Isiah Pacheco enters his second year for the Kansas City Chiefs as a part of one of the best offenses in the NFL. Pacheco seems poised to take a major leap forward after a solid rookie campaign, but have injuries derailed his trajectory for this year?
For the Chiefs, Pacheco is the go-to runner, but Jerick McKinnon takes a lot of the snaps on passing downs. Let’s discuss the latest regarding the talented RB and how fantasy football managers should value Pacheco heading into 2023.
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What Happened to Isiah Pacheco?
Pacheco played in all 17 games last year, rushing for 830 yards and five touchdowns while helping the Chiefs win their second Super Bowl in the last four seasons. He ended the season with a terrific performance in the win over the Eagles, rushing for 76 yards and a touchdown.
They played Just Wanna Rock.. cue #Chiefs Isiah Pacheco. pic.twitter.com/MTZYc1Feqh
— PJ Green (@PJGreenTV) August 26, 2023
This past offseason, Pacheco had two surgeries — one on his hand and one on a torn labrum in his shoulder. He dealt with both of those injuries during last season, even playing in the Super Bowl with a torn labrum.
As a result, throughout training camp and preseason practices, Pacheco has worn a yellow jersey for much of it. He was cleared for full contact on Aug. 21 after practicing for much of the offseason with no contact and seems to be on track to play in Week 1.
What Are Kansas City’s Options if Pacheco Misses Time?
While all indications are that Pacheco will be ready to go against Detroit in Week 1, McKinnon is another running back who will get a lot of playing time. The veteran RB is a terrific receiver out of the backfield, as he finished tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns in 2022 with nine. For the Chiefs, he trailed only Travis Kelce (12) in that category.
Pacheco and McKinnon showed last year that they’re both able to put up very good numbers while splitting time. Thus, we shouldn’t have any hesitation in considering both of them for fantasy football in 2023.
What Does This Mean for Pacheco’s Fantasy Ranking?
Pacheco currently sits at RB27 in the PFN consensus rankings and is being selected anywhere from the sixth round to the eighth. The injuries that hampered Pacheco during the offseason seem to be behind him, and everything is gearing towards him being full tilt against the Detroit Lions.
While McKinnon is a great receiving back, there is an expectation that Pacheco will have more of a role catching the ball this year. In the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Pacheco had five catches for 59 yards.
If he can continue running the ball as effectively as he does, and become more involved in the passing game, then he could be in for a great second season.