Eric Karabell
Multiple Authors
The Kansas City Chiefs, coming off a disappointing 6-11 season and looking for running back help, plan to sign Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III during free agency. That may solve the problem, as Walker is coming off the second 1,000-yard rushing season of his four-year career. He was a productive player with the Seattle Seahawks, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and scoring 31 touchdowns, but he never approached 250 rushing attempts (or 300 touches) in a season. That may change with the Chiefs, whose most recent 1,000-yard rusher was Kareem Hunt during the 2017 campaign (Hunt led the 2025 Chiefs with 611 rushing yards).
Walker, who finished 22nd among running backs in PPR scoring this past season, has long been viewed as a potential top-10 fantasy option at the position, but the Seahawks opted to share his touches with Zach Charbonnet, blunting each player’s intriguing statistical upside. The Chiefs need to rebuild (and get healthy) a once-standout offensive line and get star QB Patrick Mahomes (knee) back for September, but the signs are here for Walker to handle the largest workload of his career. This is good news for fantasy, assuming that Walker, who missed games in each of his first three seasons with various ailments, can stay healthy.
The Chiefs could add running back help in the draft or free agency, most likely for a third-down option who thrives in the passing game, but for now, Walker’s fantasy value jumps. It remains premature to anoint Walker as a safe RB1 option for fantasy, even in a seemingly positive situation (which he also had in Seattle), but the likelihood of added volume may get him there.
As for the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, who did not seem too interested in bringing Walker back likely due to financial reasons, their backfield situation remains unclear. Charbonnet (knee) tore his ACL during the playoffs, making it unlikely he will recover quickly enough to be an active player for September. He may miss half the season, if not more. Look for the Seahawks to find a running back during free agency and/or the draft.
Clay’s projection: 264 carries, 1,180 yards, 9 touchdowns rushing, 48 catches, 367 yards and 2 touchdowns receiving. See more fantasy reaction here.
