Winter injuries are notoriously tricky to project, and that is precisely the case with Zach Charbonnet following a torn ACL suffered on Jan. 17. The Seahawks have been unwilling to put any sort of definitive timeline on his recovery, leaving fantasy football to try to read the tea leaves. Things seem to be progressing nicely, but again, we are subject only to what the team wants to give us, and that allows them to fully control the narrative.
Tread lightly.
Should You Draft Zach Charbonnet in Fantasy Football?
Charbonnet’s at a discount, so I understand how the thought process gets you there. He’s going in round 11 for a guy who was a touchdown machine last season for the Super Bowl champions, who you would think wouldn’t want to change a whole lot. Kenneth Walker is out of town. There’s a lot to like here.
I haven’t landed on him, and I don’t think that’s going to change. He’s going to miss what appears to be at least the first month. I’d be surprised if it’s not the first month and a half, two months of the season. But regardless, let’s think this through. He got work last season because the Seahawks weren’t in on Kenneth Walker being their every-down back until he had to be, and then the dude’s the NFL MVP through the Super Bowl.
Hear me out. What if Charbonnet was playing a large role not because of anything the Seahawks liked in Charbonnet, but because they just disliked Kenneth Walker that much? They disliked the bouncing things outside. They disliked making a 3-yard gain a 3-yard loss, overlooking that it could also be a 43-yard gain. What if they were just so out on that that they’re like, “Anybody we have is going to get volume. They’re going to get the valuable touches”? I think that’s at least in play, and I don’t think it’s being talked about enough.
After that, they pay up. They spend up on Jadarian Price. They bring in a rookie running back with all sorts of pedigree. I understand he wasn’t used a ton in college. You can slice that however you want, but I’m going to say it: he’s fresh. He was behind Jeremiyah Love at Notre Dame, a generational prospect. I’m not going to hold that against him. The Seahawks, who have a veteran running back who won the Super Bowl by featuring their run game, thought he was viable enough to go in and pick up, and now he’s going to get this extended runway through at least September, maybe October, to prove himself worthy.
He has a runway to start like a lot of these rookie running backs don’t. They work into a committee, prove they can play, and then work out of it by the season’s end. In this situation, he’s going to be featured from day one. Week 1, they get the Patriots. If he goes bananas in a Super Bowl rematch, you’re telling me they’re going to bring back a hobbled Charbonnet at some point this season and say, “We need to feature you. We need to take the ball out of the hands of the rookie, out of this kid that’s shown all sorts of explosive potential,” and put it into a plodding back between the 20s, between the tackles? I’m sorry, I don’t see it.
There’s not much risk here at the draft price, and maybe he assumes that same touchdown-vulture role. Don’t get me wrong: if he’s going to score half a dozen, 8 touchdowns, something like that, he’s very much worth picking in round 11. You can slot him in during bye weeks and take your chances, maybe end up with a double-digit score.
I’m not going that way. I think Price leads this backfield from the jump, and that leaves me out on Charbonnet. Even if we get positive health reports, and it’s hard to get anything out of Seattle these days as far as health updates go, I’m passing on Charbonnet in 2026.
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Zach Charbonnet’s Week 1 Fantasy Outlook
Charbonnet (knee) enters the season on IR, and that means he will miss at least the first month of the season. He’s rushed for 20 scores over the past two seasons, and while Kenneth Walker has been replaced by rookie Jadarian Price, it’s possible that Charbs is again asked to handle the short-yardage, high-value situations.
Lock him on your IR and root against Price as we navigate September. I find it likely that Charbonnet is in a 10-12 touch role if Price shows anything of interest, but should he fall flat, you could have stolen the RB1 on the defending Super Bowl champions, a move that could swing your league in a big way.
He doesn’t cost you a roster spot right now: wait-and-see.
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Where Charbonnet Ranks Among 2026 Running Backs
- Rachaad White | WAS
- J.K. Dobbins | DEN
- RJ Harvey | DEN
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
- Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
- Zach Charbonnet | SEA
- Woody Marks | HOU
- Tyler Allgeier | ARI
- Keaton Mitchell | LAC
- Mike Washington Jr. | LV
- Tank Bigsby | PHI
Analysts Jason Katz and Kyle Soppe rank every running back on PFN’s 2026 PPR Consensus Board.
