Seahawks vs. Cardinals Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Thursday Night - Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, Trey Benson, Kyler Murray, Trey McBride

September 25, 2025

Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em lineups advice for Seahawks vs. Cardinals on Thursday Night Football in Week 4 (2025). NFL matchups analysis and TNF starts/sits.

You never know what you're going to get on any given Thursday Night Football game. Last week, the Bills were 12.5-point favorites against the Dolphins before kickoff, but the game stayed within one score for 59 minutes and 38 seconds. It wasn't until a Bills field goal with 22 seconds left that Buffalo put the game out of reach.

Fantasy football players rejoiced because that meant all the usual suspects had usable games for their rosters. Is that guaranteed to be the case when the Seattle Seahawks visit the Arizona Cardinals this week, since the spread is much, much lower? Absolutely not, but there are still plenty of fantasy options in this game to consider.

I will bring you Thursday Night Football analysis all season, focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench. Let's dive into this Week 4 Thursday night matchup for the 2025 season. You can also check out our main Week 4 start 'em, sit 'em matchups article for all other games. Good luck in your fantasy football week, RotoBallers!

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals

Thursday, September 25, 8:15 PM ET

Notable Injuries:

• James Conner (RB, ARI) - OUT - Ankle
• Zay Jones (WR, ARI) - Questionable - Concussion
• Elijah Arroyo (TE, SEA) - Questionable - Groin

Seahawks vs. Cardinals Matchup Breakdown

The NFC West is the early leader in the clubhouse for the best division in football. All four teams are above .500 after three weeks, making this early season matchup between the Seahawks and Cardinals all the more important.

The Cardinals went on the road and lost by just one point to the San Francisco 49ers (and they were one Zay Jones dropped pass away from sealing it). The Seahawks blew the doors off the lowly New Orleans Saints and now travel for Week 4.

YEEEAAAHHHH 🔥

Thursday Night Football just got even better with Lil Jon as our halftime show!

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 22, 2025

Both teams have been defined by their defense to start the season (and that's why the total on this game is so low). Both Seattle and Arizona are in the top five for fewest points per game allowed, and in the top 10 for fewest yards per play allowed. The team that is able to put together consistent drives in this game will be the winner, as long as it can avoid turnovers.

Both teams are once again in the top 12 in takeaways per game, and that aspect of the game has been a calling card of both teams. Pressure and turnovers forced will be key stats to watch. On offense, it probably comes down to how two key players perform. Can Kyler Murray step up his game, using his elite offensive weapons? On the other side, if Jaxon Smith-Njigba can continue his elite stretch of usage, Arizona might not have an answer for him.

Must-Starts for Fantasy Football Lineups

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR, SEA)

There is no usable statistic this season that does not show Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN) in the top six of all wide receivers. Total points, points per game, target share, air yards, yards per route run, yards per pass attempt, catch rate, etc. You name it, and JSN is doing it. The switch from Geno Smith to Sam Darnold and the loss of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett have helped JSN reach heights that solidify him as a must-start WR1.

Kenneth Walker III (RB, SEA)

It wasn't the most efficient day for Kenneth Walker III on Sunday, as he totaled just 50 yards on 17 touches. But he scored two touchdowns and played only 53% of Seattle's snaps because of the blowout. It would have been a much bigger game if it needed him at all in the second half.

Kenneth Walker ran for 105 yards on Sunday despite playing only 35% of the snaps. pic.twitter.com/BSLgu723DN

— SleeperSeahawks (@SleeperSeahawks) September 17, 2025

With Zach Charbonnet coming back from injury, I think Walker will still have the majority of the workload, and is a good bet to put up his third straight game with 14 or more touches.

Trey Benson (RB, ARI)

Welcome to workhorse status, Trey Benson. With James Conner now set to miss the whole season with an ankle injury, Benson is set up to carry most of the load in the Arizona backfield going forward. He played on 61% of the snaps last week and was in on almost every play after Conner went out. Benson has an average of 5.0 yards per carry in his short career, so now the only question that remains is, can he handle 20 touches per game? We are about to find out.

Trey McBride (TE, ARI)

Things are the same as they always have been with Trey McBride. He once again leads all tight ends in target share (27.3%), is second in air yards share (29.8%), and is No. 1 in route participation. Unlike last season, he already has a touchdown on his resume, so that monkey is off his back early. He remains a must-start regardless of matchup, but Seattle has allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season.

Possible Starts for Fantasy Football Lineups

Sam Darnold (QB, SEA)

Sam Darnold has had two decent fantasy games and one awful game (Week 1) so far in 2025. His fantasy points per game are about the same as C.J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence this season, if that provides some context. However, the Cardinals have allowed the second-most passing yards to quarterbacks this season (826) and have only generated five sacks in three games. For leagues with 12 or more teams, he can be considered a streamer.

Cooper Kupp (WR, SEA)

Cooper Kupp is currently the WR61 in fantasy points per game in half-PPR formats through three weeks. He is 51st in targets, 35th in target share, 59th in routes run, and 68th in air yards. He remains a viable flex in PPR formats, but he also seems to be no better than fourth in the pecking order of this offense.

Tory Horton (WR, SEA)

After scoring a receiving touchdown and a punt return touchdown in Week 3, I'm guessing that Tory Horton is going to start getting some more work in this Seattle offense. It was partially due to the blowout, but Horton played on half of the snaps in the game on Sunday, which was up from 40% in Week 2. Horton also out-targeted Kupp last week, so a changing of the guard could be happening.

Seahawks WR Tory Horton is only player in Super Bowl era with multiple receiving TDs, punt return TD through first three career gameshttps://t.co/9ay9qU2bcf pic.twitter.com/cnmAzg9sBd

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) September 22, 2025

Zach Charbonnet (RB, SEA)

Zach Charbonnet participated in practice on Monday and Tuesday, so it looks like he has recovered and is ready to go for Thursday night. However, he is coming off a horrific game in Week 2, and I don't expect the Seahawks to throw him out there for more than 50% of snaps unless it is an emergency. Charbonnet might get some goal-line and passing work, but he is a risky start.

Kyler Murray (QB, ARI)

Kyler Murray is doing a good job with his legs this year, running for more than 30 yards in every game. But he doesn't have a game with more than 220 passing yards and has just one touchdown pass in back-to-back weeks. Seattle is a top-6 team against quarterbacks this season, so I would rank Murray around QB12 this week, making him a borderline starter.

Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR, ARI)

We have reached the point where starting Marvin Harrison Jr. is not an automatic thing anymore. Whether it's drops, lazy routes, lack of usage, or another problem, Harrison has been maddeningly inconsistent to start his career. He is coming off back-to-back games with no more than three catches and 45 yards. Against this Seattle secondary, he is likely to see some tough routes. You probably have to start him based on your roster options, but don't expect a big game.

Consider Sitting for Fantasy Football Lineups

AJ Barner (TE, SEA)

AJ Barner has just four receptions in three games for a total of 49 yards. He does have one touchdown, but his reception success rate is just 50% on the season, and he is competing with Elijah Arroyo (if healthy) and Eric Saubert. If Arroyo is ruled out, we can consider Barner as a dart throw in deep leagues, but he isn't a priority.

Big Drive by Sam Darnold! Found AJ Barner who will be a GUY if he’s used consistently. pic.twitter.com/Q20R9Xejsx

— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) September 14, 2025

Zay Jones and Greg Dortch (WRs, ARI)

Zay Jones and Greg Dortch are maybe the sixth and seventh options on the Arizona offense, if we are being generous. Combined, they don't even make up 6% of the Cardinals' passing target share this season.

Emari Demercado (RB, ARI)

While Emari Demercado does become the handcuff to Trey Benson now, he is unlikely to get enough work to justify being in a starting lineup for fantasy managers. Benson managers can stash Demercado in case another injury happens, but he has two rush attempts for zero yards this season.

Kirksey’s Thursday Night Football Picks

Current Spread: SEA -1.5
Over/Under: 43.5

The spread is tight, but with the Seahawks favored on the road, it means Seattle would probably be about a -3.5 favorite on a neutral field. This should be a close game throughout, and I don't expect either team to put up a ton of points. The Cardinals have scored more than 20 points once this season, while the Seahawks' big games have come against two defenses that look abysmal to start the season.

In the end, I trust the Darnold-Walker-JSN connection more than I do the Murray-Benson-McBride trio. Murray tends to wilt in these big games, and I think the Seahawks' defense forces him into some erratic decisions. Give me Seattle to take a close, low-scoring game.

Seattle 23, Arizona 17

The Pick: SEA -1.5, UNDER 43.5

2025 Overall Record:
Spread (2-1), Over/Under (2-1)

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