Fantasy football managers had high hopes for Zach Charbonnet coming into the 2023 NFL Draft, but the landing spot of the Seattle Seahawks squashed any hope of him being a high-end contributor right away.
However, after an injury to Kenneth Walker III recently, we’ve seen Charbonnet emerge as a viable fantasy asset. What is his fantasy outlook for the remainder of the season, and could he be someone you trust in your starting lineup in the fantasy playoffs?
Zach Charbonnet Rest-of-Season Outlook
Charbonnet got the nod as the starting RB for the Seahawks on Thanksgiving, but a tough matchup against the San Francisco 49ers held his production in check with just eight half-PPR points and an RB32 fantasy finish on the week.
However, Charbonnet got another swing at the bat on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys, and he delivered in a massive way. The rookie RB rumbled for 60 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries while adding 39 yards through the air before exiting the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.
Now, fantasy managers are going to have questions about whether or not this means Charbonnet will be the lead option for this backfield moving forward. Or will Charbonnet fade into the background again once Walker is healthy?
We need to remember how dominant Walker can be when he’s right and seeing the majority of the touches. The second-year RB out of Michigan State already has five top 15 fantasy finishes on the year, and he can provide fantasy managers with week-winning upside with his big-play ability.
The most likely scenario is that Charbonnet will see a slightly increased role — assuming he’s fully healthy in Week 14 — in this Seahawks offense, while Walker remains the lead option once he returns.
As of right now, the expectation is that we should see Walker back in Week 14 after the extended time off due to the team playing on Thursday Night Football, but we’ll need to monitor the practice reports going into next week.
Update: Head coach Pete Carroll claims that Charbonnet’s injury was a bruised knee versus anything structural. He should be back for Week 14.
Charbonnet’s proven that he’s worthy of more touches. Walker’s proven that he’s one of the league’s most explosive playmakers when he has the ball in his hands.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
As the Seahawks’ offense is apparently now up and running at full speed, there’s a chance that both running backs are in the weekly starter conversation as we barrel toward the fantasy playoffs. Of course, this is all assuming that Charbonnet’s knee injury doesn’t sideline him for a significant period of time.
This will certainly be a backfield to monitor and watch as we move into Week 14. And we’ll continue to update this article with the latest news and information.
Updated RB Rest-of-Season Rankings
1) Christian McCaffrey | SF
2) Bijan Robinson | ATL
3) Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX
4) Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
5) Austin Ekeler | LAC
6) Kyren Williams | LAR
7) Tony Pollard | DAL
8) D’Andre Swift | PHI
9) Josh Jacobs | LV
10) Breece Hall | NYJ
11) Isiah Pacheco | KC
12) Derrick Henry | TEN
13) Rachaad White | TB
14) Alvin Kamara | NO
15) Jonathan Taylor | IND
16) David Montgomery | DET
17) Saquon Barkley | NYG
18) Javonte Williams | DEN
19) De’Von Achane | MIA
20) Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
21) Raheem Mostert | MIA
22) Joe Mixon | CIN
23) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS
24) Jaylen Warren | PIT
25) Kenneth Walker III | SEA
26) James Cook | BUF
27) James Conner | ARI
28) Zack Moss | IND
29) Jerome Ford | CLE
30) Gus Edwards | BAL
31) Najee Harris | PIT
32) Devin Singletary | HOU
33) Zach Charbonnet | SEA
34) Alexander Mattison | MIN
35) Khalil Herbert | CHI
36) Keaton Mitchell | BAL
37) Aaron Jones | GB
38) Chuba Hubbard | CAR
39) Ty Chandler | MIN
40) AJ Dillon | GB
41) Kareem Hunt | CLE
42) Tyjae Spears | TEN
43) Tyler Allgeier | ATL
44) Roschon Johnson | CHI
45) Rico Dowdle | DAL
46) D’Onta Foreman | CHI
47) Dameon Pierce | HOU
48) Miles Sanders | CAR
49) Ezekiel Elliott | NE
50) Latavius Murray | BUF
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