Here\u2019s who should get the nod among Seattle\u2019s backfield for a matchup versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sep 21, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) hurdles over New Orleans Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (4) during the third quarter at Lumen Field. \/ Steven Bisig-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Walker makes a clear case as the starter given his current streak of production. Prior to a 20-touch, 110-yard performance versus Arizona on Thursday, Walker posted back-to-back games with 18.0 or more fantasy points. Through four games, he\u2019s averaged 4.2 yards per carry and has also seen looks in the pass game.<\/p>\n
Walker\u2019s volume as RB1 in Seattle and his efficient production to this point of the season have him positioned as RB18 in fantasy. He projects to continue his solid streak of production versus Tampa Bay on Sunday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In many ways, the biggest case against Walker is his counterpart in the backfield. During Thursday\u2019s game, Charbonnet took carries away from Walker and split work in the pass game. A matchup versus Tampa Bay\u2019s defense could also cast doubt for Walker\u2019s fantasy owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Entering Week 5, Tampa Bay\u2019s defense has allowed the fifth fewest rushing yards in the NFL. The Buccaneers have held each of their first four opponents of the season under 100 yards on the ground, looking to make Seattle the fifth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) celebrates with tight end AJ Barner (88) and wide receiver Dareke Young (83) after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in the second quarter at State Farm Stadium. \/ Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
After missing Seattle\u2019s Week 3 matchup versus the New Orleans Saints, Charbonnet returned to the Seahawks offense and posted a solid performance. Charbonnet added a touchdown to an inefficient day to outgain Walker in fantasy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His volume was another promising sign for fans. Seattle\u2019s RB2 notched 14 touches to Walker\u2019s 20, a promising sign after missing time in Week 3. His usage near the goal line also falls in his favor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Charbonnet struggled on the ground with 12 carries in the back field, recording just 39 rushing yards. While his volume has provided a relatively safe floor, Charbonnet\u2019s production has raised concerns over his status as a starter on a week-to-week basis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Entering Week 5, the third-year back is averaging just 2.5 yards per carry and has posted 96 yards on the ground through three games. A matchup versus Tampa Bay\u2019s defense also goes against Charbonnet\u2019s Week 5 stock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) reacts in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. \/ Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Given the difference in production, I\u2019m going to start Walker for this week\u2019s contest versus Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers\u2019 front could cause problems for a developing offensive line in Seattle, and Charbonnet has struggled to string together efficient play so far this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Walker, on the other hand, has nearly tripled Charbonnet\u2019s yardage on the ground, playing in one more game. His consistent volume provides a safe floor for production despite a tough matchup, giving me confidence that I feel is absent in Charbonnet\u2019s case. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Seattle Seahawks picked up their third consecutive win on Thursday Night Football, taking down the Arizona Cardinals…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":178628,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[64,63,593,85],"class_list":["post-178627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178627"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178627\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/178628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}