Kenneth Walker III has been completely healthy since missing the Seattle Seahawks’ second and third games of the season with a minor oblique strain. His first appearance on the injury report came on Saturday when he was a surprise addition. What’s going on with Walker? Should fantasy football managers be preparing for a Zach Charbonnet week?
Will Kenneth Walker III Be Active in Week 7?
We never want to see a player added to the injury report on a Saturday. But if it is going to happen, it’s best when it’s Walker’s situation and not actually an injury.
The #Seahawks added RB Kenneth Walker III to the injury report and he is now questionable for Sunday's game against the #Falcons because of an illness.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero)
Walker is merely dealing with an illness. In most cases, this is nothing more than a cold or perhaps food poisoning. We don’t have any specifics.
It’s exceedingly rare that players miss games due to illnesses. In all likelihood, this is nothing and Walker will play. In their Saturday practice squad elevations, the Seahawks did not bring up a running back, which indicates a lack of significant concern over Walker’s status.
The Seahawks play at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, which means we’ll know in the morning if Walker is indeed active, giving fantasy managers plenty of time to adjust if needed.
Walker’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
Walker has been fantastic this season. Preseason reports of the coaching staff’s infatuation with him and intention to use him on all three downs proved worth listening to.
Running back high-value touches:
Kenneth Walker with an elite role as he continues to be involved in the passing game and Seattle throws at one of the highest rates in the league pic.twitter.com/Tuip2rcPQI
— Sam Hoppen (@SamHoppen)
Walker’s 14.5% target share is a career-high by far. He’s averaging 22.0 fantasy points per game and is currently the overall RB3.
The Atlanta Falcons have actually been pretty good against running backs, allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. They’ve also been surprisingly stout against pass-catching RBs, with just 11.6% of their total receiving yards allowed going to the position. This is despite having faced a 20.6% target share against afforded to running backs.
With that said, this is a great game environment for all offensive players. This game has a 51.5-point total, which is one of the highest of the week.
Walker has yet to score below 14.6 fantasy points in a single game this season. He is the clear goal-line back and set for plenty of volume as long as he can suit up. There may be a slight concern that Walker may not see his usual heavy workload if he’s still dealing with the effects of his illness. But unless we get confirmation, Walker remains an elite RB1 and belongs in all fantasy lineups.
