Each week in Cutting Through the Noise, we will take an objective look at one of the most polarizing players in Dynasty Fantasy Football as decided by the Footballguys Dynasty Discord. We will use the Footballguys consensus rankings to gauge where the player is currently valued.
| Rank | Player | Pos Rnk | Team | Age | Avg | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Jefferson | WR1 | Min | 23 | 1.6 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Ja'Marr Chase | WR2 | Cin | 22 | 2.4 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Jonathan Taylor | RB1 | Ind | 23 | 5.8 | 1 | 14 |
| 4 | Josh Allen | QB1 | Buf | 26 | 7.0 | 1 | 18 |
| 5 | A.J. Brown | WR3 | Phi | 25 | 8.8 | 3 | 18 |
| 6 | CeeDee Lamb | WR4 | Dal | 23 | 10.0 | 7 | 12 |
| 7 | Christian McCaffrey | RB2 | SF | 26 | 10.0 | 3 | 22 |
| 8 | Saquon Barkley | RB3 | NYG | 25 | 10.2 | 4 | 23 |
| 9 | Jaylen Waddle | WR5 | Mia | 24 | 13.0 | 7 | 21 |
| 10 | Stefon Diggs | WR6 | Buf | 28 | 13.6 | 5 | 24 |
| 11 | Cooper Kupp | WR7 | LAR | 29 | 15.4 | 5 | 31 |
Ken Walker
RB4 and Overall No. 12
Ken Walker spent the first two seasons of his college career in the ACC, playing for Wake Forest. In his 20 games for the Demon Deacons, he handled just 216 carries and six receptions. With no NFL talent ahead of him, it was unclear as to why Walker handled such a light workload. His football future was murky, so he entered the transfer portal.
In 2021 Walker joined the Michigan State Spartans as their feature back. He carried the ball 47 more times than he had in the previous two seasons combined. He also doubled his career catch total with a modest 13 receptions. He finished the year with the second-most yards in all of college football. He earned the sixth most Heisman votes with 18 first-place nominations.
Walker’s career got off to a rocky start, but his final season was impressive enough to earn him early-round draft consideration. He entered the 2022 NFL Draft cycle regarded as the second-best back behind Breece Hall, although he had Hall beat in most statistical categories. Walker ran an impressive 4.38-second 40-yard dash at 211 pounds at the combine, but it was not enough to overtake Hall. Walker was selected 41st overall to the Seattle Seahawks as the second running back off the board by just five picks.
There were some early workload concerns due to the presence of Rashaad Penny, who finally emerged as one of the more talented backs in the league after four injury-riddled seasons. Unfortunately, injury caught up with Penny once again, leaving the door wide open for Walker’s rookie season. Through 12 games, Walker has 135 carries for 613 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s also caught 19 passes for 116 yards.
He's now ranked in the first round of Dynasty drafts as the fourth running back. Has he earned it, or is his value a result of the fragile nature of his position?
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