One of the biggest question marks coming out of Seattle, what is going on in the Seattle Seahawks backfield? Kenneth Walker was a candidate for offensive rookie of the year in 2022. He actually only lost the vote to New York Jets rookie Garrett Wilson 156-129, impressively close. The Seahawks decided to build on this momentum by taking a round two running back. What is the dynasty outlook for Kenneth Walker in 2023 and moving forward?
2023 Fantasy Football: Kenneth Walker Dynasty Outlook
The History
Walker’s history is short and sweet with only one year in the league under his belt. He was the consensus RB2 in his class, and owned the Seattle backfield the back half of 2022. All in all, Walker finished as the RB18 even after splitting the backfield the first month and not profiling as a pass catcher.
Walker was primed for a huge 2023, as he stood alone in a run heavy offense. Penny was gone, the offense seemed committed to him long term, and the offense was already on an upwards trajectory. He was being valued as a top five running back on keeptradecut (KTC) and the sky was the limit. After the draft, his situation has drastically changed.
The Situation
This is where it gets a little messy. The Seahawks selected Zach Charbonnet with the 52nd overall pick. Charbonnet profiles as a three down back with a lot of the same strengths as Walker, but with the added upside of pass catching. This could turn into a Jonathan Stewart and Deangelo Williams situation quickly, which caps both for fantasy.
Additionally, the team selected Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round. While Pete Carroll loves to establish the run, this is a clear commitment to the passing game. If the team moves to more of a pass happy script, Walker has the pass catching profile of a tree stump. Charbonnet enters the league a more refined pass catcher, and could easily dominate those situations.
Current Price
For current price in this series, I will be using KTC, because that is crowd sourced information that should at least loosely correlate to most leagues. Walker currently sits at the 41st overall player, and the RB8. His value has dropped substantially since the draft, and seems to be trending down overall. He is currently in line with a 2024 mid first draft pick. Some other players in his vicinity are Travis Etienne, Najee Harris and Dak Prescott.
What to do With Kenneth Walker
An article on Kenneth Walker’s dynasty outlook for 2023 and beyond is only as good as its actionable advice. This advice will be broken down into three situations for teams, one in a clear rebuild, one in a middle of the pack, and one contending.
Rebuilding
Walker’s situation is murky enough that top contending teams may be willing to part ways. In dynasty fantasy football running backs have a short shelf life. Walker has three years left on his rookie contract, and Charbonnet will be there for all of them. Luckily for Walker managers, he is only 22 and will turn 23 midway through this season. He should have 4-5 good seasons left, and can be a solid RB2 for years to come. If a rebuilding team is holding players like Saquon Barkley, Travis Kelce or Stefon Diggs he could be a buy low candidate. If another team is willing to offer more than a top six 2024 first, like a 24 first and second, sell on an overpay.
Middle of the Pack
This is the worst place to be in dynasty. And unfortunately, Walker is the kind of piece that will keep teams in the middle of the road. His upside is capped, and Charbonnet is no slouch. The draft capital spent on Charbonnet matters, as now both of them have had a second round pick used on them. Middle of the road teams need to either push the chips in and send it, or completely abandon ship. Look for a Kelce/Dak Prescott type, or even Najee Harris plus something if possible.
Contending
A contending team that got their hands on Walker had to be feeling pretty good going into the draft. Now, he’s a bye week fill in at best. All things considered, if managers in the top four of their league can flip Walker for Barkley, Diggs or the likes to really win it all this year, send it.
Main Photo: Joe Nicholson USA Today Sports
