Zach Charbonnet's Week 14 output in a win over the Arizona Cardinals is the best performance by any running back for Seattle this season. Charbonnet filled up the stat sheet with 134 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries and seven receptions for 59 yards. Those numbers were good for 37 Fantasy points, and for a running back with very little tread on his tires this season, it's possible he'll take on more of a workload just in time for the Fantasy playoffs.
Paving the way for Charbonnet's breakout performance was an injury that caused Kenneth Walker III to miss this week's contest. It's possible that Walker will be back in the lineup against the Packers in Week 15, but just how much of the workload will he take from Charbonnet if he continues to perform at a high level?
During the Week 14 Fantasy recap, Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard, and Heath Cummings shared their thoughts on whether they'd buy or sell Charbonnet when Kenneth Walker III returns.
"It's probably still Malik Nabers, but Marvin Harrison Jr. would probably be second for me," Heath said. "Next week's matchup is probably the worst that he has all season long, and it's the week where six teams are on a bye. But then you get the Patriots, you get the Panthers, and I'm not too scared of the Rams. If they finally, for some reason, start throwing him the ball double-digit times per game, he might, in the Fantasy playoffs, justify his ADP. Now, I'm not sure how many people drafted him in Round 2 that are going to make the Fantasy playoffs, but he might be that guy as a borderline No. 1 wide receiver in the last three weeks of the Fantasy season."
Nabers commands a much higher target share than Harrison and has averaged 16.2 Fantasy points so far this year. He's clearly the top rookie wide receiver, and when the Giants can improve at the quarterback position, he's going to be that much more productive.
"It's the best running back performance they may have had all season, and part of that is, I think, because they let one guy go," Jamey said. "Getting a flow and taking advantage of how the offensive line was playing. Clearly, the Cardinals run defense has been much better than what they showed today. But I mean, they just played each other two weeks ago, and Ken Walker couldn't do anything. And then Charbonnet does this."
Dave believes deploying the two backs similarly to the Detroit Lions rushing attack could bode well for the Seahawks backs. "This is bad for Ken Walker no matter what because how do you not give Charbonnet more opportunities? Maybe they start rotating drives. … It just feels like there's got to be more work for Charbonnet moving forward."
Meanwhile, Heath's assessment of the Seahawks' running back dilemma was brief and delightfully direct. "I'm going to buy it. I'm going to say that Zach Charbonnet is the better running back than Walker in full PPR the rest of the season."
Walker has one game over 100 yards on the season, which came in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. Walker could return Week 15 vs the Green Bay Packers, but I agree with Heath: the Seahawks would be best served allowing Charbonnet to take on the lion's share of the workload. One of the reasons Charbonnet should get the nod as RB1 in Seattle is his vision. And patience as a runner that allows his blocking to develop. He truly understands the concept of slow to and fast through.
The Seahawks are utilizing him on runs that feature split zone and power, which has allowed him to get out into the second level of the defense, and at 6-foot-1, 214 pounds, he's tough to bring down in the open field. He runs tough behind his pads, and his legs rarely go dead on first contact.
Another underrated aspect of Charbonnet's game is his pass-catching ability. He's got very good hands, and while he's more of an outlet receiver in the flats, he can win one-on-one vs. linebackers in the passing game. My knock on him coming out of college was the fact that he took too much unnecessary punishment and did not look to avoid defenders. He's seemingly improved in this area, which bodes well for his longevity in the NFL.
If Walker returns to the lineup in Week 15 against the Packers, don't be shocked to see Charbonnet continue to be productive. He's starting in just 71% of leagues, and he's currently listed as RB 12 among all Fantasy backs. He's projected to reach 22.5 Fantasy points next week, and that's probably right around the number he'll post. If he doesn't concede too much work to Walker, he could very well outperform projections thanks to his ability in the run and passing game.
For more Fantasy insight, be sure to check out the entire Week 14 Fantasy Recap – or watch (and subscribe) on Youtube.