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Jackson Sparks' fantasy football rookie analysis for running back Zach Charbonnet. Is this NFL rookie RB a 2023 fantasy football draft sleeper?
Former UCLA and Michigan running back Zach Charbonnet posted impressive counting stats over his final two seasons in Chip Kelly's offense, earning himself second-round draft capital.
After a solid freshman season at Michigan before leaving for UCLA, but he obviously showed enough upside for the Seattle Seahawks to target him in the 2023 NFL Draft.
What did Charbonnet accomplish during his collegiate career and what is his fantasy football outlook with the Seattle Seahawks as a rookie and beyond? Let's dive into his rookie profile!
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Zach Charbonnet NFL Rookie Profile
Team: Seattle Seahawks
College: UCLA/Michigan
Height: 6’0"
Weight 214
Age: 22 (1/08/2001)
Arm Length: 32"
Hand Size: 9 7/8"
2022 NFL Draft: Round 2, Pick: 21
Michigan Career
In Charbonnet's 2019 freshman season, he rushed 149 times for 726 yards and 11 touchdowns, adding 30 yards on eight receptions through the air. He was the team's leading rusher just ahead of Hassan Haskins, and looked to be in store for a prolific career in the Big Ten.
However, his 2020 Covid-impacted season was far from ideal after a promising freshman campaign. As a sophomore, Charbonnet handled just 19 carries and caught six passes totaling 165 yards and one touchdown. Michigan had just six games that season thanks to Covid, but Charbonnet only played in five and was the third option in the backfield behind Haskins and Blake Corum.
Evidently, his mediocre season was enough for him to enter the transfer portal and he landed in a great spot at UCLA.
2021 Breakout Campaign at UCLA
Charbonnet started off his UCLA career about as great as you can, rushing just six times for 106 yards and three touchdowns. The game was over quickly, so he didn't need many touches, but it set the stage for things to come.
He again flashed in the Bruins' big win over the LSU Tigers of the SEC, handling just 12 touches and totaling 152 yards and a touchdown. UCLA was stunned by Fresno State following the LSU game, but Charbonnet added two more touchdowns to his early-season resume.
| Opponent | Carries | Rush Yards | Average | Receptions | Rec. Yards | TDs |
| Hawaii | 6 | 106 | 17.7 | 1 | 14 | 3 |
| LSU | 11 | 117 | 10.6 | 1 | 35 | 1 |
| Fresno State | 6 | 19 | 3.2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Stanford | 23 | 118 | 5.1 | 5 | 57 | 1 |
| Arizona State | 21 | 89 | 4.2 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Arizona | 21 | 117 | 5.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington | 21 | 131 | 6.2 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| Oregon | 15 | 35 | 2.3 | 3 | 21 | 0 |
| Utah | 11 | 65 | 5.9 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Colorado | 17 | 67 | 3.9 | 1 | 6 | 3 |
| USC | 28 | 167 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Cal | 22 | 106 | 4.8 | 6 | 41 | 1 |
| Total | 202 | 1,137 | 5.6 | 24 | 197 | 13 |
Ultimately, Charbonnet went on to have another handful of big games and eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards, and reached the end zone 13 times. Many analysts believed The California native would declare for the 2022 NFL Draft following the breakout season, but for one reason or another, he decided to come back for one more year in the Pac-12.
2022 Senior Season
Charbonnet again got out to a hot start in 2022, posting 147 total yards and a touchdown. He also caught five passes, which seemed to be something he wanted to improve on as he prepared for the NFL.
| Opponent | Carries | Rush Yards | Average | Receptions | Rec. Yards | TDs |
| Bowling Green | 21 | 111 | 5.3 | 5 | 36 | 1 |
| South Alabama | 13 | 117 | 6 | 3 | 51 | 0 |
| Colorado | 9 | 104 | 11.6 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Washington | 22 | 124 | 5.6 | 3 | 56 | 1 |
| Utah | 22 | 198 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Oregon | 20 | 151 | 7.6 | 4 | 28 | 1 |
| Stanford | 21 | 198 | 9.4 | 5 | 61 | 3 |
| Arizona | 24 | 181 | 7.5 | 9 | 38 | 3 |
| USC | 19 | 95 | 5 | 4 | 29 | 0 |
| Cal | 24 | 119 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 1 |
| Total | 195 | 1,359 | 7 | 37 | 321 | 14 |
He would play in just 10 games as a senior, but he led the nation with 168 all-purpose yards per game and improved his rushing total, yard per carry, reception total, receiving yard total, and touchdown total. He was a first-team All-American in the All-Purpose category.
He established himself as one of the top running backs in the nation with a do-it-all skill set and declared for the 2023 NFL Draft following the monster campaign.
Zach Charbonnet Draft Stock Movement
While Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs were always viewed as the top two running backs in the 2023 class, Charbonnet was largely considered the No. 3 RB in the group. He was rumored to go as high as the early-second round but ultimately settled into being projected as a mid-to-late second-round selection.
Zach Charbonnet Pre-Draft Stock
We know now he landed with Seattle at pick No. 52 overall – which disappointed Kenneth Walker and Charbonnet fans alike for fantasy football purposes.
Zach Charbonnet Fantasy Football Outlook
There's no way to sugarcoat it – Ken Walker is going to be a big problem for Charbonnet in Seattle and vice versa. However, Charbonnet did land in a potent offense and his collegiate receiving profile is far superior to Walker's at Wake Forest and Michigan State. Both players will cap each other's ceiling, but the best-case scenario would be a Nick Chubb/Kareem Hunt-type one-two punch for years to come.
Given Charbonnet's receiving track record, he could serve as the satellite back or third-down back in the Geno Smith offense in 2023. That said, he could have plenty of standalone value alongside Walker, who will likely get the majority of overall carries and goal-line work. Additionally, Charbonnet immediately becomes one of the top handcuff RBs in fantasy football. Seattle spent early capital on him, so he'll be involved either way, but if Walker has to miss any time, he'll find himself as the workhorse running back in one of last year's best offenses with receiving and touchdown upside.
In early 2023 Best Ball drafts, Charbonnet is coming off the board around the RB32 spot. He sets up to be a great piece for zero-RB builds at his price. Ultimately, we can't know for sure what the workload split will look like, but Charbonnet's upside if he does get significant work exceeds running backs stuck in bad offenses and a committee backfield. In Best Ball formats, he will likely have a few games where he cracks the lineup, even if Walker plays all 17 regular season contests.
Beyond this season, Charbonnet is a player to keep around on dynasty rosters, as you never know how things will shake out. He has a profile conducive to fantasy production and is a great round-two draft choice in dynasty rookie drafts. Unless he's a complete bust, his name with be in the fantasy football mix for at least the next handful of seasons.
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