It’s a strange time for the Seahawks’ running back room. After delivering a Super Bowl MVP performance, Kenneth Walker III is off to the Kansas City Chiefs, which left a hole at the top of Seattle’s depth chart. That hole was filled by Jadarian Price, who GM John Schneider selected with the 32nd and final pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. Now the Notre Dame product finds himself stepping into the shoes of Walker III, but he’s not without competition, as Zach Charbonnet remains with the team.
Fortunately for Price, Charbonnet remains sidelined while recovering from ACL surgery, leaving him as the top back in town. Does this make him a must-start for fantasy football? Let’s break it down.
Backfield Breakdown
Before we get into Price’s potential, it’s important to put this Seattle backfield in context. During the regular season, Walker and Charbonnet formed a nearly 50/50 split. Walker played in all 17 games and received 221 carries, while Charbonnet played in 16 games and toted the rock 184 times. Charbonnet was the preferred goal-line back, scoring 12 times to Walker’s five. Despite the lack of serious work as receivers, it was good enough for both backs to finish in the RB2 range for the second season in a row. Charbonnet has placed 25th and 24th in the last two years in PPR scoring, while Walker has been 27th and 22nd in that time frame.
However, Charbonnet’s injury looms large. He tore his ACL during last year’s divisional matchup with the San Francisco 49ers and has been placed on the reserve/PUP list, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the season. It’s a concerning sign for his health at a time when recoveries from serious knee injuries are shorter than ever; for context, Niners TE George Kittle tore his Achilles one week before Charbonnet’s injury and is set to be in the lineup in Week 1. Perhaps this is a sign that Charbonnet’s rehab isn’t going as well as expected, and there’s a real possibility he misses more than the minimum time on the PUP list.
Either way, he’s out for at least four games, making Price the top dog. But does that make him a must-start in all formats?
My answer is yes. If reports are to be trusted, he’s been crushing training camp for the Seahawks, earning effusive praise from his coaches and his quarterback, Sam Darnold. He is locked into the top job, which already made him an RB2 in all formats. Now that Charbonnet is sidelined, he has a clear path to 20+ touches per game and potential RB1 value in the right matchups. Without a doubt, Jadarian Price is a must-start for at least the next four weeks.
I’m also eyeing George Holani as a waiver pickup. After Charbonnet went down, he got some extra looks on receiving downs, turning five targets into four catches for 34 yards over the last two games of their playoff run. It’s not going to be enough for standalone value, but the coaching staff is comfortable with him in a spot-backup role, and he’d be firmly in the FLEX conversation if Price and Charbonnet were out.
