Sep 18, 2026, 4:56 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Emmett Johnson displayed his elusiveness and pass-catching ability in Week 1. Johnson rushed eight times for 24 yards and caught two passes for 44 yards. Both of his catches led to explosive plays, one for 19 yards and the other for 25 yards. The rookie showed that the Chiefs really found something in the back out of Nebraska and his role may increase if he continues to impress. Johnson's next opportunity to show off will be against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. The Colts just gave up 202 rushing yards to the Baltimore Ravens, so even if fellow back Kenneth Walker goes off there should still be enough chances for Johnson to perform. The 22-year-old's upside will be capped running behind Walker, but he should be more and more involved if he continues to do well with his limited touches. Johnson is ranked RB49 in our RotoBaller Week 2 PPR rankings, making him a desperation flex option in deep leagues. Johnson remains a better bench stash than an option to plug into lineups for Week 2.--Joshua Costello
Source: ESPN.com

Sep 18, 2026, 4:53 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker was the heart and soul of the offense on Monday night in Week 1. Walker handled 23 carries for 173 yards and a touchdown as well as three catches for 18 yards and another score. The 25-year-old looked unstoppable facing one of the toughest defenses in the league, which bodes well for him continuing to have impressive performances this season. His 23 carries and six targets equated to 29 total opportunities in his Chiefs debut, which is gold for fantasy. Walker will look to stay as involved and efficient in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts defense was just gashed by Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry, who rushed 24 times for 144 yards and three touchdowns. Walker proved in Week 1 that he is capable of having ceiling performances like Henry, so the Colts defense might have to prepare for another rushing barrage this week. Walker looks like everything the Chiefs offense has been missing and it looks like they will rely on him to set the tone offensively. Walker is ranked RB4 in our RotoBaller Week 2 PPR rankings, making him a rock-solid RB1 option heading into Sunday night.--Joshua Costello
Source: ESPN.com

Sep 15, 2026, 12:01 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Emmett Johnson made a strong first impression Monday night, turning eight carries into 24 yards and catching both of his targets for another 44 yards in a 31-10 win over Denver. Kenneth Walker was the clear lead back, piling up 173 rushing yards on 23 carries, but Johnson still played 25 snaps and ran 10 routes in his NFL debut. That is the part worth chasing. The fifth-round rookie is now listed second on Kansas City's depth chart, and his two receptions included gains of 19 and 25 yards. Some of Johnson's work came after the Chiefs had taken control, so fantasy managers should not treat 10 touches as a guaranteed weekly floor. He does not need to be in Week 2 lineups against Indianapolis, either. Johnson has already shown enough as both a runner and receiver to offer more than ordinary handcuff appeal, though. He should be one of the priority running back additions in 12-team leagues, with even more value for managers rostering Walker.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 14, 2026, 11:35 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker put up a historic performance in his Kansas City debut. Walker handled 23 carries for 173 yards and a score in the 31-10 win over the Denver Broncos. The star back also caught three passes for 18 yards and another touchdown. Walker accounted for 191 total yards of offense in the Monday night rout. The Broncos offense totaled 176 yards on the night, so Walker was able to outgain them all on his own. It was a perfect debut for his new team as Walker broke off several breakaway runs, including a 60-yard score. All this production came against one of the strongest defensive units in the NFL, so it remains to be seen what kind of stat lines he'll put up against lesser squads. Walker will look to repeat this performance next week against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts' defense was middle-of-the-pack in points allowed last season, so the Chiefs should have no trouble moving the ball. Walker should be viewed as a rock solid RB1 heading into Week 2 after this impressive game.--Joshua Costello
Source: NFL - Twitter

Sep 12, 2026, 3:50 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Emmett Johnson will man the RB2 role against the Denver Broncos in Week 1. Johnson has impressed throughout training camp and the preseason and has established himself as the RB2 on the Kansas City depth chart. It remains to be seen how much run he will get behind the presumptive bell-cow Kenneth Walker, but Johnson should be efficient with his opportunities. The rookie back displayed that his tackle-breaking ability has transferred over to the NFL from college as he shed defenders numerous times throughout the preseason. Johnson also showed some of his pass-catching ability, giving even more reason to view him as a desirable handcuff behind Walker. Johnson's opportunities may be few and yards may be hard to come by against the Denver defense on Monday night. The Broncos allowed the second-fewest rushing yards in the NFL last season, and that run-stopping ability is likely to carry over to this year. Johnson is ranked RB56 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, making him a very low-end flex option in deep leagues. Fantasy managers should view Johnson as more of a handcuff/bench stash rather than an actual viable starter in his current situation.--Joshua Costello
Source: ESPN.com

Sep 12, 2026, 3:42 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker will make his Chiefs debut against the Denver Broncos on Monday night in Week 1. Walker recently had an injury scare when he missed practice due to a foot issue, but it was stated to be an issue with his cleat that has since been resolved. Walker was not listed on the injury report this week, meaning that he should be a full go to begin the season. Walker was highly effective for the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs as the feature back after playing in a committee for the regular season, and now he will get the opportunity to be a bell-cow for Kansas City. The 25-year-old is in the prime of his career and should handle the vast majority of carries as well as a handful of catches out of the backfield each week. The Chiefs were among the best teams in rushing success rate last season but lacked the explosiveness to make big plays, so Walker should fill that role quite nicely. The season outlook for Walker is better than his Week 1 outlook, mostly due to the tough matchup. The Broncos defense allowed the second-fewest rushing yards in 2025, meaning that Walker could have a hard time getting things going on the ground, but he could get involved in the passing game. The Kansas City offensive line is also dealing with injuries, which could make things even more difficult for the Chiefs running back. Walker is also a home run hitter, meaning that it just takes one play for him to break off a big run and make an impact. There are obstacles in his way, but Walker should get ample opportunity to make something happen. Walker is ranked RB12 in our RotoBaller Week 1 PPR rankings, making him a back-end RB1 option this week. Fantasy managers should be excited by his new situation this season, but temper expectations in Week 1.--Joshua Costello
Source: SleeperNFL - Twitter

Sep 8, 2026, 1:01 AM ET

Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson may be a fifth-round rookie, but he's already on the fantasy radar as a potential waiver wire target. Johnson will open the year as the Chiefs' No. 2 running back, largely because he impressed the coaching staff so much with his pass-blocking ability. We may not see Johnson carve out standalone fantasy value on a weekly basis in his current role, but he would jump to the lead-back role and possess RB2 value if workhorse Kenneth Walker III were to miss time. It's worth noting that the ex-Seahawk missed at least two games every year from 2022 through 2024, so Walker's managers would be justified in adding his handcuff off the waiver wire. Because of his potential to feast if Walker misses any time, Johnson should be picked up off the waiver wire in all leagues with 12+ teams.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 9:32 AM ET

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith could be falling down the depth chart due to the emergence of rookie Emmett Johnson. Throughout training camp and the preseason, Johnson earned plenty of praise for his contributions, especially in pass protection. With fifth-round draft capital, it initially seemed like Johnson was headed for the No. 3 running back role, but his impressive summer has bumped him up to second on the depth chart. As a result, Smith has fallen into that No. 3 spot. Smith had a relatively quiet rookie season last year, tallying 151 rushing yards, 172 receiving yards, and one touchdown. Given that the Chiefs likely wouldn't trust Johnson as an every-down back quite yet, we could see Smith getting onto the fantasy radar if Kenneth Walker III were to miss time. However, his status as the third-string back makes it tough to justify using a roster spot on him in redraft leagues. The second-year SMU product should only be rostered in deeper dynasty formats.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 5, 2026, 11:20 AM ET

After spending the first four years of his career with the Seattle Seahawks, running back Kenneth Walker is entering his first season with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2026. Across 17 games with Seattle in 2025, Walker III recorded 1,309 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns on 252 touches. While the 25-year-old was a productive player, his overall and goal-line usage was limited by the presence of Seahawks back Zach Charbonnet (knee). In Kansas City, Walker III currently projects to be backed up by 2026 fifth-rounder Emmett Johnson and 2025 seventh-rounder Brashard Smith, neither of whom projects to take him off the field in high-value situations. Walker III has also drawn rave reviews for his work in Kansas City this summer, with reporting indicating that he may play a significant role as both a rusher and receiver in 2026. If he stays healthy, Walker III has a chance to reach 300 touches for the first time in his career and could finish as a high-end fantasy RB1.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 2, 2026, 10:22 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs running back Emmett Johnson is drawing praise from head coach Andy Reid for his work in pass protection. Reid said that Johnson's work in pass protection is one of the main reasons he's the RB2 right now, Charles Goldman reports. The rookie is playing so well that he beat out Emari Demercado for the backup role behind Kenneth Walker to begin the season. The expectation is that Johnson will serve as the change-of-pace back behind Walker. Johnson seems to be doing everything well and is one of the most important handcuffs in fantasy. The 22-year-old is well worth a look in the late rounds on draft day.--Andy Webb
Source: Charles Goldman

Sep 2, 2026, 1:27 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker (foot), who dealt with a minor foot injury late in training camp, was present for Wednesday's practice and participated without limitation in all sessions, according to beat writer Pete Sweeney. The Super Bowl MVP signed a three-year, $43 million deal to join the Chiefs in free agency, and he is expected to handle a three-down role in an offense looking to rebound from a pair of down years. All signs point to the Week 1 availability of quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) after an ACL tear ended his 2025 season, but as he ramps up in his recovery, Walker could see a sizeable early-season workload and is one of a handful of running backs going near the one-two turn with a realistic chance to crack the top three. Following a hype-filled training camp, RotoBaller's RB8 has the feel of one of the safest running backs to build around in 2026.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Pete Sweeney

Sep 1, 2026, 6:05 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs view running back Kenneth Walker as a "potential three-down back," according to The Athletic's Jesse Newell, although rookie Emmett Johnson made big strides in the final two weeks of training camp this summer. Emari Demercado's roster spot seemed secure going into roster cutdown day on Sunday because he had been one of the team's top pass protectors. With the Chiefs surprisingly cutting Demercado, it could mean even more pass-catching opportunities for Walker, who looks ready for a workhorse role in his new digs after winning Super Bowl MVP for the Seattle Seahawks in early February. The 25-year-old former second-rounder by Seattle in 2022 out of Michigan State had his second career 1,000-yard season in 17 regular-season starts in 2025, and with more volume coming with the Chiefs if he stays healthy, there is clear RB1 upside for Walker in his fifth NFL season, especially if the Chiefs' offense can bounce back with a healthy quarterback Patrick Mahomes. RotoBaller has Walker ranked as the No. 8 fantasy RB for 2026.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Jesse Newell

Sep 1, 2026, 9:59 AM ET

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker is coming off a big postseason run with the Seahawks that culminated in his Super Bowl MVP Award. After joining the Chiefs this offseason, Walker is being drafted very early in most fantasy drafts, coming off the board in the early rounds. He's ranked RotoBaller's RB No. 7, and he definitely brings top-10 RB potential in his new role with his new team. However, Walker had trouble staying healthy until last season, and he shared a lot of the work with Zach Charbonnet. He finished the regular season with 1,027 rushing yards and 282 receiving yards, with just five total touchdowns. Coach Andy Reid has typically mixed in multiple backs in the past, and the team used a fifth-round pick on Emmett Johnson, while Brashard Smith is also still in the mix. Walker has RB1 potential, but he is less of a sure thing than some of the other RBs being drafted in the same tier. If you do draft Walker, be sure to have plenty of depth at the position with possible pivots if he ends up in a timeshare.--Zach Thompson
Source: RotoBaller

Aug 31, 2026, 2:32 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys claimed running back Emari Demercado off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, according to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. In a surprising move on roster cutdown day on Sunday, the Cowboys waived both running backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, leaving them with just Javonte Williams and Malik Davis in their backfield entering Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. Demercado, who was with the Chiefs during training camp, will now head to Dallas, where he will serve as the RB3 to open the regular season. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of TCU spent his first three NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, averaging a notable 6.5 yards per carry for 819 yards and three rushing scores in 40 games (two starts) while adding 50 receptions on 70 targets for 324 yards and one touchdown as a receiver. Demercado has been efficient when he has gotten opportunities so far, but he will open 2026 as the clear third option out of Dallas' backfield, and he could also face competition from fullback Hunter Luepke.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Ringer - Tom Pelissero