Week 16’s edition of Thursday Night Football matchup carries some potentially gargantuan postseason implications. The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams are both 11-3 as they compete for the NFC West title and No. 1 seed in the division’s playoff picture. With two excellent offenses up against standout defenses, we’re in for a treat. With Seattle pushing for pole position, can Kenneth Walker III make a major impact as a top playmaker in primetime?
Here are the best Kenneth Walker prop bets to consider on DraftKings Sportsbook for Seahawks vs. Rams on Thursday Night Football in Week 16.
Best Kenneth Walker prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
The Seahawks’ backfield split has frustrated fantasy football players throughout the campaign, but Kenneth Walker has still managed to produce some very solid numbers for the purposes of winning games for his team. The 25-year-old has 779 rushing yards and four touchdowns to his name on 179 carries, averaging 4.4 YPC in the process. While he’s not winning any competitions when it comes to counting stats, the halfback still ranks 19th in yardage, sixth in forced missed tackles and ninth in explosive rushes of 10+ yards. Those underlying numbers show that Walker is, in fact, an effective runner — a claim reinforced by his 89.5 PFF rushing grade, third-best of 53 qualifying running backs.
The numbers look quite good given his role as the 1A to Zach Charbonnet’s 1B in the Seattle backfield, with neither player truly dominating the snap or rushing shares. Could the stats take a dip in Week 16’s matchup, though? It’s quite possible. The Rams possess one of the NFL’s best run defenses, allowing 101.1 rushing yards per game (ninth-best), 3.9 YPC (eighth-best) and just five touchdowns via the ground on the whole season (fewest of any team).
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Walker’s prop bet lines are set at O/U 12.5 rush attempts, 45.5 rushing yards, 1.5 receptions and 10.5 receiving yards. His odds to score an anytime touchdown are fifth-shortest of any player at +200.
First things first, it’s best to avoid Walker’s receiving lines unless looking toward the under since he’s garnered only 25 targets on the year with 22 receptions. The Seahawks simply don’t prioritize throwing to running backs as the position has the second-lowest target share of any team at 11.6%, surpassing only the Rams’ mark of 10.2%. Under 1.5 receptions makes sense with that in mind since he’s caught either one or zero passes in nine of his appearances this season, but alas, we’re looking elsewhere as well.
Personally, I like under 12.5 rush attempts for Walker in this one. He’s split this line with seven overs and seven unders on the season, but he’s stayed under it three times across his last four games with 11, 13, 10 and nine carries in that span. While he could see additional work if the Seahawks’ staff looks to try and insulate quarterback Sam Darnold, I believe it’s more likely Seattle throws more against a Rams defense that looks more vulnerable to the pass than to the ground game. This secondary allows 219.7 passing yards per game, 19th in the NFL, and opponents average 35.9 pass attempts per game against them, 28th. While the latter stat likely comes as a result of teams trying to play catch-up while trailing to an elite Los Angeles offense led by MVP candidate Matthew Stafford, it also seems indicative that throwing could be the best way to attack. If that’s the case, watch for the Seahawks to abandon much of the run game as Walker stays under 12.5 carries.
Best Bet: Kenneth Walker III under 12.5 rush attempts (-129)
