilson entered the league in 2012:

Team	2012 (rank)	2013 (rank)	2014 (rank)
Saints	41.9/game (2)	40.7/game (4)	41.2/game (2)
Seahawks	25.3/game (32)	26.2/game (31)	28.4/game (32)

Despite the Seahawks' obvious lack of focus on the tight end position and passing game in general over the past three years, ESPN.com's Saints reporter Mike Triplett is still bullish on Graham from a fantasy perspective:

In terms of pure talent, only New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski can compare to Graham among tight ends. Fantasy success relies on a lot more than talent, though.

One can only assume that head coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks will be wise enough to integrate the tight end more heavily into the offense in 2015 now that they have an elite option at the position, but expecting Graham to reach his usual level of production is unrealistic.

Wide receiver Doug Baldwin led the team in receiving last year with 66 catches for 825 yards and three touchdowns, so look for Graham to post similar numbers with a bit more success in the touchdown department, since his size gives him an advantage near the goal line.

Graham remains the No. 2 fantasy tight end behind Gronk, but the separation is massive, and it wouldn't be advisable to take Graham any earlier than the fourth round in standard leagues.

Projected 2015 stats: 70 receptions for 850 yards and seven touchdowns

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