Who Should I Start? Kenneth Walker III or Aidan O'Connell

Thursday, December 26, 4:13 PM

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (ankle) was placed on the injured reserve. As a result, Walker will miss at least the next four contests, which will keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. In addition, the Seahawks would have to advance to at least the NFC Championship to give Walker an opportunity to return to action. The Michigan State product sustained this injury during last weekend's loss to the Minnesota Vikings. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Zach Charbonnet to lead the backfield for the foreseeable future. When put in the starting role, Charbonnet has performed very well. During Weeks 14 and 15, Charbonnet averaged a stellar 25.9 PPR points per game. He should be viewed as a top-12 option on Thursday evening when he faces the Chicago Bears. Kenny McIntosh will move up to the No.2 spot and could see a slight increase in opportunities.

Sunday, January 5, 9:55 PM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 24 of 34 pass attempts for 214 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 18 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. He also rushed four times for an additional 13 yards on the ground. O'Connell has delivered modest production over the last three weeks, tallying four passing touchdowns and one turnover during that span. He has benefitted from the breakout seasons of both Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers, but his production might not be enough to deter Vegas from selecting a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Purdue product finished this year with a 63.6 percent completion rate, eight touchdowns, and six turnovers through parts of nine games. Dynasty managers should hold O'Connell on their rosters for now, as he'll be hard to sell but is a little too valuable to drop in leagues with 14 teams or more. From a redraft perspective, he'll trend down as long as the Raiders add a notable quarterback especially if it's a rookie during the upcoming months.