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Fantasy Football Player Notes

Week 1 Half PPR Rankings

Kenneth Walker III Note
Kenneth Walker III photo 15. Kenneth Walker III (vs . LAR)
Kenneth Walker III stood as the RB8 from Weeks 6-17 after Rashaad Penny was placed on IR with a season-ending injury in 2022. The rookie was the RB9 in points per game. If you remove the two games, he missed due to injury (Weeks 13/14) he averaged 16.4 fantasy points per game, which would have placed him as the RB8 in points per game. He got absolutely FED after returning from a late-season ankle injury. Walker was either consistently playing 70 percent-plus snaps or carrying the ball 23-plus times as the Seattle workhorse. And at times, we even saw Walker earn targets while leading the backfield in routes run. But overall, he underwhelmed as a receiver as he did at the college level. And his tendency to look for home runs resulted in a rushing success rate that ranked second-to-last (31.4%) among rushers with at least 100 carries in 2022. He also missed games because of injuries. His path to RB1 upside will be that much tougher to realize after the team added Zach Charbonnet in the second round of this year's draft. And to add literal insult to injury, Walker popped up this offseason with a groin injury, forcing him to miss time in training camp and during the preseason contests. However, he is healthy entering Week 1 and should be started in all formats as a fantasy RB2 with upside for more until we learn more about a workload split between Walker/Charbonnet. The last time he faced the Rams (Week 18 of last season), Walker rushed for 114 yards on a whopping 29 carries. The Rams also lost linebacker Bobby Wagner (who is back on the Seahawks) who finished as PFF's highest-graded run defender among linebackers in 2022.
29 weeks ago
Zach Charbonnet Note
Zach Charbonnet photo 38. Zach Charbonnet (vs . LAR)
Charbonnet posted the 5th-highest PFF receiving grade and tied for first in receptions per game (3.7) among his 2023 running back draft class. The former UCLA running back also finished with the highest positive run rate (57%) and lowest bust rate (4%) among drafted running backs. The rookie Seahawk can't deliver explosive rushes like Walker, but he can be trusted to hit doubles as a rusher and receiver consistently. He caught all four of his targets for 21 yards during the preseason. That's concerning for those hoping Walker was stepping into a legitimate three-down role this season, which was very appealing about his fantasy profile last year. I'd expect Charbonnet to get some solid run at points versus the Rams, but not to the extent that he should be started in most formats. We still don't know if he owns the receiving role with DeeJay Dallas seeing reps as the receiving back in the preseason. And it remains to be seen who Seattle will give the ball to when they enter the goal line. Keep the second rounder on your bench for Week 1, but don't be shocked to see him rise in the Week 2 rankings if he sees favorable usage.
29 weeks ago