The Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Mixon and the Seattle Seahawks’ Kenneth Walker III are poised for a head-to-head clash when the Seahawks visit the Bengals in Week 6.
Which of the two talented running backs is set for a more rewarding fantasy football day in the interconference showdown?
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Joe Mixon’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
A year ago, the outlook for Mixon in this matchup would have been positively rosy.
With perennial All-Pro/Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner plying his craft for the Rams after an unceremonious offseason parting of the ways with the Seahawks, Seattle was on its way to surrendering a whopping 151.9 rushing yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry by the end of the 2022 season.
Fast forward to the current campaign, and Wagner’s return this offseason appears to have made all the difference. The Seahawks head into Week 6 allowing the sixth-fewest rush yards per game (87.5) and a co-NFL-low 3.2 yards per tote.
When split out to their work against running backs specifically, those figures tumble even further to 59.3 and 2.6, respectively.
Mixon has mostly struggled for running room this season on his way to 3.9 yards per carry, and he has just a single run of 20+ yards. He’s also been less involved as a receiver than in recent seasons, recording a mere 13 catches for 80 yards through five contests.
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Meanwhile, the matchup against Seattle’s secondary is exponentially more inviting, even with Jamal Adams set to return from his latest injury Sunday. The Seahawks are allowing 280 passing yards per game, along with a 79.7% completion rate on the road.
Kenneth Walker III’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
Conversely, Walker’s prospects are much brighter than they would have been had this game unfolded last season.
In essence, Seattle and Cincinnati’s defenses are polar opposites in terms of strengths and weaknesses. This season, it’s the Bengals that have been an absolute sieve against the run, surrendering 107.2 rushing yards per game and 5.0 yards per carry to running backs.
Walker is already thriving despite operating behind a Seahawks offensive line that isn’t doing a consistent job opening running lanes.
Yet, Walker is clocking a solid 4.4 yards per rush and has actually averaged over 5.0 yards per tote in two of his four games.
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The Bengals’ secondary has been extremely stingy and could also be getting standout cornerback Chidobe Awuzie back from a one-game absence due to a back injury. Cincy is surrendering only 196.2 passing yards per game and a modest 60.1% completion rate while recording six interceptions through five games.
Which of the Two Running Backs Should You Start?
Considering the disparity in the matchups for each player, rolling with Walker is what I would recommend.
The Bengals are likely to focus on keeping the Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase connection hot after their Week 5 breakout and capitalize on the quarterback’s seemingly improving health, especially with the Seahawks essentially inviting teams to pass against them.
And while Seattle always strives to run a balanced attack, Walker could certainly encounter a path of less resistance than Geno Smith and his talented pass catchers will versus the Bengals’ opportunistic and typically suffocating secondary.