After the first two Running Backs were selected, the 52nd overall pick went to Zach Charbonnet. Interestingly, though maybe not unexpectedly, he was selected by the Seahawks.
The Seahawks had a rookie, Kenneth Walker, who exploded for over a thousand yards and nine touchdowns in Week 6 of the previous season. And that was only because Rashaad Penny, the love of Pete Carroll’s life, was hurt again.
Penny and Travis Homer are no longer on the team, leaving just Walker and DeeJay Dallas in the Running Back positions. The fact that the Seahawks selected Charbonnet in the second round indicates that they want to play him and Walker both.
As Carroll puts it, Charbonnet and Walker “will be battling” for employment opportunities. It would appear that the Seahawks have no problem with the two young players competing for playing time. That makes Charbonnet a risky pick for your fantasy team. One possibility is that he underachieves and is utilized mostly as a substitute for Walker. But if he turned on the light, he could do most of the job alone.
As of right now, my best guess is that Walker sees around 60% of the work and Charbonnet sees the remainder. It’s safe to presume that Walker will be the one who gets fired. Even so, Charbonnet will be a highly sought-after player in fantasy drafts. Charbonnet should still be useful because running the ball is a priority for Seattle. Charbonnet is one of the finest handcuffs in the NFL, making him a valuable addition if Walker were to sustain an injury. It’s reasonable to suggest that Charbonnet may be an early sleeper choice, but we won’t know for sure until the season begins.
MEASURABLES
- 6’0″ 214 lbs
- 40-yard dash – 4.53 seconds
- Vertical jump – 37″
- Broad Jump – 10′ 2″
- Bench Press – 18 reps
Zach Charbonnet was picked 52nd overall in the second round as the third Running Back taken. Surprisingly, but not too surprisingly, the Seahawks chose him.
Last season, the Seahawks rookie running back Kenneth Walker threw for more than 1,000 yards and nine scores, and he didn’t even start playing until Week 6. Even so, it was only because Pete Carroll’s boyfriend Rashaad Penny got hurt again.
Carroll says that Charbonnet and Walker “will be battling” for work. So it looks like the Seahawks are happy to let the two young players compete with each other for playing time. So, from a dream point of view, Charbonnet is a bit of a risk. On the one hand, he could fail to do his job and only be used when Walker needs a break. On the other hand, he could turn it on and do most of the work by himself.
As of right now, my best guess is that Walker will do about 60% of the work and Charbonnet will do the rest. You can just assume that Walker is going to lose his job. Still, Charbonnet will be a very popular player in fantasy rounds. Seattle runs the ball a lot, so Charbonnet should still be useful. And if Walker gets hurt, Charbonnet is one of the best back-ups in the NFL, so he would be a great pick-up. We won’t know much more about Charbonnet until the season starts, but it’s safe to say that he could be a sleeper pick early on.
