Sleepless in Seattle: Should Charbonnet Scare Us Off Ken Walker?

In the second half of last season, then-rookie running back Kenneth Walker III exploded in a major way for the Seattle Seahawks. With electric runs and game-breaking plays, Walker emerged as one of the top options in fantasy circles. So how does that change this year, considering the Seahawks’ draft selection of Zach Charbonnet, a fellow running back?

Are the knocks on Walker legit?

One of the knocks on Walker is a tricky one: Play-to-play, he’s not very good or efficient. In the eyes of some, his per-carry numbers are weak if you separate out the big, game-breaking runs.

But why would we ever do that, anyway? Why is this such a consistent storyline with Walker in our fantasy community? If you’ve been reading my NFL material over the past 19 years, then you know where I stand on this sort of thing: I’d rather give due credit than bash a player who produced.

So when it comes to Kenneth Walker III, I look at him this way: How many NFL running backs even have explosive runs anymore? Opposing defenses have ‘figured out’ rushing attacks over time; thus, rush attempts are down, and offenses become more and more pass-heavy. So shouldn’t we credit Walker for ridiculously good runs like these?

I know I do. Credit is due. I’ll be rockin’ with Walker again this season because I know more big runs are on the way. This kid is explosive when he gets rollin’ downhill.

How does Charbonnet impact Walker, if at all?

Rookie Zach Charbonnet is picking up steam in our fantasy community of late, which bodes well for potential Walker drafters. We’ve seen this little game time and time again: As one RB’s ADP rises in fantasy, his teammate’s falls at the same position. So as Charbonnet climbs the ladder, we are getting an even better price on Walker.

My take on Charbonnet? The tape indicates he’s a very good and efficient pass-catcher out of the backfield. This is great news for Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks’ overall offense as they look to become less predictable (in the past, they’ve relied heavily on the wide receiver duo of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett). Throw the highest-drafted rookie WR, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, in the mix, and Pete Carroll’s offense looks pretty deadly right now.

In fantasy, though, I’m not backing off Walker. I think Charbonnet is getting over drafted, as that tends to be the case with rookies getting hype directly after the NFL Draft.

So where does that leave Walker in the end?

Some rankings have dropped Walker as low as the RB17, which is great for fantasy managers like me who will still be grabbing shares. Charbonnet has jumped into Tier 5/6 for many, which is fine, but in redraft I’ll be taking Isiah Pacheco, Brian Robinson, AJ Dillon, Khalil Herbert and Rashaad Penny over him without hesitation in Tier 5.

As far as Walker’s RB company, well… the top portion of RB is absolutely stacked this season. I’d like to say we ‘can’t trust’ rookie Jahmyr Gibbs that high, but is that even really true? The Lions’ offense is explosive, they play up-and-down with comfort. Travis Etienne is taking some fantasy heat from Tank Bigsby, but is he in reality? I’m not too worried about Etienne’s stock, honestly.

Breece Hall creates an obvious conversation: Do you trust him to stay healthy or not? If you do, he’s probably better than Walker because he doesn’t have a Jets rookie nipping at his heels. Aaron Jones is consistently productive and consistently underrated.

So it’s crowded, indeed, but I can still easily make a case for Kenneth Walker III as high as the RB10 in redraft fantasy football. Seattle has created a slippery slope here!

I’ll see ya right back here next week.

John Frascella is a published sports author who has been covering the NFL for 19 years. Follow him on Twitter @LegendSports7 for all things fantasy football, basketball and baseball throughout the year.