Should I start Kenneth Walker or Puka Nacua in Week 9?
Updated Nov 3, 9:46 AM ET. Week 10 answers post Tuesday.
Start Puka Nacua: 90 percent of the snaps and 34 percent of the targets over their last 3 games, against Kenneth Walker's 74 percent of the snaps and 79 percent of the carries. No market projection is posted on either of them this week, so this is a usage call, and a lower confidence one than a call made on a projection. What follows is what each of them has done.
Should I drop Puka Nacua for Kenneth Walker?
Not on these numbers alone. Puka Nacua projects 170 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (21.3 a game over 8 games) and Kenneth Walker 174 (19.3 a game over 9 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it.
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Neither man carries a season projection right now, so this is their usage this season and their last full season's numbers, side by side.
RB17 · KC · bye 5
2026 vs carries line 5-2
- Market-based projection
- 19.0 pts a game Wk 8 price
- Overall rank
- 56
WR20 · LAR · bye 11
2026 vs anytime td line 4-2
- Market-based projection
- 21.6 pts a game Wk 8 price
- Overall rank
- 57
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The gap
- Board size300 draftable players
Draft data is not current for these two, so the figures that depend on it are left out. The call above comes from each player's usage.
Where the draft room stands
Live drafts hold no current pick on Kenneth Walker, and the board ranks him 56th overall on the rest of his evidence.
By format he goes standard: ADP 6; 2QB: ADP 17.
Live drafts hold no current pick on Puka Nacua, and the board ranks him 57th overall on the rest of his evidence.
In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 6.
The market-based projections
The market-based projection for Kenneth Walker is 6.3 PPR points a game off 1 market across 5 market sources. That is 30 percent of what a running back's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.
The market-based projection for Puka Nacua is 4.9 PPR points a game off 1 market across 5 market sources. That is 30 percent of what a wide receiver's projection needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.
Kenneth Walker's projection is not complete, so the two figures are not set against each other here.
This season so far
Through Week 6, Kenneth Walker has been on the field for 75 percent of KC snaps, taken 76 percent of the carries, drawn 15 percent of the targets and had 58 percent of the red zone chances.
He has taken 5 of the offence's 40 third down targets, had 13 of its 19 chances inside the five and seen 2 of its 19 two minute targets.
His 22 targets have come 1 yards behind the line of scrimmage on average.
In Week 3 against MIA he carried 18 times for 70 yards, caught 2 of 2 targets for 3 yards and scored 2 touchdowns.
In Week 4 against LV he carried 22 times for 177 yards, caught 1 of 1 target for 2 yards and scored 2 touchdowns.
In Week 6 against LAC he carried 19 times for 128 yards, caught 2 of 3 targets for 11 yards and scored 2 touchdowns.
Through Week 8, Puka Nacua has been on the field for 86 percent of LAR snaps, drawn 34 percent of the targets and had 22 percent of the red zone chances.
He has taken 20 of the offence's 48 third down targets, had 3 of its 18 chances inside the five and seen 8 of its 26 two minute targets.
His 74 targets have averaged 7.7 air yards.
In Week 6 against ARI he caught 6 of 7 targets for 80 yards and did not score.
In Week 7 against LV he carried 2 times for 10 yards, caught 8 of 10 targets for 68 yards and scored 1 touchdown.
In Week 8 against LAC he caught 11 of 12 targets for 80 yards and scored 1 touchdown.
Their 2025 seasons
The season feed carries no line for Kenneth Walker in the last completed season.
In 2025 Puka Nacua played 16 games and scored 375.0 PPR points, 23.4 a game, finishing WR1.
He caught 129 of 166 targets for 1715 yards and 10 touchdowns, with 16 red zone targets.
That came to 10.4 targets a game, a 78 percent catch rate and 13.3 yards a catch.
He was on the field for 68 percent of the snaps in the games he played.
Side by side
Kenneth Walker is a running back and Puka Nacua a wide receiver, so the question is which slot you fill first rather than which of them is better.
Byes and availability
Kenneth Walker is off in Week 5 and Puka Nacua in Week 11, so either can cover the other's bye.
Drop or keep
Should I drop Puka Nacua for Kenneth Walker?
Not on these numbers alone. Puka Nacua projects 170 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (21.3 a game over 8 games) and Kenneth Walker 174 (19.3 a game over 9 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it.
Should I drop Kenneth Walker for Puka Nacua?
Not on these numbers alone. Kenneth Walker projects 174 market-implied PPR points from Week 9 through Week 17 (19.3 a game over 9 games) and Puka Nacua 170 (21.3 a game over 8 games), too close to separate, so the roster spot decides it.
Both players in full
Week 9 on the board
- Is Kenneth Walker playing Week 9?
- Is Puka Nacua playing Week 9?
- Chiefs depth chart
- Rams depth chart
- Week 9 RB rankings
- Week 9 WR rankings
- Week 9 fantasy rankings
- Week 9 start or sit
- Week 9 waiver wire
- Week 9 trade value chart
- Trade deadline buy low, sell high
- Fantasy football rankings
- Start 'em sit 'em Week 9
- Waiver wire pickups
- Fantasy sleepers
- Rest of season rankings
- Week 9 kicker rankings
- Week 9 defense rankings
