Kenneth Walker III Super Bowl Usage Projection Without Charbonnet

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Since Zach Charbonnet suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers, Kenneth Walker III has taken over a workhorse role out of the Seattle Seahawks’ backfield. Looking ahead to their Super Bowl matchup against the New England Patriots, Walker III is in line for another high-volume workload with Charbonnet out. Let’s break down his matchup and projected usage for fantasy football in the Super Bowl.
Kenneth Walker III Game Log Without Zach Charbonnet
During the regular season, Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet split work in a two-back offense. Walker III logged 221 carries for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns, plus 31 receptions for 282 yards in the passing game. Charbonnet thrived in short-yardage situations, finishing with 184 carries for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with 20 catches for 144 yards. Clearly, Walker III’s fantasy ceiling was capped by Charbonnet’s heavy red-zone usage.
Charbonnet went down with a torn ACL in the Divisional Round, and Walker III stepped in as the Seahawks’ lead back. Against the 49ers, he posted 19 carries for 116 yards and three touchdowns, plus three receptions for 29 yards. He followed that with another strong outing in the NFC Championship versus the Los Angeles Rams, rushing 19 times for 62 yards and a score while adding four catches for 49 yards. In two games without Charbonnet, Walker III has totaled 256 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns. The fourth-year back is showing what he can do as the featured runner, and he’ll look to keep it going against the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Kenneth Walker III Super Bowl Usage Projection
The Seahawks will lean on their running game for another big Super Bowl performance, with Walker III expected to carry a heavy load. He should be around the 19-carry mark he’s hit in each of the last two games, and he could push 20 if Seattle plays from ahead and wants to keep the ball on the ground. He’s also been an unexpected contributor in the passing game, totaling seven catches for 78 yards this postseason. And without Charbonnet, Walker III has a strong chance to find the end zone again—something he’s already done four times during Charbonnet’s absence.
George Holani was the only other running back involved in last week’s game for Seattle, logging three carries and four targets out of the backfield. Holani will spell Walker III at times, but expect the Seahawks to lean heavily on their star runner in the biggest game of the season.
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Duke Deming is a sports writer with extensive experience in fantasy sports and DFS contests. He covers the MLB, NFL, and NBA for On SI, bringing sharp analysis and a data-driven approach to inform and engage readers.