The Kansas City Chiefs have a history of developing role players during the Andy Reid era, but few have made the meteoric rise running back Isiah Pacheco has accomplished in two seasons. The 251st pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, Pacheco had no guarantee of making the final roster – more seventh-round picks don’t than do. However, Pacheco made an immediate impact and earned a part-time role in the offense.
Strengthened by a strong training camp, Pacheco started the season as the No. 2 back behind incumbent Clyde Edwards-Helaire. It wasn’t until midseason that Pacheco took over the starting job and finished the year with 170 carries for 830 yards and five touchdowns. He backed up that performance with a three-game postseason run when he rushed 37 times for 197 yards and one touchdown, setting the stage to permanently take over the running back position in 2023.
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The primary knock against Pacheco has been that he doesn’t have the size to withstand the punishment running backs absorb over the course of a full season and could carry a higher risk level of missing significant time than other top running backs. Pacheco threw that criticism out the window last year. In 14 games last season (rested Week 18), he had 205 carries for 935 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He had 15 or more carries in nine of the final 12 games of the regular season and logged 81 carries for 313 yards and three touchdowns in four postseason games. If there was question as to whether Pacheco could hold up as a featured workhorse back, he silenced his doubters.
However, what helped Pacheco ascend to an elite fantasy running back was his improvement as a receiver. In 17 games as a rookie, Pacheco caught just 13 passes. In 14 games last season, he landed 44 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. He had at least one reception in 13 of 14 games and four or more catches in six of those.
Heading into his third season, Pacheco has earned the confidence of his coaches and teammates to be a critical piece of the Chiefs offense and one of the NFL’s top fantasy running backs.
Fantasy football outlook
Few players were more consistent last year in terms of touches and production than Pacheco. He never went more than two games without 15 or more rushing attempts in a game and scored at least one touchdown in eight of 14 games. There was never a point in which he had a prolonged lull in production and scoring fantasy points.
While Kansas City’s offense is formed around quarterback Patrick Mahomes, it can be argued the player who makes the offense run at a high level is Pacheco. In a 12-owner league, Pacheco is a low-end RB1 with as much upside as any running back outside the top five.