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The Kansas City Chiefs steered the season back on track with a hard-fought win in Week 2. Now, they’ll be rewarded with a home matchup against the winless Chicago Bears, which profiles as an easy win for the defending champs. Among the players that carry great fantasy upside is running back Isiah Pacheco.
We break down whether the second-year tailback remains a confident starter in Week 3 lineups.
Fantasy Football analysis: Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco
Pacheco has led the way in carries for this season, logging 20 attempts for 93 rushing yards with an average of 4.6 yards per carry. He has yet to find the end zone, but he’s added five receptions for 31 yards through the air. Through two games he’s averaged 8.7 PPR fantasy points per contest.
Start or sit in Week 3 PPR leagues?
Start, and the matchup at hand could play well in Pacheco’s favor. The Bears’ porous defense has allowed the most receiving yards per game (66.5) to opposing running backs to start the season. They’ve also given up the fourth-most fantasy points per game (24.4) to the position in the same timeframe. Chicago’s defense could easily get gashed on the ground, which sets up Pacheco for success.
The Chiefs’ second-year tailback carries RB1/RB2 value in both smaller and larger fantasy leagues, respectively.
Start or sit in Week 3 standard leagues?
Start, given that there is no question who the lead back is in Kansas City. The reports that Pacheco was dealing with a hamstring injury gave fantasy managers an early scare this week. However, he returned to practice on Thursday and should be good to go in handling RB1 duties on Sunday. While Jerrick McKinnon presents a threat as a pass-catcher, Pacheco profiles as the bigger and stronger tailback.
Pacheco is a surefire RB1/RB2 in smaller fantasy leagues and remains a must-start in larger leagues where viable running back options may be thin.
Player(s) you would start ahead of Isiah Pacheco
Both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are considerations here, as the Pittsburgh Steelers hit the road for a matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders are giving up 135.5 rushing YPG to their foes through two weeks, and that includes allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game (24.2) to running backs.