The Seahawks are hosting the NFC Championship Game against the Rams on Sunday. They will have to do so without running back Zach Charbonnet, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the win against the 49ers. Kenneth Walker III will now be the team’s primary back, but Velus Jones Jr. could be in for a key role with expanded opportunity.
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Seattle Seahawks’ Backfield
Velus Jones Jr. could be the unlikeliest of heroes for the Seahawks on Sunday. Seattle boasted one of the best running back duos in the league with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. Walker has always been the lead back, but Charbonnet provides a change-of-pace option and gets a lot of work on a weekly basis. In fact, Charbonnet scored the opening touchdown in Seattle’s overtime win against the Rams in Week 16. Walker will remain the primary back and take on a bigger workload than normal, but behind him, the Seahawks’ running back room is a graveyard. Third-string running back George Holani has been on the Injured Reserve since November, and fourth-string running back Kenny McIntosh tore his ACL in training camp.
That leaves Velus Jones Jr. as the back-up running back for the NFC Championship Game. Jones was a 2022 third-round pick out of Tennessee by the Bears, but has never gotten a real chance in the NFL. He was cut by the Bears in 2024 and bounced around multiple teams over the past two years. Jones has just 24 career carries for 32 yards and one touchdown. Over his first two seasons, he was used primarily as a kick returner for Chicago, a role he also assumed for the Saints for a couple of games this season. Prior to last week, Jones had just four carries on the season, all in Seattle’s blowout win over the Falcons. He broke one of those four carries for a 25-yard gain. Last week against the 49ers, Jones had six carries for ten yards, all in another lopsided blowout script.
Is Velus Jones Jr. or George Holani a DFS option this week?
Velus Jones Jr. has never proven himself to be a viable NFL running back. He was never able to establish himself with the Bears or anywhere he went afterwards. If this were a regular season game, the Seahawks might give Jones more of a chance to prove himself. However, in the NFC Championship Game, they are likely going to give Kenneth Walker III ($6,200) all of the workload. Walker is the second-most expensive running back this weekend on DraftKings, behind only Kyren Williams ($6,500). Zach Charbonnet would have cost $5,200 if he were available, while Velus Jones Jr. costs just $4,000. That shows that Jones is not expected to get a workload anywhere near what Charbonnet would typically get.
George Holani ($4,000) could also potentially return for the Seahawks this week. Holani has not played since November because of a hamstring injury. However, the Seahawks did activate him to return to practice ahead of Sunday’s all-important tilt. It is unclear if Holani will be ready to go, as that is a quick turnaround after such an extended time off the field. Even if Holani is fit to play, he would likely only manage a couple of carries. However, those couple of carries would cut into whatever abbreviated workload Velus Jones Jr. is already expected to get.
The Rams have an elite defense, ranking sixth in the NFL in defensive rushing success rate. It’s hard enough to move the ball against Los Angeles, even with the best personnel. In a massive playoff game like this, Seattle will likely get as many touches as possible to its best players, rather than take a chance on someone as unproven as Jones. Holani could return, or the Seahawks could even use Rashid Shaheed ($4,100) out of the backfield. However, Jones getting enough work to be a viable DFS option is highly unlikely.
