Fantasy Football: Kenneth Walker's Super Bowl surge could may change his 2026 Fantasy outlook

Kenneth Walker III just helped Seattle beat New England 29-13 to win Super Bowl LX. He was the Super Bowl MVP with 27 carries for 135 yards and two catches for 27 yards on four targets. Now, Fantasy managers want to know what's next for Walker, who is a free agent this offseason.

Ideally, Walker remains with the Seahawks to maximize his Fantasy value -- at least for 2026. He could get a long-term deal or be given the franchise tag, but Walker showed in the NFL postseason what he could do in a featured role in this offense.

Zach Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in the Divisional Round against San Francisco, and ESPN reported that he is facing "a long road to come back." While we don't have a timeline for his recovery yet, it's doubtful he'll be ready for the start of next season.

Without Charbonnet, Walker was a Fantasy star for the past three games. Against the 49ers, he had 19 carries for 116 yards and three touchdowns and three catches for 29 yards on three targets. In the NFC Championship Game against the Rams, Walker had 19 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown and four catches for 49 yards on four targets. And then came the Super Bowl.

Charbonnet also missed Week 3 against New Orleans with a foot injury, and Walker had 16 carries for 38 yards and two touchdowns and one catch for 12 yards on one target against the Saints. In the four games where Charbonnet was either out or injured, Walker scored at least 18 PPR points in each outing and averaged 23.2 PPR points over that span. To put that in perspective, only Christian McCaffrey (24.5 PPR points) and Puka Nacua (23.4) were better than what Walker did when Charbonnet was hurt.

Seattle general manager John Schneider told reporters prior to the Super Bowl that he would like to sign Walker to an extension. And coach Mike Macdonald also said prior to the Super Bowl that he wants Walker to return in 2026.

"Of course, we want Ken back," Macdonald said. "He's a phenomenal player. He's a great person. He's a great teammate. Those are the people we want in our building. Those are the people we want with the Seahawks. I'm sure Ken feels the same way. Again, those are things that we're going to have to worry about, not right now. Those are decisions we'll make in the future. But Ken knows how we feel about him. And I think we know how Ken feels about us."

Walker agreed with his coach, according to the NFL Network.

"I've been here four years, so you know I've gotten to know a lot of stuff about Seattle, and you know a lot of the city, and I feel like they feel good about me as well," he said. "If it were my choice, though, I'd definitely stay."

If Walker stays in Seattle, and depending on the news we get on Charbonnet's rehab, I would be willing to draft Walker as early as Round 2. The only running backs I would draft ahead of him, as of now, are Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, De'Von Achane, McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, James Cook, Omarion Hampton, and Chase Brown.

Now, a lot can change before August, especially if Charbonnet can play in Week 1. We also have to take into account that Seattle will have a new offensive coordinator with Klint Kubiak as the head coach in Las Vegas, and the Seahawks will tweak things in personnel -- hopefully for the better.

And, obviously, Walker could leave as a free agent. CBS Sports listed potential landing spots for Walker as Jacksonville, the Jets, Carolina, Kansas City, Minnesota, and Houston. But No. 1 on the list was Seattle.

I hope that's where he plays in 2026. If Charbonnet is out or limited to begin the season, then Walker can be the Fantasy star he showed in the NFL postseason for an entire year.