The Seattle Seahawks had a very disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, losing 17-16 after being up by nine points in the game.
To make matters worse, running back Kenneth Walker III suffered an injury and had to leave the game. He suffered an oblique injury in the first quarter and was unable to return. With him out, this allowed rookie Zach Charbonnet to be much more involved in the offense.
With that in mind, should fantasy football managers consider signing Charbonnet off the waiver wire for Week 12?
Should Charbonnet Be a Fantasy Waiver Wire Add in Week 12?
While it is still too early to know what the status of Walker is going to be next week, Charbonnet is definitely an intriguing player to look at on waivers.
After he filled in for Walker, Charbonnet finished the game against the Rams with 15 carries for 47 yards. While he didn’t put up huge yards, the fact he got the ball 15 times shows the team has a lot of trust in him and will run the same offense with him.
However, he also showed the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, as he had six catches for 22 yards on Sunday. If you add that up, you get 12.9 PPR points. That isn’t a bad number for a backup running back who didn’t get in the end zone. You are definitely going to need to keep an eye on the status of Walker, but Charbonnet is a guy to go sign on the waiver wire.
MORE: Early Week 12 Waiver Wire Pickups
The Seahawks are entering an absolutely pivotal part of their season, as they play the San Francisco 49ers twice, with the Dallas Cowboys sandwiched between. While both of those defenses are tough, the Seahawks are going to need to be balanced on offense if they want to win those games.
That means, if Walker is unable to go, then Charbonnet is going to have to be ready to carry the ball potentially 20 times a game. If you have Walker on your roster, then Charbonnet should 100 percent be on your roster.
There aren’t very many running backs on the waiver wire who have the upside that Charbonnet does. When the Seahawks are at their absolute best, they have a great balance on offense. Geno Smith is a very effective quarterback, but he is at his absolute best when he is able to use the play-action.
If Walker is healthy, then yes, Charbonnet isn’t going to get the ball as much as fantasy managers want. However, Walker has been getting nicked up the past few weeks, and it is hard to see a scenario where he is 100 percent next week. The 49ers defense isn’t the group you want to see if you’re battling an injury. Expect the Seahawks to be very secretive with the status of Walker moving forward, but you need to get Charbonnet as soon as you can.
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