Kenneth Walker III start or sit: Week 5 fantasy football advice

The Seattle Seahawks will look to go above .500 as they face the New Orleans Saints on the road in Week 5. New Orleans has been an efficient defense through the first quarter of the season, which leaves the fantasy ceiling for the likes of Kenneth Walker III up for debate. We break down the matchup and assess whether he should remain a starter in lineups this week.

Fantasy Football analysis: Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III

Despite Walker garnering high praise through the preseason, it’s clear that the Seahawks are rolling with Rashaad Penny as the clear RB1, with Walker sitting behind in carries. Despite Seattle’s high-scoring win last week, Walker had just eight carries for 29 yards on the ground and one reception. Meanwhile, Penny went off for over 150 yards in the game and in the process, he out carried Walker as well.

The Saints haven’t been favorable to opposing running backs either, as New Orleans has allowed the tenth-fewest fantasy points to the position (15.2). If there were a Seahawks running back to place one's faith in for production, it would be Penny, who has the volume of touches to go along with a clear RB1 status. For Walker, the volume of touches remains too low to consider starting against a tough Saints run defense.

Start or sit in Week 5?

Walker remains a sit in Week 5 and may not be considered a starter going forward unless the share of carries changes, or barring injury to Penny. Perhaps he’s a viable handcuff for Penny managers, but he should remain on the bench for this Week 5 contest.