For the last three years, since the Seattle Seahawks drafted Zach Charbonnet in the second round, they have split backfield snaps almost evenly between him and Kenneth Walker III, with Walker earning 593 carries across that span and Charbonnet taking 427, with most of the disparity coming in Charbonnet’s rookie year.
At least in the context of the NFC Championship Game, the running back hierarchy was finally and cruelly settled last Saturday, when Charbonnet went down with a torn ACL in Seattle’s Divisional Round throttling of the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks did activate George Holani off of Injured Reserve, but Walker will be the primary back for tonight’s 6:30 p.m. ET clash against the Los Angeles Rams.
It’s a testament to Walker’s talent that, despite losing Charbonnet, Seattle is a 2.5-point favorite for tonight’s matchup at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the point total set to 46.5. Below, I’ve detailed my favorite prop bet centered around Walker.
Best Kenneth Walker III Prop Bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
Kenneth Walker III 120+ Rushing + Receiving Yards (+115)
Walker enjoyed pretty heavy usage during the Seahawks’ 41-6 win over the 49ers, turning his 19 carries into 116 yards and three touchdowns and adding three catches for 29 yards through the air. 15 of his touches came after Charbonnet’s injury, though it’s not clear whether that increased usage was a direct result of Charbonnet’s absence or of the lopsided scoreline. Regardless, Walker had already been building towards a bigger role throughout the second half of the season, gaining at least 100 scrimmage yards in two of the final three games of the regular season.
On paper, the Rams present a challenge, given that they allowed the 11th-fewest rushing yards to opposing running backs. However, Walker appears to have their number: he compiled 164 total yards on just 14 touches in the teams’ Week 16 overtime thriller, and even in Seattle’s loss in Week 11, his 19 touches went for 111 yards and a score. In general, Los Angeles is vulnerable to opposing running backs through the air, giving up the fifth-most receiving yards to the position, in part because it gets pressure at a high rate and incentivizes dump-offs. Walker could be particularly involved in the passing game if Sam Darnold’s oblique, which he injured in practice before the Divisional Round, isn’t fully healed. Plus, the Rams allowed a combined 112 rushing yards and 36 receiving yards to D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai in the Divisional Round, and if they allow that many total yards again, 39 surely won’t go to Holani.
