Isiah Pacheco DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco had 13 carries for 32 yards and one catch for 15 yards in the 21-7 win over the Cleveland Browns. After dominating opportunities out of the backfield in Week 14, Pacheco evenly split the workload with Kareem Hunt in this contest. The 25-year-old was inefficient on the ground, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry in this game. If Pacheco is not the clear lead back for the Kansas City offense, it could be difficult to trust him in Week 16 against the Houston Texans. The Texans rank third in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season, making them one of the most challenging matchups. Patrick Mahomes also left this week's contest with an ankle injury, placing his future availability in question. The Chiefs offense would undoubtedly be worse without Mahomes, which would subsequently be worse for Pacheco's scoring opportunities. Fantasy managers must hope that Mahomes plays and trust that Pacheco's talent will allow him to earn more opportunities.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco will face the Cleveland Browns on the road in Week 15. Pacheco had 14 carries for 55 yards and two catches for six yards against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14. Pacheco was the clear leadback for the Chiefs, earning 18 opportunities compared to six for Kareem Hunt. In his third game back, Pacheco should tighten his stranglehold on the opportunities out of the Kansas City backfield. The 25-year-old will have to run against the Browns, who rank seventh in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season. The Cleveland front is a formidable unit to face, but the Chiefs have demonstrated a willingness to run the ball often, especially with the ball in Pacheco's hands. Pacheco is ranked RB26 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him an RB2/RB3 option this week. Despite the difficult matchup, fantasy managers should find a way to get Pacheco into their lineups.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco had 14 carries for 55 yards and two catches for six yards in the 19-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The 25-year-old was the clear lead back for the Chiefs in Week 14, as Kareem Hunt handled just five carries and one catch for 29 total yards. Neither back was incredibly efficient on the ground, as they both averaged under four yards per carry, but Pacheco's 14 carries bode well for his fantasy performances moving forward. The Chiefs running back will look to have more success next week against the Cleveland Browns, who rank seventh in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. The Browns front seven is a strong unit at rushing the quarterback back and stopping the run, leading most teams to throw against the secondary, but Pacheco should still have touchdown upside in any matchup. Fantasy managers should be encouraged by Pacheco's role in his second game back and expect that role to continue to grow.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco will face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night in Week 14. Pacheco returned from injured reserve last week and handled seven carries for 44 yards and one catch for five yards in their close victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Pacheco and Kareem Hunt split the carries evenly, but Pacheco showed that he was still the more explosive back of the duo. Another week removed from injured reserve, the 25-year-old should handle a larger share of the backfield opportunities. That said, it will not be a cakewalk matchup for Pacheco against the Chargers. The Chargers rank sixth in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season, making them one of the more difficult matchups for the position. Pacheco is ranked RB21 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings this week, making him a low-end RB2 option. Fantasy managers should excited to start Pacheco, despite the poor matchup, due to his ability to create big plays and the fact that there are six teams on bye this week.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco had seven carries for 44 yards in the 19-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Pacheco also had one catch for five yards in this contest. The Raiders almost played spoiler in Pacheco's first game back, but they fumbled the game away in the final minute. The 25-year-old displayed his explosiveness with a 34-yard run, raising his yards per carry average to 6.3 in this game. Pacheco received the same number of carries as Kareem Hunt, making it a true 50/50 split in his return to action. That said, Pacheco is the younger and more explosive back, so the split should begin to lean more in his direction. Pacheco will look to be more involved next week against the Los Angeles Chargers, who rank fifth in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this season. Fantasy managers should be encouraged by how good Pacheco looked in his first game back, but expect it to take a few games before he gets the lion's share of the carries out of the backfield.