Posted: 5/10/2022 7:33 pm GMT
Seattle Seahawks RB Chris Carson (neck) faces an uncertain future following neck surgery, which is one of several motivating factors that pushed the Seahawks to draft Kenneth Walker III in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
''We don't have updates yet on Chris and we won't know for some time. ... So there's a little bit of uncertainty that we're waiting on. With the commitment that we have to the run game, we want that group of guys really (ready) to get this thing hit off from the get-go,'' head coach Pete Carroll recently told ESPN.com's Brady Henderson.
Huddle Up: Fantasy managers need to proceed as if Carson will not play anytime soon, if only because Seattle's investment in Walker suggests that is the case. Walker is "a rocket" according to Carroll and reportedly caught the ball well in rookie minicamp, so it sounds as though he is off to a good start. Rashaad Penny should be considered the frontrunner to start Week 1, but his own injury history makes it likely Walker will make his impact felt in fantasy at some point in 2022.
Posted: 5/07/2022 5:55 pm GMT
Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III received a rave review from head coach Pete Carroll after rookie minicamp practice on Friday, May 6. Carroll said Walker is ''a rocket'' and he ''caught the ball really well'' in practice. Carroll was hesitant to proclaim the rookie his third-down back, though. ''Let me wait and see on that one, as far as making him a third-down guy,'' Carroll said. ''He has a ways to go pass-protection wise, that's a real challenge for him, so we will see.''
Huddle Up: With the uncertainty surrounding Chris Carson's future following neck surgery last December, and with Rashaad Penny's past with injuries, there's potential for Walker to get significant work in his first season. If both are healthy, Walker's best bet to see the field will be on third downs. For now, he's just a bench stash until this situation clears up a bit but should be a high pick in dynasty formats.
Posted: 5/04/2022 8:14 pm GMT
Seattle Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III was selected by the team in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft partly due to the uncertainty of Chris Carson's timeline to return from December neck surgery, according to head coach Pete Carroll. ''I would say this, we picked him because, on the board, he was up there for us and we couldn't pass him up. We don't have updates yet on Chris, we won't know for some time here. We can't predict that,'' said Carroll on Friday, April 29.
Huddle Up: As Carson still works his way back from neck surgery, his fantasy outlook is extremely clouded. The selection of Walker only casts more doubt into Carson's chances to provide fantasy value in 2022, and until we get more information, the latter will likely remain off draft boards. Walker has the chance to compete with Rashaad Penny for the starting role, but with the likelihood of a timeshare between the two, the fantasy ceilings for both players will be capped to the RB2 range.
Posted: 4/29/2022 11:47 pm GMT
Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker III was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the 41st overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Huddle Up: The Seahawks are uncertain about Chris Carson's status, so Walker should see a decent amount of touches right away. He probably will share playing time with Rashaad Penny but can be a No. 3 fantasy running back if he receives a majority of the carries.