Is Isiah Pacheco The Starting Running Back For The Chiefs When He Returns?

Will Isiah Pacheco start for the Kansas City Chiefs when he returns? John Johnson breaks down the Isiah Pacheco return timeline and fantasy football outlook.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco looked to build off his breakout 2023 season with a strong effort in 2024 before he was unfortunately pulled from his Week 2 game with a leg injury and eventually placed on injured reserve. It was a devastating blow to a bright star.

He finished as the RB15 in full-PPR scoring last season despite missing three contests and was an incredibly valuable piece to many teams, considering he was a mid-to-late-round selection in fantasy drafts.

So will Isiah Pacheco return to being the RB1 for the Chiefs when he's back on the field?

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Will Isiah Pacheco Start For The Chiefs When He Returns?

Yes. Fantasy managers shouldn't be concerned about RB Kareem Hunt, who was signed to fill in for the starter while he recovers, taking over the starting job. Hunt wasn't signed by an NFL team this season until the Chiefs called on him, and Pacheco is simply a better running back.

Isiah Pacheco was awesome last night. 130 yards on the ground and 35 in the air, catching all 7 of his targets and scoring the Chiefs only touchdown.

Setting the tone every time he had the ball in his hands 😤

(📹 @NFL)

pic.twitter.com/vYfIAiF5Eq

— Let’s Chat Chiefs (@LetsChatChiefs) January 1, 2024

He's fast, explosive, excellent at breaking tackles, and very tough to bring down. He can contribute in both the passing and running game. He has an underrated impact on the Chiefs offense, which has struggled in his absence. When the former Rutgers RB returns, it will be his backfield again.

It can be difficult to determine how much of a back's success is due to his abilities and how much is due to the offensive line's run-blocking prowess, but the former Cleveland Brown was only signed because Pacheco wasn't able to play.

No. 10 should return around Weeks 9-10.

#Chiefs Isiah Pacheco - Lean towards Wk 9-10 return. Skill players typically see production hit until following season#Vikings TJ Hockenson - Likely Wk 7-8 return. Lean slightly towards Wk 7. TEs avg ~3 wks to ramp up targets + touches. 85% efficiency projected initially

6/8

— Deepak Chona, MD. SportsMedAnalytics (@SportMDAnalysis) October 15, 2024

Isiah Pacheco Fantasy Football Outlook

He's a locked-in starter when he plays. Kansas City has an excellent offensive line, he's a factor in the passing game, and he gets goal-line opportunities. There aren't many better backfield roles than the one possessed by the Chiefs third-year pro, and he's proved that he deserves all his opportunities.

It took @isiah_pachecoRB one week to show that he was a steal in the 7th round. 😤 pic.twitter.com/3GPGi6NcDL

— NFL (@NFL) September 6, 2023

It will be a while before he returns to play, but when he does, he should be in starting lineups in all leagues. He may not be the player he was to start the season, as leg breaks are difficult to recover from, but he should still have a great role for fantasy production in the offense.

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