Seattle Seahawks running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet have both been injured and missed time this season. Charbonnet started the season banged up, but he has been available since Week 8. Meanwhile, Walker was injured in Week 11 and missed Weeks 12 and 13 but returned in Week 14 and had one of his best outings in Week 15.
Which Seahawks running back should fantasy football managers start in Week 16? Which one is going to give fantasy managers the best chance to make their fantasy championship final?
Should You Start Kenneth Walker III or Zach Charbonnet This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Walker is the player to start. His projected 10.1 points include a projection of 52 rushing yards, 2 receptions, and 12 yards. That doesn’t seem like a big stat line, but it outperforms the consensus projection for Charbonnet (6.6 points).
However, when you isolate my rankings, I see Charbonnet outperforming Walker this week. That is because Walker has managed to log just a single limited practice this week. After being absent on both Wednesday and Thursday, Walker was a limited participant in practice on Friday.
With the Seahawks in a good position to land a Wild Card spot in the NFC with a win on Christmas Eve, they might want to limit his usage to preserve him for the playoffs.
Also, they will be concerned about ball security as Walker is suffering from a shoulder injury.
Kenneth Walker III’s Fantasy Outlook this Week
Walker is coming off one of his best fantasy performances of the season after scoring 18.7 fantasy points in Week 15. Walker dominated the opportunity in this backfield by carrying the ball 19 times to Charbonnet’s four.
Additionally, Walker caught all of his three targets for 26 yards, while Charbonnet didn’t catch his solitary target in the win versus the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football.
However, with Walker missing the first two days of practice with a shoulder injury, and the Seahawks in a good place to make the final Wild Card spot in the NFC if they win on Sunday, I would expect head coach Pete Carroll to err on the side of caution with Walker.
With Walker being listed as questionable going into Week 16, the Seahawks may choose to lighten his workload and lean more on Charbonnet. The rookie has proven that he can handle the opportunity well when giving the chance previously this season.
Zach Charbonnet Fantasy Outlook this Week
Charbonnet has played second fiddle to Walker for much of the season. However, he had put in a couple of fantasy-relevant weeks when Walker was out. When Walker left the game in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams, Charbonnet put up 9.9 fantasy points. And, against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13, Charboonet scored 16.4 fantasy points.
The Tennessee Titans allow 18.3 fantasy points per game to running backs, which is the 16th-most allowed by NFL teams entering Week 16. If Charbonnet is the lead back, and Walker is ruled out, then Charbonnet will have the majority of the backfield to himself. This should lead to him being a productive RB2 for fantasy football.
MORE: FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
However, if Walker is to suit up, Charbonnet could still see an increased workload. If Walker is not anywhere close to 100%, this backfield could be a 55/45 split one way or the other. Since Charbonnet is the healthiest he has been all season, it could be reckoned that Charbonnet can take his chance and be given more opportunities if the Seahawks ride the hot hand.
The safest play might be to bench both players if both are active. However, if you have to start one this week, Charbonnet has all the upside heading into this pivotal game this weekend.
To stay up to date with all the latest news on Walker and other fantasy players in your lineup, you can follow the PFN Player Tracker and let it do all the work for you.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!