Who Should I Start? Kenneth Walker III or Zach Charbonnet
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.4 | 54.1 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 8.8 | 0.1 |
Kenneth Walker III News
Thursday, March 12, 6:18 AM
The Kansas City Chiefs made a big splash in the early portion of free agency by signing running back Kenneth Walker III away from the reigning Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks. Across 17 games with Seattle in 2025, Walker III recorded 1,309 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns on 252 touches. The 25-year-old spent most of the year splitting touches with fellow Seahawks back Zach Charbonnet (knee) until Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in the NFC Divisional Round. In Kansas City, Walker III should be the clear number one back and could easily set a career-high in touches. While the Chiefs may be without quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) in the early portion of 2026 as Mahomes recovers from a knee injury, Walker III should be well-positioned for success in an offense that is typically one of the NFL's best. As long as he can stay healthy, Walker III has a clear pathway to fantasy RB1 production for the duration of his three-year contract in Kansas City.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.9 | 39.9 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 4.3 | 0.0 |
Zach Charbonnet News
Thursday, March 12, 5:51 PM
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider said on Seattle Sports Radio on Thursday that running back Zach Charbonnet's (knee) ACL surgery "went very well," and his "outlook is good." Schneider wouldn't provide a timeline for Charbonnet's recovery or a timetable for when he might be able to resume football activities. The 25-year-old tore the ACL in his knee during the Divisional Round win against the San Francisco 49ers, so given the timing of the injury, it wouldn't be realistic to expect Charbonnet to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. Typically, recovery from a torn ACL takes anywhere from eight to 12 months. Seattle's backfield is thin because of Charb's injury, and with Kenneth Walker III signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. If Charbonnet isn't ready in early September, the Seahawks could pair a rookie RB with both George Holani and newcomer Emanuel Wilson. Charbonnet's 2026 fantasy value is probably going to take a pretty big hit because of his injury, but when he's finally healthy, he could have a clear path to being the RB1.
Kenneth Walker III vs. Zach Charbonnet
Still trying to decide between Walker III and Charbonnet? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kenneth Walker III is projected to score 11.4 points this week while Zach Charbonnet is projected to score 7.9 points.
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