Pacheco is projected as the starting running back for the Chiefs but he'll share the workload with both Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon. He should be drafted as a low-end No. 2 running back or flex around the Round 7 range in Fantasy drafts. He is a better pick in non-PPR leagues due to his lack of involvement in the passing game. Last year he led the Chiefs backs in attempts, yards and touchdowns as a rookie but still only had four games all season with 15 or more carries and only one game with more than two targets. He'll be tough to trust as a starting Fantasy running back until he earns more consistent playing time. Pacheco only played more than half of the snaps three times, including the playoffs.
The hunch is the Jets do what every other defense does and dare the Chiefs to run the ball. That doesn't guarantee a great game for Pacheco, but it probably should at least mean an efficient one. If Kansas City keeps using Pacheco like a feature back who works inside the 10-yard line a lot, then he'll be a reliable No. 2 Fantasy running back from week to week. This matchup isn't perfect for Pacheco, so figure him as a very low-end option. I'd rather start Alexander Mattison, De'Von Achane and Javonte Williams, but I'd use Pacheco over Najee Harris, Breece Hall and Gus Edwards.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Leading rusher in blowout win
Rotowire
Pacheco (hamstring) had 15 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown while catching two of three targets for 16 receiving yards in Sunday's 41-10 win over Chicago.
Pacheco was able to suit up after being labeled a game-time decision earlier in the week due to a hamstring injury. The 24-year-old wound up playing his full share of snaps while leading the team in rushing Sunday. Pacheco had good burst on his first touchdown run of the season, showing no lingering effects from his recent injury. The 2022 seventh-round pick split rushing duties with Clyde Edwards-Helaire (15-55-1) while Jerick McKinnon cashed in two short receiving scores. The Chiefs should continue mixing in all three backs this season, but Pacheco likely provides the most consistent role for fantasy purposes.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Active versus Chicago
Rotowire
Pacheco (hamstring) is listed as active for Sunday's game against the Bears.
After missing Wednesday's practice, Pacheco logged limited sessions Thursday and Friday, and he'll give it a go Sunday. In the absence of any in-game setbacks, Pacheco should continue to pace the Chiefs' backfield in Week 3, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon available to handle complementary/change-of-pace work. Through the first two games of the season, Pacheco has recorded 20 carries for 93 yards and a TD and has caught five of his six targets for 31 yards. In that span, Edwards-Helaire and McKinnon have combined for eight carries and seven catches.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Optimism about Week 3 status
Rotowire
Pacheco (hamstring) is deemed a game-time decision for Sunday's contest against the Bears, but the Chiefs are optimistic that he'll be able to suit up, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Pacheco's hamstring injury impacted his practice reps all week, keeping him sidelined Wednesday before he got in limited sessions Thursday and Friday. Still, he received a questionable tag entering the weekend. Kansas City doesn't kick things off until 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, so there will be less available running backs to pivot to if Pacheco ends up being inactive. The current in-house options are Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Turns in limited practice
Rotowire
Pacheco (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice.
Pacheco was withheld from Wednesday's session due to the hamstring issue, but his return to practice in a limited fashion a day later suggests he's not dealing with an overly severe injury. The running back isn't in the clear for Sunday's game against the Bears just yet, however. The Chiefs may want to see Pacheco replicate his limited practice activity Friday or upgrade to full participation before clearing him to handle lead-back duties this weekend.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: RBs to Start
Rotowire
The Chiefs are favored by 12.5 points in this matchup with the Bears, and they should have the chance to run the ball with success against Chicago. The last two starting running backs against the Bears -- Aaron Jones and Rachaad White -- each scored at least 21.3 PPR points. While they did a significant chunk of their scoring in the passing game, Chicago has allowed a rushing touchdown in each of the first two games. And Pacheco has five catches through two games on six targets. Pacheco has yet to score, but he has led the Chiefs backfield in snaps in each of the first two outings. This should be his best game of the season to date, and he should be considered a No. 2 running back in all leagues.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Dealing with hamstring injury
Rotowire
Pacheco won't practice Wednesday due to a hamstring injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Per Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star, head coach Andy Reid noted that Pacheco isn't dealing with a hamstring tear, and the running back is viewed as day-to-day ahead of Sunday's game against the Bears. If Pacheco ends up sitting out this weekend or is available only in a limited capacity, Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire could work in a timeshare out of the backfield.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Involved as receiver in loss
Rotowire
Pachecho rushed eight times for 23 yards and secured all four targets for 31 yards in the Chiefs' 21-20 loss to the Lions on Thursday night.
Pacheco outpaced Clyde Edwards-Helaire by two carries even though the former logged his first touch of the game after the latter, and Pacheco was much more involved as a receiver than usual thanks in large part to the absence of Travis Kelce (knee). Pacheco did find running room at a premium thanks to what appears to be a significantly improved Lions rush defense, yet his overall usage was relatively encouraging and lends credence to the notion Pacheco should operate as a No. 1 back this season, even if only by a modest margin. If Kelce returns to action in a Week 2 road matchup against the Jaguars a week from Sunday, Pacheco may see less involvement through the air but would also go up against a looser defensive front than the one he encountered Thursday night.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: RBs to Sit
Rotowire
Pacheco might be eased into action this week after dealing with shoulder and hand injuries for much of the offseason. While he played a few snaps in the preseason finale against Cleveland, the Chiefs could still opt to lean on McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, especially with McKinnon in the passing game. And we know that if Pacheco doesn't score a touchdown then his Fantasy production could be minimal. The Lions also have a much-improved run defense this season, and the Chiefs offense might not be as explosive if Kelce doesn't play.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Makes preseason debut
Rotowire
Pacheco carried the ball one time for zero yards in Saturday's 33-32 preseason win over the Browns.
Pacheco was cleared for contact Monday after recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and was able to make his preseason debut five days later. He was the third back on the field behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon, though all three played on the team's first offensive possession. It appears that Pacheco will be healthy heading into a Week 1 matchup against the Lions, though he may be a part of a rotation that also involves Edwards-Helaire and McKinnon.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Cleared for contact
Rotowire
Pacheco (shoulder) is present for Monday's practice in a red jersey, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.
Pacheco has shed his non-contact jersey for the first time in training camp, and coach Andy Reid said "there's a chance" he suits up for his preseason debut in Saturday's exhibition finale against the Browns, per Nate Taylor of The Athletic. The Chiefs had long listed Aug. 20 as Pacheco's target date for contact clearance, so he remains right on track in his recovery. As such, it looks like the second-year pro still is on track for Week 1.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Sitting out preseason opener
Rotowire
Pacheco (hand/shoulder) won't play in Sunday's preseason opener against the Saints, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.
This development comes as no surprise since Pacheco has been limited in practice as he continues to recover from a pair of offseason surgeries. The running back is expected to be available for Week 1 of the regular season in September, but Pacheco may not play much, if at all, during the August exhibition slate.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: To be 100 percent for Week 1
Rotowire
Pacheco (hand/shoulder) said Thursday he will "absolutely" be 100 percent for Week 1 versus the Lions, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.
Pacheco continues to practice in a yellow non-contact jersey as he works his way back from offseason surgeries to address a broken hand and a torn labrum, but it looks like he has no real concerns about his regular-season availability. Barring any setbacks in his recovery, Pacheco looks to be facing a real opportunity to cement himself as the top man in Kansas City's backfield, which also houses Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, La'Mical Perine and Deneric Prince. Coach Andy Reid previously said Pacheco could be a candidate to start training camp on the PUP list, so his participation level still warrants monitoring.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: At practice Wednesday
Rotowire
Pacheco (hand/shoulder) participated in Wednesday's practice, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.
Per Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com, Pacheco appeared to be a full participant in the session, though the running back was wearing a yellow (non-contact) jersey. Still, Pacheco's presence on the field Wednesday bodes well for both his training camp status and regular-season availability. The second-year player underwent surgeries in the offseason to address a broken hand and a torn labrum.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Uncertain for training camp
Rotowire
Coach Andy Reid said Tuesday that Kansas City will soon decide whether Pacheco (hand) will start training camp on an injured list, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.
The team might place Pacheco on the PUP list, which doesn't mean much until the regular season other than confirming he's not ready to practice. The second-year running back had multiple surgeries this offseason after playing through a broken hand and torn labrum in the Super Bowl win over Philadelphia in February. Kansas City didn't add much to its backfield this spring -- undrafted rookie Deneric Prince is the only new face -- and seemingly expects Pacheco to be ready for Week 1 even if he misses the start of training camp.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Could miss start of camp
Rotowire
Pacheco (hand/shoulder) may not be cleared for the start of training camp, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.
Pacheco played through a broken hand and torn labrum in the Super Bowl, then had surgeries on both injuries in the weeks following the big game. He subsequently missed spring practices and may now miss time at the start of training camp, but there hasn't been any sign Kansas City is worried about his Week 1 availability. Once he's healthy, the 2022 seventh-round pick seemingly will face less-than-stellar competition for early down snaps, as the team's backfield otherwise consists of Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, La'Mical Perine and undrafted rookie Deneric Prince -- a quartet that accounted for 593 rushing yards in the NFL last season. There was some spring buzz around Prince, while Edwards-Helaire looms as a dark-horse rebound candidate in the fourth and final season of his rookie contract after being a first-round pick in 2020.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Big effort in Super Bowl win
Rotowire
Pacheco carried the ball 15 times for 76 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-35 Super Bowl win over the Eagles.
Pacheco dominated work out of the Chiefs backfield, out-carrying Jerick McKinnon, 15-4. He was productive with the work, highlighted by a long gain of 24 yards and also a one-yard touchdown plunge midway through the third quarter. After a surprisingly impressive rookie season during which he posted 830 rushing yards and five touchdowns across 17 regular-season games, Pacheco is likely to factor heavily into Kansas City's offensive plans in 2023.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Makes most of 13 touches
Rotowire
Pacheco rushed the ball 12 times for 95 yards in Saturday's 27-20 win over the Jaguars. He added one reception for six yards.
Pacheco paced the Chiefs' backfield with 13 touches, and he was narrowly more involved than Jerick McKinnon. Pacheco made the most of his opportunity, and his effort was highlighted by a 39-yard gain midway through the second quarter -- a run that set up a one-yard touchdown catch for Travis Kelce two plays later. It remains to be seen how work will be split between Pacheco and McKinnon moving forward, particularly if the Chiefs find themselves in negative game script at any point during the AFC Championship Game.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Big game to close regular season
Rotowire
Pacheco rushed the ball eight times for 64 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 31-13 win over the Raiders.
Pacheco paced the Chiefs in rushing yards, primarily thanks to a 31-yard scamper early in the fourth quarter. He also tallied his fifth rushing touchdown of the season on a one-yard plunge to cap the same offensive possession. Pacheco ends his rookie season having racked up 170 rushing attempts and 830 yards, though it remains to be seen how much he is trusted by the team during the postseason.
... See More... See Less
Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
Rotowire
Jerick McKinnon is a must-start Fantasy running back at this point, but Pacheco can be used as a flex option against the Raiders in Week 18. The matchup is great since Las Vegas has allowed 11 of the past 12 opposing running backs to score at least 15 PPR points. While McKinnon is more likely to reach that total than Pacheco, this could be a game where the Chiefs lean on Pacheco prior to the playoffs. And he has scored at least 12 PPR points in four of his past six games.
