For the first time since 2009, the Seattle Seahawks will be led by someone other than Pete Carroll, who was replaced as head coach during the offseason by Mike Macdonald after he spent the previous two years as defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. Carroll was followed out the door by offensive coordinator Shane Waldron (Chicago Bears) as Macdonald tabbed University of Washington assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to be his OC.
Grubb oversaw the Huskies’ second-ranked passing attack a season ago, and with the trio of WRs DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he has some quality options in place on the outside. He won’t abandon the run, though, with a pair of recent second-round picks atop the depth chart in the form of RBs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Seattle rely on the run a little more after they finished 31st in the NFL in carries a season ago.
So, what do the changes in the Emerald City mean for fantasy owners?
Kenneth Walker III
Coming off a solid debut campaign, Walker put together remarkably similar numbers in Year 2: He went from 228-1,050-9 as a rookie to 219-905-8 last year as a runner, and 27-165-0 to 29-259-1 as a receiver. Add it up, and he posted 255 combined touches, 1,215 yards, and nine TDs in 2022, and then followed that up with 248 touches, 1,164 yards, and nine TDs this past season. He even missed a pair of games again, albeit this time with an oblique injury.
Walker has explosive elements to his game to go with good power; he’s a capable blocker and pass catcher, making him a viable three-down back. That’s important as Grubb has indicated that the RBs will be more involved catching the ball than they were under the old regime. While still set to be the starter, there should be some mild concerns about Walker given he’s been banged up each of his first two years and has capable depth behind him that could be in line for more work.
Zach Charbonnet
Selected 52nd overall in last year’s draft, Charbonnet is more of a downhill runner, and as such is more adept in short yardage and avoiding negative plays. He was used sparingly as a rookie, only reaching double digits in carries three times — not coincidentally, they came during the game Walker was injured and then the ensuing two weeks he missed. The UCLA product was more active as a receiver, leading the team’s backs with 33 grabs (for 209 yards), and Charbonnet saw most of the third-down work as well with 122 snaps to Walker’s 35.
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Those can best be classified as silver linings on a largely disappointing first year, however, as in the current landscape you’d want more out of a second-round RB than 671 yards and one TD. It falls to Macdonald and Grubb to get Charbonnet more involved this season.
Kenny McIntosh
McIntosh, a seventh-round pick, injured his knee during the preseason and spent most of his rookie year on Injured Reserve. He flashed in camp before going down, though, and with RB DeeJay Dallas now with the Arizona Cardinals, the No. 3 job is his to lose. Given the pedigree of the backs ahead of him, McIntosh doesn’t figure to see more action on offense when both are healthy.
Fantasy football outlook
With all the changes on the coaching side, things are in flux for the Seahawks. They’ve invested heavily at receiver, and Grubb’s track record says he wants to air it out even though he’s gone on record saying he won’t be as pass-happy in Seattle as he was with the Huskies.
Walker has been good, not great, in two seasons as the lead back, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the usage disparity between him and Charbonnet decrease in 2024. Still, Walker rates as a borderline top-20 fantasy back.
Things remain a little murky with Charbonnet. He showed enough to warrant a bigger role this year, but he wasn’t exactly dynamic in limited opportunities. His ability as a pass catcher gives him some measure of upside, but you wouldn’t want to target him as more than your No. 4 option and/or Walker handcuff.
If either of the top two backs misses time, McIntosh would be worth monitoring.
