Analyze Zach Charbonnet's matchup for week 9
Charbonnet has sunk to league-worst efficiency (2.6 YPC, 31.7 % stuff rate) while splitting snaps with the far more explosive Kenneth Walker; even a soft Washington run defense can’t make up for that, so keep him glued to your bench.
Washington has bled 5.1 yards per carry over its last three games and ranks bottom-third in RB fantasy points allowed, setting up a “plus” paper matchup. Unfortunately, Seattle’s 28 % motion-run success rate (dead-last) and Charbonnet’s own 1.7 % explosive-run rate mean the Commanders’ recent struggles are mostly irrelevant. Game script projects run-heavy—the Seahawks are 3.5-point favorites in a 45.5-point total—but the coaching staff’s stubborn 50-50 split keeps both backs capped, and Charbonnet’s usage has come purely on volume, not merit.
Over the last three weeks he’s out-snapped Walker yet averaged 3.2 PPG, posted a 2.6 YPC season-long mark (lowest among 60-carry backs), and has zero runs longer than 12 yards.
Charbonnet’s 2025 tape is a master-class in inefficiency: he’s being tackled at or behind the line on nearly one-third of his carries, creates just 1.7 % explosive runs, and sports the league’s worst yards-after-contact number. The Seahawks’ offensive line is partially at fault, but his decisiveness and burst are equally culpable—he regularly misses obvious cut-back lanes and goes down on first contact. Coaching stubbornness keeps him involved; three straight weeks of snap advantages have produced 2.6 YPC versus Walker’s 4.7 YPC in the same span, yet the split persists. That timeshare caps any touchdown-or-bust profile, and with only three scores on 60 carries the “bust” leg hits far more often. Even a goal-line role is slipping—Walker handled both red-zone touches inside the 10 last week. Add it up and Charbonnet’s realistic range of outcomes in Week 9 sits somewhere between a putrid 3-point floor and an 8-point ceiling if he plows in a one-yard score. In 12-team leagues roughly 35–40 backs offer higher floors or equal ceilings; on your waiver wire you’ll find handcuffs with standalone value (e.g., Bucky Irving, Tyler Allgeier) or pass-catching specialists who don’t need 15 carries to matter. Until injury or coaching revelation vaporizes this committee, stashing Charbonnet only clogs a roster spot and blocks higher-upside lottery tickets. Sit him everywhere, and feel free to drop in 10-team formats.