Last year, Zach Charbonnet stood out in fantasy football as his goal-line usage and touchdown upside made him a player who belonged in lineups on a weekly basis. While he’s coming off a major injury, all signs point towards a return in the near future for the Seahawks’ running back.
The Seattle rushing attack clearly needs some help at the moment, so is Charbonnet a must-add waiver stash in Week 5?
Is Zach Charbonnet a must-add waiver stash?
Last season was clearly the best of Zach Charbonnet’s career. While the 2023 second-round pick still operated in a timeshare as he did during his first two years in the pros, he set new high marks across several rushing categories. In 16 games, he ran the ball 184 times for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns – all of which were new bests for the halfback. The scoring prowess he displayed was among the best in the NFL as his 12 rushing scores were tied for sixth-most among all players.
However, an untimely ACL tear cut Charbonnet’s season short during the playoffs. Following the rehab process, the 24-year-old actually rejoined his teammates at practice this past week, meaning the Seahawks have a little less than three weeks to officially activate him from the PUP list. While he won’t return in Week 5, according to head coach Mike Macdonald, the running back’s return does appear imminent.
So, is Charbonnet worth stashing off the waiver wire this week? Most signs point toward a positive outlook.
With 0.75 touchdowns per game, fifth-most among running backs last year, Charbonnet became a weekly starter in fantasy football lineups. He averaged 11.3 FPPG and finished as the overall RB24, meaning he just barely snuck into a back-end RB2 finish. That result was largely due to his goal-line role and his scoring upside, but that’s a role he can play once again this season upon his return. Last year, he took 1.9 carries per game inside the 10-yard line, so the coaching staff clearly seems to trust him with those high-value touches.
There are worries about Charbonnet’s efficiency off the torn ACL, sure. He averaged just 3.97 YPC last season, down from 4.21 and 4.28 in the prior campaigns. However, the nature of his role with carries at the goal line and in short-yardage situations means that average may have stemmed more from his usage rather than true talent shortcomings. Moreover, he averaged 2.62 yards after contact, good for seventh in the league. What that means is that even if he’s hit, he can still create a couple of extra yards.
Charbonnet also brings some degree of pass-catching ability to the picture. He caught just 20 passes last season, but logged 42 and 33 receptions in the prior two seasons with slightly higher route shares that hovered around 40%. Obviously, that’s nowhere near elite status, but if he sees any receiving work in this backfield, it boosts his upside to an extent.
The big argument, of course, is the workload that Charbonnet will handle. It seems likely that he’ll slide into a similar role with goal-line carries and short-yardage work, but there’s room for him to take on more volume. The backfield should remain split, but Jadarian Price will miss at least three more weeks on IR and the duo of Emanuel Wilson and George Holani aren’t standout talents. Could Charbonnet handle a 60-40 split moving forward even when everyone’s healthy? It’s possible, and for the moment, Joe Mixon’s workout with Seattle isn’t much reason to be worried.
As such, Charbonnet is a great stash add on the Week 5 waiver wire. He brings some proven ability to produce in fantasy football and could be a FLEX play or better once he does get on the field – if he’s available, put in a claim before your leaguemates do.
