Who Should I Start? Kenneth Walker III or Quinshon Judkins

Wednesday, January 21, 1:44 PM

The loss of Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (knee), who tore his ACL in the Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers, is a significant one, but ESPN's Brady Henderson writes that it shouldn't matter if Kenneth Walker III "continues his recent tear." Walker had 19 carries for 116 yards and three touchdowns last Saturday in the win over the 49ers, and he finished with 100 yards in the big Week 16 win over the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. In the regular-season finale against San Fran, he had 97 yards to put him over 1,000 rushing yards on the season. "I thought this was the most decisive he's ran up to this point, and as expected, you just keep getting better and keep finding ways to improve, especially in the run game. He's done a great job," head coach Mike Macdonald said. With Charbonnet now out, Walker's volume should increase, making him a top-three fantasy RB in the NFC Championship against the Rams.

Tuesday, December 23, 4:08 PM

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins (leg, ankle) underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair his fractured fibula and dislocated ankle, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Judkins suffered the injuries in Week 16 and has now been placed on Injured Reserve, ending his 2025 season. Across 14 games, the 22-year-old recorded 827 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 230 carries. Judkins also hauled in 26 receptions for 171 yards on 36 targets. While Judkins' rookie season is done, he looks like the feature back of the future in Cleveland, provided he can make a full recovery from this most recent setback. With Judkins sidelined, the Browns will likely turn to the running back combination of Dylan Sampson (hand), Raheim Sanders, and Trayveon Williams. Sampson has missed each of the last two weeks with calf and hand injuries, but he could be the team's lead back if he can return in Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.