If you only watched Kenneth Walker III in Week 1, you're probably surprised to learn that he's considered the second-most explosive running back in the NFL right now.
In Week 1, Walker III was limited in carries, and many believed it had to do with an injury he was recovering from. However, the split carries continued in Week 2. Still, he managed to rush for over 100 yards against the Steelers, gashing them left and right on the way to an upset win in Pittsburgh.
That more than made up for his 20-yard performance in the opener on 10 carries. There's a backfield share still, despite fans calling for Walker III to get a bulk of the touches.
And yet, he's still the second-most explosive running back in the league, per SleeperNFL.
Highest Explosive Run Rate (15+ yards):
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) September 17, 2025
1) Derrick Henry (13.8%)
2) Kenneth Walker (13%) 👀
3) Breece Hall (10.3%)
4) Travis Etienne (10%)
5) JK Dobbins (10%)
*min 20 carries*
(@FantasyPtsData) pic.twitter.com/NZgjQ6H0t2
Walker is behind only Derrick Henry this season in terms of explosive run rate. What is explosive run rate? It's the percentage of rushes of over 15 yards. Walker is at 13 percent, less than one percent behind the NFL's leader.
It's still early and Walker has just 25 carries this season, but if he can build on that Week 2 performance against the Steelers, he could be one of the top backs in the NFL.
Week 1 scared a lot of Walker believers away, but Week 2 won them back. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the backfield share in Week 3, especially with everyone calling for him to get a bulk of the touches over Zach Charbonnet.