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Should I drop Isiah Pacheco for fantasy football Week 11? Is Isiah Pacheco a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco suffered in sprained MCL during their Week 8 win over the Washington Commanders and hasn't practiced since. The 26-year-old had the Week 10 bye to rest the injury, but head coach Andy Reid said it "may take more time."
Pacheco didn't participate in Wednesday's practice, which suggests that he likely won't be ready to go for Week 11 against the Denver Broncos. Veteran Kareem Hunt and rookie Brashard Smith will likely see the bulk of the reps, with Pacheco expected to be out again.
How close is Pacheco to returning? And is he worth holding onto until then? Let's break down whether the Chiefs RB deserves a spot on your bench.
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Should I Drop Isiah Pacheco in Fantasy Football?
Pacheco wasn't scoring a ton of fantasy points when he was healthy, as he and Hunt split the majority of the Chiefs' running back touches. Hunt had the more favorable role for fantasy, taking the majority of the goal-line carries, scoring five rushing touchdowns on the year to Pacheco's one.
It was still Pacheco's backfield for the most part outside of the short-yardage stuff in Weeks 1-8, playing 56.8% of the snaps, handling 34.7% of the team's carries, and running 38.8% of the routes, all of which led the team, per Fantasy Points Data Suite. But those numbers aren't great for a running back who isn't overly explosive or dynamic. He had just one game with 16 touches, which was the Chiefs' blowout win against the Raiders in Week 7, while his workload in the other games ranged from seven to 13. Pacheco scored double-digit PPR points in two of eight games.
Pacheco powers through to make it 28-0!
LVvsKC on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/UrV3Pb9Gjc
— NFL (@NFL) October 19, 2025
Fantasy managers in 12-team leagues and deeper should likely hold Pacheco for the time being and wait until his return, which could come in Week 12 against the Indianapolis Colts. Hunt hasn't been great in his absence, and the coaching staff is reluctant to give more work to Smith. The rest of the season schedule is mixed with great matchups, including the Cowboys in Week 13 and Titans in Week 16, but also some tough ones, with the Texans and Broncos both being stout run defenses.
Who Should I Pick Up for Fantasy Football?
Chris Rodriguez Jr. looks like he will be the starter in Washington moving forward after being named a team captain ahead of their Week 10 matchup against the Lions and playing 17 of 25 snaps in the first half before leaving with a shoulder injury. But it's been reported on Wednesday that he is good to go for their Week 11 matchup in Madrid against the Miami Dolphins, and he should have a key role.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. runs it in for the @Commanders 1st TD of the day!
DETvsWAS on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/uPLAFybF4y
— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025
Rodriguez should have upside beyond this week as well, with runway as their lead back and the fifth-easiest rest of season schedule for running backs, according to RotoViz's Strength of Schedule Streaming App. He is rostered in just 3% of ESPN leagues.
Fantasy managers could also pivot to scooping up Rams running back Blake Corum, who has been alternating drives with starter Kyren Williams in recent weeks. Over the past three games, Corum has 38 carries for 151 yards, compared to Williams with 51 carries for 241 yards. Williams still gets all the high-value touches in goal-line carries and receptions, scoring three touchdowns to Corum's zero, but the gap is narrowing between the two, making Corum a priority handcuff with some standalone value as well.
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