With Patrick Mahomes rehabbing a knee injury, the Chiefs are expected to lean on Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker and a strong offensive line to lead the offense early in the season. Walker warrants low-end RB1 treatment, as the team intends to maintain a productive run game even if they plan to increase passing volume later in the year.
Kansas City may be more likely to install Emmett Johnson as a breather back to Walker during training camp to accommodate a run-heavy approach. With the Chiefs doing their best Seahawks impression to start the year, Johnson could be Kansas City’s Charbonnet. Johnson is a top value being drafted mid-to-late Round 2 in dynasty rookie drafts.
Kansas City traded up to take Emmett Johnson with the 161st overall pick in the draft, adding the Nebraska product to a revamped backfield alongside free agency splash signing Ken Walker III and Emari Demercado. “He’s a juke button, he has very good feet, vision, feel, and he’s very good out of the backfield,” Nutt said of Johnson, 22, who posted an astounding 100th percentile College Dominator Rating at Nebraska along with a 99th percentile College Target Share.
Arrowhead Pride’s Ron Kop, Jr. said the rookie is “projected to be the immediate backup to Walker in the lead-back role, but don’t be surprised if Johnson earns his way onto the field on pass downs or in other situations.” Johnson was a monster producer evidenced by 1,823 total yards in 2025 and is the perfect upside pick in the second and third rounds of dynasty rookie drafts.
The Kansas City Chiefs just secured dawg in No. 161 in Emmett Johnson, a compact hammer who pairs a 36.3% College Dominator Rating (89th-percentile) with the rugged contact balance to rack up 1,451 rushing yards in the brutal Big Ten. Johnson as a pass catcher registered a 15.9% Target Share (97th-percentile) to pair with his 5.8 College Yards Per Carry, proving he possesses the elite pass-catching floor and deceptive short-area burst—verified by a 1.59-second 10-yard split—to thrive in Andy Reid’s creative scheme.
In dynasty formats, Johnson is a late-round rookie value, where he will likely serve as RB2 behind Kenneth Walker III and could have a standalone role on 3rd downs. The real loser from this pick is Brashard Smith, who is likely going to tumble down the depth charts.
After the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, Kenneth Walker III becomes a free agent, and GM John Schneider hopes to keep him with the team. Walker has been a workhorse in the playoffs since Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL.
Walker is such a valuable piece to the Seahawks’ offence, as it relies heavily on the play-action, outside-zone style that Klint Kubiak has implemented. This season, while in a timeshare with Zach Charbonnet, has been a resurgence, as he recorded 4.6 ypc and over 1,000 yards rushing. In a weaker 2026 running back draft class, Walker’s playoff performances will put him in high demand if he does test the open market.
Author: Dane Madoche (@FF_DaMaddog)
The Seattle Seahawks will be down a running back in the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams, Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL and won’t play again this year. In addition to missing the rest of the playoffs, Charbonnet’s week one availability for next season is also in doubt.
Charbonnet finished the regular season with 184 carries for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns. In Charbonnet’s absence Ken Walker has the Seattle backfield to himself and likely becomes a priority re-signing in the offseason.
Walker rushed 19 times for 116 yards and three touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers and will be heavily featured again versus the Rams. His fantasy football stock is on the rise and he’ll only become more valuable with another strong performance.
Author: David Leonard Jr. (@RealDelcoDave)
The Seattle Seahawks continue their dominance of their opponents by destroying their division rivals in the San Francisco 49ers 41-6. The game was essentially over from the opening kickoff in which Rhashid Shaheed took 95 yards to the house. The star for Seattle was running back Kenneth Walker who had 19 carries for 116 rushing yards, three touchdowns and he added three receptions for 29 yards. From there the Seattle defense suffocated Brock Purdy and company.
Kenneth Walker was able to showcase his ability as a work horse back after running mate Zach Charbonnet left the game with a knee injury. Walker frustrated his fantasy owners this season scoring only five rushing touchdowns compared to Charbonnet’s 12. When he is the sole back, Walker has league winning potential. He is a back to own in dynasty regardless of the time share.
Author: Jesse Baldwin @J_Baldwin51
