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Is Isiah Pacheco out for the season? When is Isiah Pacheco coming back? The latest Isiah Pacheco injury update and fantasy football outlook heading into Week 3 of 2026.
2025 was a big year for fantasy football running backs. As a result, it pushed running backs up in 2026 drafts, leaving fantasy managers scrambling for late-round upside and production.
One player fantasy managers gravitated to in drafts was Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco. Pacheco was signed to replace some of David Montgomery’s production in 2026. However, he missed time this summer and early in the season due to injuries.
Will Isiah Pacheco play this season? Should fantasy managers stash him on their bench? Let’s dive in.
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Is Isiah Pacheco Out for the 2026 Season?
The Detroit Lions made overhauls to part of their running back room this offseason, officially handing the lead back duties to Jahmyr Gibbs after trading David Montgomery to the Houston Texans in exchange for center Juice Scruggs, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
Montgomery had been an integral part of the Lions’ rushing attack during his three seasons with the team, averaging 15.0 games played, 187.3 rushing attempts, 835.3 rushing yards, and 11.0 touchdowns per season. He also contributed as a pass-catcher with an average of 30.3 targets, 25.3 receptions, and 216.7 receiving yards per season.
The Lions were clearly content giving Gibbs control of the backfield, but the team still needed to find a running back capable of spelling him to keep him fresh and healthy for a team with playoff aspirations. Detroit decided that veteran running back Isiah Pacheco would be an affordable gamble on the free-agent market and signed him to a one-year, $1.81 million contract.
Pacheco, a former seventh-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, had an excellent start to his career, registering 375 carries for 1,735 yards and 12 touchdowns with 57 receptions, 374 yards, and two touchdowns in 31 games played over his first two seasons.
Unfortunately, injuries derailed his final two seasons, limiting him to just 20 games played and 201 carries for 772 yards and two touchdowns.
Isiah Pacheco sheds a tackle in the backfield and turns it into a first down ‼️
DENvsKC on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ZRh5uD95Bb— NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2025
At the time, it seemed like an appropriate gamble to get an early down power back capable of handling short-yardage duties. Unfortunately, the gamble has yet to pay off.
Pacheco missed most of training camp with an MCL sprain, but was still in line to be a contributor in 2026. However, head coach Dan Campbell told reporters at the start of the season that Pacheco had undergone back surgery to address a fragment pressing on a nerve that would sideline the RB for at least 12 weeks. That surgery landed him on injured reserve.
Technically, Pacheco can return in December based on his initial recovery timeline. But it remains to be seen what role, if any, he could carve out over the final weeks of the 2026 season for the Lions.
Isiah Pacheco Fantasy Football Outlook
Nobody expected Pacheco to be a one-for-one replacement for Montgomery in the Lions backfield in 2026. However, it was fair to hope that he could provide some FLEX appeal as a short-yardage or goal-line running back in an explosive offense. His lack of pass-catching would have limited his ceiling if Gibbs were injured, but it could have opened up a larger share of the rushing volume.
Now, Pacheco is a player who doesn’t need to be rostered in fantasy. The earliest we will see Pacheco is in December, coming off a knee injury and back surgery. It will be hard to be optimistic about his fantasy upside at that point.
For now, Sione Vaki will serve as Gibbs' handcuff.
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 3 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Jahmyr Gibbs, Sione Vaki, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 3. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help you make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we'll tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 3 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players: Jahmyr Gibbs, Sione Vaki, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 3.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, player news, and enhanced search results with data to compare, all in a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 3 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 3 (2026)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 3 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 3 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Jahmyr Gibbs, Sione Vaki, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams compared to others:
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