Will Kenneth Walker III or Christian McCaffrey shine on Thursday Night Football? Ahead of the San Francisco 49ers–Seattle Seahawks NFC West clash, let’s take a look at the Kenneth Walker III–Christian McCaffrey fantasy football & DFS rankings and see which one has more value for the primetime game.
Kenneth Walker III–Christian McCaffrey Fantasy Football, DFS Ranking & Analysis
Per our Stokastic weekly running back rankings, Christian McCaffrey (No. 1 on the board) ranks well ahead of Kenneth Walker III (No. 24). And using our free fantasy football player compare tool, McCaffrey projects at 24.65 points, with Walker at just 12.73.
When looking at our expert DFS projections, it’s a similar story. Even with the huge price difference between McCaffrey ($11,400) and Walker III ($7,600), we still have McCaffrey viewed as a better value play.
After Walker III sat out the Week 14 loss to the Carolina Panthers with an ankle injury, he is expected to play. But even if he’s 100%, it’s hard to believe he’ll bust loose against a stout 49ers defense that ranks No. 1 in the league in fantasy football points allowed to opposing running backs. San Francisco has only allowed 100 rushing yards in one game (Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons) and will look to improve on an incredible defensive season.
Walker III had a streak of seven straight games with at least 14 fantasy points going until Week 13, but he’s been slumping a bit even before going down with the injury. While scoring two touchdowns in the Week 12 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Walker III had just 26 rushing yards on 14 carries.
Christian McCaffrey, on the other hand, has lit it up in back-to-back weeks following the injury to 49ers backup running back Elijah Mitchell. Playing against a tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense didn’t bother McCaffrey in Week 14, as he rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown, adding 34 receiving yards and a touchdown as well. Moreover, McCaffrey will now have the luxury of going up against a Seahawks defense that allows the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs.
While Christian McCaffrey looks like a slam-dunk in fantasy football and DFS on Thursday night, there are many more questions surrounding Kenneth Walker III. The 49ers back is by far the safer play in this one.
