Eight months after tearing his ACL, Zach Charbonnet is likely to make his season debut on Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks take on the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs.
According to head coach Mike McDonald, the running back will have “a full week of work,” and there’s “a good chance” he suits up and plays in Week 7.
The Grade 3 tear, which he suffered in the Seahawks’ divisional playoff victory against the 49ers in January, required reconstructive knee surgery.
That, along with rookie Jadarian Price’s chest injury, has resulted in Emanuel Wilson serving as the team’s primary half-back option and George Holani as the back up.
As Charbonnet nears his return, what will that mean for Seattle’s running back room from a fantasy standpoint? We break it down.
RB Emanuel Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
In his first season with the Birds, Wilson has performed admirably, considering his impossible task of trying to replace Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III—who’s put together an outstanding, Pro Bowl-level season and is currently RB2 in half-PPR fantasy leagues.
Wilson ranks 13th in carries and 20th in yards among running backs in 2026, and has led a Seahawks rushing attack that ranks 18th overall.
In his last three games, since Price went on IR, he’s rushed 55 times for 194 yards and two TDs, which has made him a solid short-term fantasy solution.
Still, his 3.5 yards per carry (34th among qualified backs) leave a bit of pop to be desired, and is a core reason why McDonald will likely hand the keys to Charbonnet (and eventually Price) when he returns.
RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
The 25-year-old posted his best season in 2025, rushing for 730 yards on 184 carries and scoring 12 touchdowns—seven more than his backfield partner Kenneth Walker III.
The Walker-Charbonnet 1-2 punch was devastating, as it propelled the Seahawks to a top-10 finish in fantasy points scored at the position and over 1700 yards between the two of them.
With Walker gone, McDonald will likely rely on Charbonnet to shoulder a greater rushing volume, though it is also fair to assume that he’ll employ a back-by-committee as he did last year.
Charbonnet possesses a higher fantasy ceiling than Wilson due to a) his proficiency in the red zone and b) his better yards per attempt (4.1 over his career) averages. It makes sense for him and this next man to comprise a new dynamic duo.
RB Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks
The rookie Price initially sustained his chest injury in Seattle’s 31-7 shellacking of Arizona in Week 2. Reaggravating it in practice before Week 4 landed him on Injured Reserve.
McDonald did, however, provide a promising update last week:
“He's doing great… We should be looking at a sooner-rather-than-later return after this [Week 7] game."
Selected with the 32nd pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Price got the starting nod for the defending Super Bowl champs to kick off the season. In his first two career contests, the neophyte collected 10+ carries in each, averaged 52 yards, and picked up 4.6 yards per carry. He did lose fumbles in Weeks 2 and 3.
That said, it’s clear McDonald believes the Price is right—that he’s an instrumental piece of the Seahawks’ run game—but because he was put on IR on October 3, he cannot play until Week 8 at the earliest when the Seahawks square off against the Chicago Bears.
Price could be worth a pickup and stash as he too may be back on the field in the coming weeks. Ultimately, he will likely share rushing duties with Charbonnet, though Charbonnet’s red-zone ability perhaps makes him a more tantalizing fantasy bet.
RB George Holani, Seattle Seahawks
Holani has picked up eight or more fantasy points only twice this season, and plays primarily to give Wilson a blow.
Already on the borderest or borderline fantasy streamers, Holani will likely move to the bench when Charbonnet returns, and almost definitely when Price is also thrown into the mix.
Defense, Kansas City Chiefs
Losers of two straight games, the Seahawks will have their hands full on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, even if Charbonnet does play.
The Chiefs allow the sixth fewest rushing yards per game and the sixth fewest fantasy points per game to running backs.
Regardless of who gets the start, Charbonnet or Wilson, we recommend rolling with a different back in fantasy. Someone who has a better chance of posting higher volume against a worse defense.
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