Coming off a strong Week 1 performance, hopes were high for Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, but that optimism soon disappeared. Walker has been dealing with an oblique injury since that matchup, giving his fantasy football managers a major headache.
Let’s examine Walker’s latest injury update and what the doubtful tag means for his availability for fantasy managers this week.
Will Kenneth Walker III Play in Week 3?
Things did not look good for Walker this week as he dealt with the oblique injury. The Seahawks’ RB did not practice either Wednesday or Thursday, putting him on a path to not playing. On Thursday, Greg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune posted a video of Walker running on a practice field before seemingly pulling up in discomfort.
Kenneth Walker testing his oblique injury running from a distance at you on a side field before #Seahawks practice began today for Sunday’s game vs the Dolphins.
Will he play?
Coach Mike Macdonald said, coyly, “we’ll see.” @thenewstribune pic.twitter.com/mL3yqjkend
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) September 18, 2024
It is hard to imagine how Walker could do all the things that an NFL running back needs to do on a Sunday if he cannot sprint in a straight line without feeling discomfort. Walker did at least manage to practice on Friday in a limited fashion before getting tagged as doubtful on the Seahawks’ final injury report.
Walker practicing on Friday makes it very unlikely that this will be anything more than an absence of another week or two. That means he should avoid an IR stint, which would rule him out for four games, barring any kind of setback.
Who Will Step Up In Walker’s Absence?
Fortunately for fantasy managers, they do not need to look far to pick up a player off the waiver wire for Week 2 and beyond. The Seahawks have a quality backup running back in second-year pro Zach Charbonnet.
Charbonnet is coming off a solid rookie season as Walker’s backup, rushing for nearly 500 yards (462) on only 108 carries (4.3 yards per carry) and catching 33 passes for 203 receiving yards.
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And in the Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos, Charbonnet showed once again his ability to have an impact on a game in limited duty.
While he was on the field for only 23 offensive snaps last week and he managed to gain just 12 yards on the ground on eight carries, Charbonnet did pick up his first touchdown reception, a 30-yard score from quarterback Geno Smith.
The long touchdown reception helped Charbonnet finish with 12.1 fantasy points, a more than respectable performance for a player who was on the field for a little more than a third of Seattle’s offensive snaps (34%).
It was not the performance we hoped for from Charbonnet in Week 2. He was the only RB to touch the ball, carrying it 14 times, but could only finish with 38 yards. He managed to add 31 yards on five receptions from five targets, meaning he finished with 69 scrimmage yards and 11.9 fantasy points in PPR scoring.
The Seahawks also have Kenny McIntosh on their depth chart, but he has taken just two offensive snaps this season and is yet to have a carry in his career. It would be a surprise to see him suddenly have a significant role in Week 3. However, if the Seahawks build a big lead, they could decide to use McIntosh in the fourth quarter to gain experience.
If the Seahawks were to place Walker on the IR, then they may consider adding another RB to their active roster. George Holani is the only back on the practice squad, having been elevated for the Week 2 matchup with the Patriots. The expectation is that Holani would be behind McIntosh in terms of options if Charbonnet were to get hurt on Sunday.