Kenneth Walker III is considered one of the most talented young running backs in the NFL, but that talent has also come with a level of risk. He was on pace to have a breakout year in 2025, averaging an impressive 22.3 fantasy points in his first five games. Only Derrick Henry and Alvin Kamara averaged more fantasy points than Walker III after the first seven weeks.
Unfortunately, as has been the case in his young career, Walker III couldn’t avoid injuries. He missed both Weeks 2 and 3 with an oblique injury, played the next nine games and then missed four of the final five weeks with a bum ankle. That’s frustrating as a fantasy fan, even more so when his backup, Zach Charbonnet, performs so well when Walker III is inactive.
The good news is that when he was healthy, Walker III didn’t lose significant touches to his teammate. In fact, he averaged 18.1 touches and 16.5 fantasy points in the 11 games he played. In those games, Charbonnet averaged right around five touches in the offense. So, Walker III has remained more or less a true featured runner during his first three seasons.
2025 Fantasy Outlook
The Seahawks have made a ton of changes on the offensive side of the football. The team traded away Geno Smith and signed Sam Darnold, who will serve as their new quarterback. Seattle also signed Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to replace DK Metcalf, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tyler Lockett, who was released by the team.
The Seahawks also drafted OG Grey Zabel in the first round to improve their offensive line and hired Klint Kubiak as their new offensive coordinator. Klint, the father of former NFL coach Gary Kubiak, led the Saints offense a season ago. In his system, Kamara averaged 21.1 touches and nearly 19 fantasy points per game. Kubiak also served as the offensive coordinator for the Vikings in 2021, during which time Dalvin Cook averaged 21.8 touches and 15.9 fantasy points per game. Clearly, Kubiak likes to use one lead running back.
That’s obviously good news for Walker III and his fantasy potential for this season.
Draft Or Pass
Walker III can be a top-10 fantasy running back at his ceiling, and at the age of 24 he’s still young and in the prime of his career. These things make him an attractive runner for fans. The downside, of course, is his proneness to injuries. So, if you draft Walker III you must also be sure to get Charbonnet too, even if it means drafting him a round or two before his actual ADP. If you don’t get Walker III and Charbonnet combined, well, there’s a good chance you’ll be in a backfield pickle at some point during the course of the season.
Verdict
Walker III’s ADP on the NFFC website is 48.9 (RB17), and he’s going later (58.1) based on Underdog Fantasy data. Based on those draft positions, Walker III is a draft for me … but once again, getting Charbonnet, likely before his ADP (NFFC – 113.9, UF – 114.6), is an absolute must. If that’s not a game you want to play, then I’d pass on Walker III in drafts.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fantasy Football Draft Or Pass: Is Kenneth Walker III Still A Featured Back?.
