Hayden Winks urged zero-RB drafters to grab a high-upside runner such as Kenneth Walker instead of piling on a fifth straight wideout. He noted that once the draft reaches pick 60 the WR pool thins quickly, while Walker—“a running back in the prime of his career”—can anchor weekly RB scoring and still let the roster capture a flex advantage in half-PPR formats. The marginal value of WR5 is lower than the spike-week equity Walker provides.

Jon Warner said the room is still sleeping on Kenneth Walker and predicted the Seahawk back will not be available in the mid-fourth much longer. Warner’s thesis: new offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak will install a classic wide-zone attack— the same tree that pushed Dalvin Cook to back-to-back RB6 finishes— which marries perfectly with Walker’s one-cut, home-run style. He expects Seattle to lean on the run while Geno Smith acclimates to the new scheme, forecasting 16-18 carries and multiple explosive runs per game for Walker. Because most drafters in June are clicking only wide receivers in this pocket, Warner is loading Walker now before the first week of August practice clips “send his ADP flying up an entire round.”

Shawn Siegele reiterated that Kenneth Walker is his favorite Round-3 target and would have been a late first-round pick last year had he not battled nagging injuries. Walker produced RB1 weeks in 27% of his 2024 games despite Seattle’s sideways, zone-heavy run concepts that often forced him to dance behind the line. Siegele expects the Seahawks’ new vertical, downhill scheme to emphasize Walker’s acceleration and one-cut ability, turning stalled runs into chunk gains. His peripherals—3.1 yards after contact and a top-10 breakaway-rush rate—already hint at elite efficiency, and Seattle projects for improved scoring chances under the new staff. If Walker stays upright, Siegele sees a legitimate path to 1,500 total yards and double-digit touchdowns, calling him “the answer” among third-round backs.

Ben Gretch clicked Kenneth Walker at 4.04 and called the pick "necessary" because his projections show Seattle pivoting hard to a run-first identity under Mike Macdonald and new OC Clint Kubiak. He cited front-office comments about using Jalen Milroe in designed run packages and the decision to fire Ryan Grubb as clear evidence the Seahawks want offense to flow through the ground game while the defense carries wins. Walker already posted a monster 0.37 missed-tackles-forced per touch (per PFF), approaching elite college outliers like Ashton Jeanty, and owns several of the fastest in-game GPS times over the past two seasons—proof the breakaway speed is intact. Gretch acknowledged risk from Zach Charbonnet and Walker’s occasional east-west habits but said if the new zone-blocking scheme meshes, Walker has a straightforward path to top-5 overall RB scoring. With ADP lingering in the early fourth (402–403), Gretch views him as the highest-upside value bet in that range for Best Ball tournaments.

Andy Holloway warned managers not to treat Kenneth Walker III as their lead back at his current RB15 price. Holloway cited several red flags: Seattle’s offensive line remains "trash" after allowing 50 sacks last season and still grades 30th at PFF, limiting Walker to "super-human, unbelievable runs for one yard." Sam Darnold replacing Geno Smith should drag the entire offense into the bottom half of the league, cutting into goal-line chances and making a double-digit touchdown season unlikely. Holloway is comfortable taking Walker only if he slides to the fifth round and pairs with a high-floor RB1; otherwise he sees a realistic outcome where Walker finishes outside the top-28 backs, turning him into a lineup liability in season-long and best-ball formats.

Jason Moore called 2025 a make-or-break season for Kenneth Walker III and believes it will break the right way. Moore argued new coordinator Clint Kubiak was hired specifically to install the classic zone-running system that has fed bell-cows for two decades. With Sam Darnold stepping behind a PFF-ranked 30th offensive line and the receiver room downgraded from Metcalf/Lockett to Cooper Kupp/MVS, Moore expects Seattle to hide the passing game and funnel touches to Walker. He pointed out that the Seahawks were already top-10 in rush rate over expectation during neutral game scripts last year and that Pete Carroll openly said he wants to “win with defense again.” Moore’s projection: 300+ carries, 40 targets and legitimate top-5 RB upside if Walker finally plays a full 17-game slate—making his current mid-third-round price tag “one of the best picks in fantasy football.”

Jeff Mueller said he is still willing to draft Kenneth Walker despite previously labeling him injury-prone, because Clint Kubiak’s arrival should juice both Walker’s rushing and receiving output. Mueller noted that Kubiak backs historically score well, and Seattle’s thin vertical receiving corps plus Sam Darnold’s check-down tendencies could funnel short targets Walker’s way ahead of Zach Charbonnet. He emphasized how valuable those targets are after seven straight years of league-wide decline in running-back receiving volume. Rich Hribar added that Walker averages 4.7 yards per carry on outside-zone runs, almost a full yard better than the 3.8 he posts on other concepts, perfectly matching Kubiak’s Shanahan-style system. The downside remains Walker’s string of lower-extremity soft-tissue injuries and a still-iffy offensive line that may expose him to more contact, but Mueller believes the ceiling justifies taking him in the current RB2 range for both best-ball and season-long formats.

Jeff Mueller labeled Kenneth Walker as one of the few backs he genuinely considers injury-prone. Every documented setback— groin strains, hamstring pulls, ankle sprains— involves Walker’s lower extremities, pointing to chronic soft-tissue vulnerability. Mueller believes Walker’s running biomechanics contribute to repeated stress in those areas, making future flare-ups more likely. Because the injuries have been recurrent rather than freak accidents, Mueller urged fantasy managers to bake extra risk into their projections or require a draft-day discount before investing in Walker for season-long or best-ball formats.

Meg Shoup said Kenneth Walker is steaming for a reason and should be treated as a fourth-round lock instead of the fifth-round swing he still falls to in some rooms. She rattled off Seattle’s fantasy-playoff runway—at Rams in Week 16, followed by the Colts and Panthers—reminding listeners that all three defenses finished bottom-10 in rush EPA and did little to patch those holes this offseason. Shoup also emphasized the "sneaky" receiving workload nobody bakes into Walker’s projection: Sam Darnold targeted backs at a 20% clip in Carolina, and Walker cleared 25 receiving yards in multiple primetime games last year, a prop she routinely cashed at plus money. With rookie Caleb Johnson soaking up most of the mid-round buzz, Shoup thinks drafters are sleeping on Walker’s three-down profile and labeled him "this summer’s forgotten bell-cow." The combination of an elite December schedule, hidden pass-game juice, and an offense that should lean run-heavy inside the red zone gives Walker league-winning upside at a price that still hasn’t caught up.

Whalen is passing on Kenneth Walker at current cost. Seattle is breaking in its third offensive coordinator in as many years, the line remains shaky, and Zach Charbonnet is a “high-end backup” who already stole passing-downs in 2024. Add Walker’s recurring soft-tissue injuries, and Whalen sees too much downside for a player still going inside the top 20 backs.

Ben Gretch said Kenneth Walker is the screaming buy of the early 4th round and should be living in the top third-round range. Seattle fired Ryan Grubb specifically because he would not run enough, then hired Clint Kubiak to re-install a classic Shanahan/Kubiak wide-zone attack that feeds its lead back. Gretch noted Walker led the league in missed tackles forced per carry despite having the lowest yards-before-contact figure of any qualifying back—Seattle’s new first-round guard and a fully overhauled line aim to fix that. The front office and coaching staff have publicly stated they must run more in the red zone, a direct path to the touchdown spike Walker lacked in 2023. Zach Charbonnet is a solid backup but the organization “loves Walker” and plans to keep the offense built around his breakaway skill set. Gretch compared the schematic pivot to last year’s Bills shift under Joe Brady and believes an 18-20 carry, double-digit TD season is coming, making Walker a priority pick in Season-Long, Best-Ball and DFS formats.

Josh Norris said Kenneth Walker III is still the highest-upside running back you can grab in Round 5 and has a believable top-6 finish in his range of outcomes. New OC Clint Kubiak called outside-zone on 46% of his snaps with New Orleans, the same concept where Walker averaged 4.4 yards per carry while Zach Charbonnet managed only 3.7. That fit alone should funnel early-down work Walker’s way, but Norris believes the real ceiling comes from the receiving leap: before a Week-13 calf strain Walker averaged 27.2 receiving yards per game and was one of just four backs with 7-plus expected PPR points through the air. That’s wild for a player who caught only 19 passes in his entire college career and entered the league with a Nick Chubb/Derrick Henry label. Mike Macdonald dumped pass-happy Ryan Grubb precisely to run more, Seattle’s offensive line is healthier and deeper, and Walker’s elite tackle-breaking flashes—“that Monday-night pro-wrestling throw against Detroit”—are intact. Add more volume, better blocking and a bankable target floor and Norris sees a clear RB1-overall avenue at pick 45.

Josh Norris argued Kenneth Walker III has a clear RB1-overall path after Seattle upgraded both scheme and blocking. New OC Clint Kubiak ran outside zone on 46% of snaps with the Saints, a perfect match for Walker’s profile— he averaged 4.4 yards per outside-zone attempt versus just 3.8 on other concepts last year. Norris noted right tackle Abe Lucas returns healthy, first-rounder Gray Zabel fortifies the interior, and Charles Cross continues to ascend, giving the Seahawks a realistic shot at jumping from bottom-five to league-average in run-blocking. Walker quietly solved his one knock— pass-game involvement— boosting receptions from 27 to 46 and posting 27.2 receiving yards per game before a Week-13 calf injury. That same pre-injury stretch had him as RB7 in points per game. At a mid-fifth-round ADP (pick 45), drafters are paying for mid-range RB2 while getting 20-touch upside, explosive long-run ability, and a receiving workload that separates him from pure early-down runners like Isiah Pacheco.

Best Ball Guy admitted he ‘kind of hate[s] K-Walk… just never on the field,’ steering drafters toward alternatives like Chuba Hubbard instead. His concern centers on Walker’s spotty snap counts and injury history that make the Seahawk an unreliable RB2 in Superflex best ball constructions. The uncertainty around Walker’s weekly availability undercuts any big-play upside, so BBG prefers cheaper backs with clearer workloads in the same draft zone.

Evan Silva advised tempering expectations for Kenneth Walker, ranking him RB20— three spots below Underdog ADP and well below ESPN home-league cost. Silva’s lukewarm stance stems from multiple unknowns: new play-caller Ryan Grubb inherits a bottom-five offensive line by most off-season rankings, Sam Darnold’s chronic struggles versus pressure could crater overall efficiency, and second-round pick Zach Charbonnet remains a legitimate challenger after matching Walker’s draft capital. Silva thinks the committee could swing anywhere from an even split to Charbonnet taking over, making it hard to project the 18-carry workloads Walker enjoyed last year. With a shaky passing game highlighted by Marquez Valdes-Scantling and an aging Cooper Kupp, Silva expects a conservative, possibly ineffective offense that caps touchdown upside. He is drafting Walker only when the market discounts him into low-end RB2 territory.

Hayden Winks said Kenneth Walker III is a screaming buy at the Round-5 turn and moved him into his top-10 backs. Walker led the league in missed tackles forced per carry last season even though Seattle ranked 48th of 50 qualifiers in yards before contact, proof he created everything on his own. Winks expects a far kinder environment after the Seahawks replaced all three interior linemen, drafted "Gray’s Able" in Round 1, and finally have both starting tackles healthy. The bigger change is Klint Kubiak: in 2021 his Vikings were fifth in rush attempts with Dalvin Cook, and his 2024 Saints unit coaxed Alvin Kamara to a career-high rushing yardage total. Mike Macdonald hired Kubiak specifically to run more under-center, condensed formations, so Winks projects a run-first script. Walker was RB5 in PFF receiving grade and flashed 8- and 10-target games, erasing the old "two-down" narrative. Give him even average blocking and a projected 18–22 touches per week, and Winks sees a clear RB1 outcome that is not priced into his current ADP.

Jake Ciely said a quick text exchange with trusted Seahawks beat writer Michael-Shawn Duggar—who replied simply "K-9 bellcow"—forced him to rip up his old 58-42 Walker/Charbonnet split. Ciely re-projected Kenneth Walker for 250 carries and a mid-60s share of the backfield, bumping Walker from RB19-20 all the way to RB12, one spot ahead of Chase Brown and Bucky Irving. The reasoning: Duggar has been around the team all offseason and believes new OC Clint Kubiak will lean on Walker’s outside-zone explosiveness rather than rotate Zach Charbonnet. Ciely also pointed to Walker’s improved receiving role (7th-most PPR points from catches last year) and his PFF-record missed-tackle rate as proof the 24-year-old can handle a true three-down workload. With consensus ADP still at RB15, Ciely views Walker as a draft-day value in season-long and best-ball formats.

Nick Whalen warned that Kenneth Walker is far more likely to disappoint than pay off at his current ADP (RB14-16, picks 40-50). Walker’s 2023 per-game finish was RB12, but six missed games knocked him down to RB27 overall, and durability has been a problem since college. Seattle’s offensive line graded 25th at PFF last year and Whalen doubts one rookie guard solves that. A third offensive coordinator in three seasons plus a downgrade from Geno Smith to Sam Darnold further cloud touchdown equity. Whalen also highlighted Zach Charbonnet’s multiple ‘boom’ weeks when Walker was sidelined and expects the second-year back to retain a weekly role. In short, drafters are not getting much of an injury or workload discount, so Whalen is fading Walker outside of pure upside formats.

Alex Blickle said drafters should intentionally take both Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet on the same DraftKings Best Ball roster. He pointed out that in 2024 Walker finished as RB27 (181.2 PPR) while Charbonnet was RB25 (186.9), but their combined best-ball score of 304.8 PPR points would have ranked RB5. Because Walker battled injuries, at least one of the two produced double-digit fantasy points in every game outside the bye, eliminating dead weeks. Blickle emphasized that this built-in inverse correlation not only smooths weekly scoring volatility but also creates playoff uniqueness: when Walker sat in Week 15 most Walker teams were eliminated, making him low-rostered when he returned. With both backs now coming at cheaper 2025 ADPs, Blickle believes the Seahawks tandem is a low-cost way to lock in floor while still capturing ceiling outcomes if either back earns a full workload down the stretch.

Jim Coventry advised fading Kenneth Walker around pick 60, noting the market keeps inventing narratives that never come true. Walker’s yards-per-carry has declined three straight seasons, and only five of his 153 attempts went for 20+ yards in 2024 despite an elite 98th-percentile broken-tackle rate. Coventry pointed out the disconnect between Walker’s tackle-breaking ability and his 38th-percentile yards-after-contact, calling him a boom-bust back without the boom. While Walker did post a career-high 46 receptions, Zach Charbonnet looked more effective late last year and could siphon even more snaps. Given Walker has never outperformed his draft slot, Coventry refuses to buy the 2025 "this is the year" story.

Greg Brainos projected a monster year for Kenneth Walker III under new coordinator Clint Kubiak. Kubiak’s history shows 12- and 21-personnel on over 50% of snaps and an outside-zone scheme tailor-made for Walker’s cut-and-go running style. Brainos added that head coach Mike Macdonald dismissed Ryan Grubb because Grubb wanted to pass more, proof Seattle plans to "pound the rock like crazy." With a top-10 zone-blocking line and minimal proven depth behind DK Metcalf/Tyler Lockett, Brainos sees 260+ carries and double-digit scores in Walker’s range and called him a priority third-round best-ball pick—just remember to grab Charbonnet as insurance later.

Ian Hartitz called Kenneth Walker the one back he is “going after more than anyone” in the RB20-30 pocket, arguing that new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak could hand Walker the exact same role Alvin Kamara enjoyed last season. Hartitz dismissed concerns about Walker’s 3.7 YPC in 2024, reminding listeners that the eye test still shows elite burst and long-speed. In Kubiak’s wide-zone system, he expects more outside runs and check-downs that accentuate Walker’s big-play ability. With the Seahawks unlikely to add serious competition and Kubiak’s history of leaning on one primary back when he has the talent (Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey during their respective peaks), Hartitz sees a path to 275 touches and a top-10 finish if the touchdowns cooperate. Given that drafters are letting Walker slide behind riskier rookie profiles, Hartitz labeled him a screaming buy in season-long and best-ball formats.

Greg Brainos said Kenneth Walker is a screaming value in Best Ball Mania drafts as long as the hamstring cooperates. Brainos thinks the market is double-counting last year’s soft-tissue issues even though that risk is already baked into Walker’s mid-RB2 price. He stressed that both new head coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak have repeatedly called Walker the clear RB1 and that every Seahawks beat writer has him taking all first-team reps while Zach Charbonnet rotates behind him. Citing Walker’s superior burst, vision and home-run speed, Brainos believes the 23-year-old is “comfortably, comfortably ahead” of Charbonnet and will dominate touches in a still run-leaning offense. He is overweight on Walker in best-ball drafts and called him an “unbelievable smash” if he simply stays on the field.

Josh Norris said Kenneth Walker III should be drafted ahead of Joe Mixon and Chuba Hubbard in Best Ball because the Seahawks have quietly built an ideal environment for a true spike-week workhorse season. Norris pointed to new offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak, noting that Kubiak’s Saints units lined up in 21 or 12 personnel on 50 % of snaps and leaned heavily on outside-zone runs—Walker’s bread-and-butter where he averaged 5.9 yards per carry the last two years. Pete Carroll fired pass-happy Ryan Grubb, and both Kubiak and head coach Mike Macdonald have publicly stated they “want to give Walker the ball as much as possible.” Combine that coach-speak with the fact Walker has clearly held off Zach Charbonnet, and Norris believes Walker owns a much higher best-case outcome than Mixon’s volume-based, efficiency-questionable profile in Houston. He labeled Walker a mid-round smash with legitimate league-winning upside.

Andrew Erickson said Kenneth Walker III is a smash pick at his late-third-round ADP because Seattle is about to lean on him like crazy. Greg Brainos pointed out that new offensive coordinator Clint Kubiak used 21 or 12 personnel on 50% of the Saints’ snaps last season, and Seattle coaches have echoed that run-first mentality all spring—talking up full-back usage, converting rookie tight end Robbie Utes into a lead blocker, and drafting athletic guard Gray Zabel to juice outside-zone and pin-pull concepts. Erickson added that Walker’s receiving concerns are overblown: he has just three drops on 46 career NFL targets and flashed soft hands in high-school camps; Michigan State simply never asked him to catch. If Walker stays healthy, Erickson projects 18-plus touches per game and a top-12 per-game finish, making him a priority best-ball target for spike-week potential.

Greg Brainos said Kenneth Walker is the clear ceiling play when choosing among mid-round backs like Joe Mixon and Chuba Hubbard. Brainos expects Seattle’s backfield volume to spike because Mike Macdonald fired pass-heavy OC Ryan Grubb and imported Clint Kubiak, whose Saints offenses ran 21- or 12-personnel on 50 % of snaps last year and publicly vowed to "run the ball" and pound the rock in the red zone. That dovetails with Walker’s strengths: outside-zone burst and breakaway speed that produced seven carries of 20-plus yards in 2023. Brainos acknowledged Zach Charbonnet might poach some goal-line work—Macdonald called him a "hammer"—yet emphasized Walker’s 35 receptions last year prove he can stay on the field for passing downs. With a friendlier scheme, more carries, and big-play juice, Walker owns the highest week-winning ceiling in half-PPR best-ball tournaments.

Sean Koerner said Clint Kubiak’s arrival in Seattle quietly tilts the offense back toward the backfield and specifically boosts Kenneth Walker. Kubiak’s lone year calling plays for New Orleans fed Alvin Kamara 86 targets—20 on designed screens—and Koerner expects that philosophy to follow him west. He emphasized that Kubiak’s outside-zone run game mirrors what Walker dominated at Michigan State and differs from Shane Waldron’s mixed concepts that sometimes bounced Walker too far outside. With a healthier interior line, Koerner projects Walker’s workload to rise from 15.1 touches per game to 18-19 while preserving his explosive 4.6 yards-after-contact clip. He also tagged Zach Charbonnet as an elite handcuff (“any Walker ding turns Charbonnet into a top-five play”), but the headline takeaway is that Walker’s ceiling jumps a full tier under Kubiak, making him a round-three target in both best ball and season-long leagues.

Mike Wright urged dynasty managers to trade for Kenneth Walker now while his price is suppressed. Walker is 24.6 years old—only four months older than rookie RJ Harvey—but already has two 1,000-yard seasons and enters a contract year. Wright loved the 2024 usage jump: Walker finally saw real passing-game work, and that alone is a fantasy difference-maker. Among 46 backs with 100+ carries, Walker ranked first in missed-tackle rate, proving the burst is intact even though last season’s yards-per-carry dipped below 4.0 behind a Seattle line Pro Football Focus graded 31st. The Seahawks spent the offseason upgrading that unit and have a new offensive coordinator who, according to local beat reports, "keeps mentioning Walker by name" when talking about building the scheme. Wright believes owners can acquire Walker without surrendering a first-round pick, yet he sees a three-year window of RB1 upside and expects a healthy second contract somewhere given his age and splash-play profile.

Andy Holloway said Kenneth Walker III emerged as one of the biggest fantasy winners of the entire NFC draft haul. Seattle waited until the seventh round to take a running back (Damien Martinez) after rumors swirled that either Walker or Zach Charbonnet might be dealt. Holloway noted that using only a throw-away day-three pick shows the front office remains committed to Walker as its lead back. Pete Carroll’s staff has kept hyping Walker all offseason and, despite receiving trade calls, refused to move Charbonnet—evidence they still want last year’s 1-2 punch intact. With no meaningful competition added and improved offensive-line help from the first-round tackle selection, Holloway projects Walker to keep his early-down and goal-line workload from 2024 (57 % snap share, 268 touches) while adding efficiency in a rejuvenated offense. He is drafting Walker confidently as a high-end RB2 in season-long leagues and an every-week spike-week option in best-ball tournaments.

Mike Wright admitted that his enthusiasm for Kenneth Walker is more vibe‑driven than projection‑driven, yet he is planting a flag on the ceiling. Wright reminded listeners that Walker actually scored more fantasy points per game in Year 3 than in either of his first two seasons despite ankle and oblique issues. He expects the new offensive coordinator to lean heavily on the run, which pairs nicely with Walker’s career 4.6‑yards‑after‑contact highlight‑reel style. 2025 is also a contract season, giving Walker every incentive to gut through nagging injuries and push for a workhorse role. If the health cooperates and the run‑heavy scheme materializes, Wright believes Walker has a realistic path to a top‑five finish, especially after flashing improved receiving chops last year. He concedes the floor is scary—new OC, rookie Braylon Allen behind him, historical inefficiency versus base looks—but says managers chasing upside should treat Walker as a boom‑or‑bust RB2 who could become a league‑winning RB1 if all the levers pull the right way.

Andy Holloway flagged multiple red‑alert metrics that pushed Kenneth Walker outside his top‑15. Walker ranked sixth‑worst among qualified backs in yards from scrimmage per touch (4.4) and was literally last in yards per carry versus base defenses at 3.9. Even when defenses did not stack the box he averaged just 3.2 YPC in first halves, forcing Seattle to throw more later. Although a new offensive coordinator promises a run‑heavy approach, Holloway questioned whether Walker’s ankle and oblique issues—plus rookie phenom Braylon Allen behind him—will allow him to capitalize. Without a spike in efficiency or high‑value receptions, Holloway views Walker as a boom‑bust RB2 rather than the safe RB1 many drafters remember from 2023.