Analyze Kenneth Walker's matchup for week 10
Despite a season-long slump, Walker draws the league’s most generous RB matchup in Week 10; start him with confidence as a low-end RB1.
Arizona has hemorrhaged 119.2 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns to RBs through four weeks, good for 21.5 fantasy points per game. Walker already exploited this defense for 81 yards on 19 carries in Week 4, and Seattle’s commitment to the run (15.8 carries per game for Walker over the last month) keeps his floor high.
Six of his last seven games sit below 4.0 YPC, capping him at 59.0 yards per contest and a season-long run of only 29 yards.
Kenneth Walker’s 2025 efficiency metrics are alarming—4.5 YPC on the year, no game with more than 81 rushing yards, and a longest carry of just 29 yards. The explosive burst that once turned gaping holes into 40-yard breakaways has vanished behind inconsistent line play and stacked boxes. Yet opportunity remains robust: he owns a 71 % share of Seattle’s RB carries and has seen at least 11 touches in every healthy game, providing a volume-based floor that keeps him in the weekly RB2 conversation.
The Cardinals’ run defense is the great equalizer. They finished 2024 as the league’s worst in both rushing yards allowed to RBs (2,027) and fantasy points surrendered (21.1 per game), and early 2025 returns show no improvement. Injuries along the defensive line and undersized linebackers have turned ordinary backs into weekly league-winners; every primary RB to face Arizona has posted 14-plus fantasy points. Seattle’s coaching staff is well aware of this weakness and has already demonstrated a willingness to lean on the ground game in positive scripts—Week 4’s 19-carry, 81-yard output from Walker is evidence that the scheme fits the matchup.
Project Walker for 17–20 carries, 85–100 rushing yards, and a 45 % chance of scoring—numbers that slot him as a low-end RB1 this week. Game script should remain neutral to positive with Seattle at home, and the Cardinals’ 28th-ranked red-zone defense boosts his touchdown probability. Sit him only if you roster an elite top-five option; everyone else should plug him in and chase the ceiling this plush matchup provides.