In free agency, the Kansas City Chiefs brought Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker aboard to become the squad's lead running back. Whether that was a good deal or a bad one depends on Walker’s ability to remain on the field, which was a struggle at times in Seattle.
That is not the only reason Walker finds himself a fantasy football regression candidate, but it is one of them. There are a few more that really paint a dire picture for the new lead back of the Chiefs.
One reason Walker could be a regression candidate is due to how he ended the 2025 season.
Why Kenneth Walker is a fantasy football regression candidate
As mentioned earlier, Walker was the Super Bowl MVP for the Seattle Seahawks. As such, he carried a bulk of the load during the playoffs due to Zach Charbonnet tearing his ACL in the playoffs.Â
While the champion running back did not suffer any injuries, playing an additional month of football is going to have an effect on the body, much like it does in other sports. With the extra tread on his tires to begin 2026, a question could be asked of how Walker will handle the upcoming season.
Enough about injury talks. No one wants to wish that upon anyone, although it is a viable talking point for the conversation. What about where Walker finished last season in fantasy?
Well, he finished as the 22nd-best running back. Historically speaking, that spot has the worst rate of change for the second tier of fantasy football running backs, with 80% over the last decade not making it back to the top-24 in the following year. Obviously, that is not the best outlook for the Chiefs’ running back, but at least he is going to have the leading running back duty in Kansas City, right?
Well, the answer is probably. However, coach Andy Reid has thrown a heap of praise toward rookie running back Emmett Johnson in the early portion of the offseason.
"We had LeSean McCoy here for a bit and he has a little bit of that to him, where he can shift gears and still get himself up the field quickly."
If there is anyone to tell you that someone looks like Shady McCoy, it is probably the guy who coached him in his prime. It just so happens that distinction belongs to Reid.Â
However, it is worth noting that this, for now, is coach speak. That said, it is one piece that gained a ton of traction since the draft.
With all of this in mind, there are no fewer than three viable cases for the presumed new Chiefs starting running back to regress heading into the 2026 season. How many cases come to fruition is anyone’s guess, but the fact that there are so many to speak of makes Walker a red flag and a regression candidate for the upcoming fantasy football season.
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