It took longer than we wanted, but Kenneth Walker III exploded down the stretch of the regular season (118 scrimmage yards per game over his final three games) and capped the 2025 season by raising the Super Bowl MVP trophy.
With the Seattle Seahawks unlikely to bring him back, should dynasty fantasy football managers be tripping over themselves to get him on their roster?
Dynasty Fantasy Football Stock Watch: Kenneth Walker III
We are humans, and humans are predisposed to weigh recent production above all else. That means that Walker’s value, after gashing a strong Patriots defense for 161 yards on 29 touches in the biggest game of his life, is at a fever pitch.
So what are we to make of him moving forward?
This is a complicated case, as most running backs are. Walker turns 26 years of age in October and, including the playoffs, has just over 1,000 touches on his resume. That’s certainly not over-the-hill, but this position can age as fast as any in professional sports, and that is why many dynasty managers prefer to cycle through RBs as opposed to spending up.
Personally, I’m in that camp more often than not. That said, the case for Walker is pretty straightforward, and if most in your league are happy to pass, I’d consider jumping aboard if you’re in a position to compete at a high level over the next two seasons.
Entering this season, we viewed Walker as a “what if” player.
- What if he got more work?
- What if he didn’t force runs to the perimeter?
- What if he could stay on the field?
We got some of those answers in 2025, and they were encouraging at a high level.
At the macro level, he gained yardage on 81% of his carries, easily the best mark of his career. We obviously love to see that, as it hints at skill-set maturity, and we got more than a “hint” from the in-depth look.
In every season of his career, the rate of runs for Walker that have graded better than positional average after first contact has increased. This suggests that he didn’t simply run pure with those splash plays this season, but rather that he was lowering his pads and working hard for every inch.
We weren’t sure if that attribute would ever be part of this profile, but we got it in spades, and with him set to hit the open market, there’s hope that the role we saw into the postseason will extend into the 2026 regular season.
There are two sides to that coin, however, as it’s possible, if not likely, that his new employer doesn’t score with the frequency of the Seahawks, thus capping his upside.
It’s a risk/reward situation, but I do think we as fantasy managers stand to gain based on how the league views the running back position. With the asking price for Walker exploding, it seems unlikely that a team loaded with question marks will pony up.
“Unlikely” doesn’t mean that teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, or New York Jets (presuming that Breece Hall moves on) get involved; I just don’t make them the favorites when you look at teams like the Jags and Chiefs.
If Travis Etienne were to find himself on the move, the Jacksonville situation is interesting. Walker would likely assume a lead role that was greater than what he held for the bulk of the 2026 season, though I do fear that 2025 fourth-round pick Bhayshul Tuten could be Zach Charbonnet 2.0.
If the dominoes fall that way (Walker in and Etienne out), I’d have him ranked as a fringe top-15 dynasty option at the position. He’d be in the low-end RB1 conversation if the Chiefs were to go this direction, as I view that offense as a touch more stable long-term with less projectable committee work.
For now, as we wait to see what the next step in his career is, I have him sitting as an RB2 in all dynasty formats. When it comes to that tier, I’m putting him just ahead of the rookies who saw their season end early via injury (Cam Skattebo and Quinshon Judkins) and also ahead of the productive veterans that are on the back-9 of their career (Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry)
A move to Kansas City would result in him shifting ahead of RJ Harvey and into the Chase Brown range.
Regardless of how this situation plays out, I think managers are safe to view Walker as a fantasy starter for the next few years. His exact value will hinge not only on where he lands but also on who joins him in that backfield, clarity I expect to have by the NFL Draft and certainly before you get your fantasy league running in full swing.
Zach Charbonnet’s Fantasy Value Hinges on ACL Recovery
Charbonnet’s ACL recovery (injured on Jan. 17) will be one to track. He doesn’t come with the flashy skill upside of a Walker, but if he can trend close to full strength, there’s a featured role on the Super Bowl champions that is his for the taking.
Highest TD% Among Qualified RBs, 2024-25
- Charbonnet: 6.3%
- Jahmyr Gibbs: 5.9%
- David Montgomery: 5.8%
- James Cook: 5.4%
- Josh Jacobs: 5.2%
- Derrick Henry: 5.1%
I find myself putting him alongside a Tyler Allgeier type, another bruising back that could find himself in a favorable spot by the time camps open for the 2026 season.
If you’re also intrigued, I think the time to buy is now, while your opponents are unsure of what to do with him after the injury. This will be his age-25 season, and with the advances of modern medicine, I’m less worried about his long-term health than most.
You’d naturally be gambling on Seattle not adding a Breece Hall type to handle the primary carry duties, but at the right price, that’s not a bad bet to make. At the worst, I think you’re getting a flex-worthy player in the range of a Woody Marks, Kyle Monangai, or Balke Corum.
At best, I could see him giving fantasy managers 90% of what Kyren Williams does, but at a significantly lower draft price.
