For the second straight game, the Seattle Seahawks will be without their leading rusher, as Kenneth Walker III appears to be sidelined for Week 3. But this does not have to mean all is lost for the Seahawks, who have a quality backup running back ready to go.
Will Kenneth Walker III Be Active in Week 3?
Walker did not practice all week and, on Friday, was saddled with a doubtful injury designation in the final injury report. Although he has not been officially downgraded to out, Walker is expected to miss Week 3’s matchup with the Miami Dolphins.
The good news for Kenneth Walker is he won't need surgery for his oblique injury. The bad news, expect him to miss more time. #Seahawks @profootballdoc
➡️https://t.co/lmZZk5O01P pic.twitter.com/SpdCO8Ag7c
— Sports Injury Central (@SICscore) September 18, 2024
Former NFL team physician Dr. Chao said this week that the injury is not related to the core muscle surgery and that he shouldn’t need surgery. However, Chao added that oblique muscle injuries can be very painful and limiting for running backs. He identified Week 4 as a potential return date for Walker, saying Walker had a “good chance to return.”
It’s a disappointment for the Seahawks and fantasy football managers because Walker had gotten off to a solid start to this season. In Week 1, he rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown run against the Denver Broncos. Walker finished with 18.9 fantasy points, his most ever in a season opener.
Although they survived Walker’s absence last week to get a win, it did come against the New England Patriots. And, if early indications are correct, there is a big difference between the Patriots and the Dolphins.
The Seahawks’ ground game was unimpressive last week with Walker out. They rushed for just 46 yards on 19 attempts, an average of 2.4 yards per attempt.
Potential Fantasy Options If Walker Is Out
Fortunately for fantasy managers, they don’t have to go around scrambling too much to try and replace Walker’s production. While backup Zach Charbonnet isn’t likely to equal what Walker does each week, he certainly has that potential, both on the ground and as a pass catcher.
In fact, Charbonnet’s fantasy production last week (17.9 points) nearly matched what Walker did in Week 1. By the way, the 17.9 fantasy points were a career high for Charbonnet.
Charbonnet’s biggest asset remains his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. He already has a touchdown reception (in Week 1) to go along with his TD run last week. And even though Charbonnet is averaging only 2.3 yards per carry this season, he did finish with 69 scrimmage yards last week and has 60 receiving yards for the season.
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While Charbonnet’s fantasy production last week nearly matched Walker’s in Week 1, it may be a little unrealistic to expect him to mirror Walker’s fantasy value. Charbonnet is not the runner that Walker is but has faced a strong defensive front-line presence much more often than Walker this season.
According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, 70% of Walker’s carries this season have come against a “light box” defensive front — fewer than seven defenders in the box. By contrast, only 27% of Charbonnet’s carries have come against a defense featuring a light box.
So while fantasy managers should not expect Charbonnet to match Walker’s production in fantasy, it’s not unrealistic to hope he can come close, just as Charbonnet did in Week 2.
Stats in this article are from TruMedia unless otherwise stated.