KennethWalker III

News: 1 hour agoCoach Pete Carroll said Monday that Walker (ankle) has strain and could be available for Sunday's game against the Panthers, though the team can't confirm his status yet, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Spin: Carroll called Walker's injury "unusual," but it's a good sign that the rookie running back hasn't been ruled out for Week 14 already. Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports that the Seahawks have already received results from Monday's MRI, so it appears that further information on Walker's status could rely on what he's able to do in practices this week. Meanwhile, Travis Homer is nursing a sprained knee while DeeJay Dallas suffered "somewhat of a high ankle issue," per Boyle, but was able to finish Week 13's win over the Rams.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Walker was selected by Seattle in the second round of April's draft. Following a pair of ho-hum seasons at Wake Forest, Walker exploded for a 263-1636-18 rushing line in 12 games at Michigan State in 2021. He was extremely efficient, ranking third in this class in both YAC and FMT rate. Walker has a ways to go in the passing game (a 5% target share led to a 13-89-1 receiving line last season), but he's young (21) and sports a terrific speed/power combo (4.38 40-yard dash). Walker will open his career behind Rashaad Penny, but the latter's major durability concerns positions the rookie as an intriguing insurance stash. If Penny misses time, Walker would leap to the RB2 mix.