For the second straight week, Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III is dealing with an injury that could keep him on the sidelines when Seattle takes on the Miami Dolphins.
Does this mean fantasy managers to rush to pick up Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet for this matchup? Here’s the fantasy football outlook for the second-year back from Seattle.
Should I Start Zach Charbonnet in Week 3?
Charbonnet is off to a pretty good start, with 30 total fantasy points over the first two games of the season. For some perspective, that is more fantasy points after two weeks than two of the three leading rushers in the NFL from a season ago — Derrick Henry (27.2 fantasy points) and Kyren Williams (29.6).
In fact, in just two games, Charbonnet is almost one-third of the way (28%) to matching his total fantasy points in 16 games last season (106.1). His 17.9 fantasy points last week vs. the New England Patriots was a career high for Charbonnet.
Charbonnet also showed that he is capable of handling a robust workload, as he was on the field for 96% of the Seahawks offensive snaps last week vs. the Patriots. So if Walker, who is listed as doubtful with his oblique injury, has to miss another week, it’s likely fans will see Charbonnet on the field for most of the game Sunday.
Charbonnet finds a way. đź’Ş pic.twitter.com/Oi9Zm0DPtf
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 15, 2024
However, fantasy managers should not simply expect to plug in Charbonnet for Walker and come away with elite production from the running back position. Although Charbonnet has scored a touchdown in each game this season — one rushing, one receiving — his efficiency leaves a lot to be desired.
Charbonnet is averaging less than 3.0 yards per carry this season (2.3), and he has rushed for only 50 yards in two games. And even though his receiving yardage (60) tops his rushing yardage, Charbonnet is still averaging only 30 receiving yards a game.
Making his rushing numbers even more miserable is the fact that according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, only 27% of Charbonnet’s carries have come against a “light box” — when the defense has fewer than seven defenders in the box.
Fantasy Outlook for Zach Charbonnet vs. the Dolphins
Seattle had only 46 rushing yards last week without Walker in the lineup — Charbonnet had 38 of them — and there’s no reason to expect a dramatic shift for the better from the Seahawks’ running game.
On the other hand, the Dolphins are 15th in the NFL in rush defense (118.0 YPG) and opponents are averaging 4.5 yards per carry against Miami. So, perhaps there is hope for Seattle’s running game in Week 3.
Charbonnet’s ability to get the ball in the end zone early on this season is obviously appealing for fantasy managers. But when the other numbers are so unappealing, it’s difficult to support putting Charbonnet in any lineup this week.