Here we go again.
Kareem Hunt never anticipated that he would be in this position before the season. He was sitting on his couch to start the 2024-25 regular season. But after Isiah Pacheco’s early season injury, the Chiefs called on their former back, Kareem Hunt. Hunt stepped into Pacheco’s role and thrived to the point that they wanted to keep him around even after Pacheco returned. In fact, Hunt has largely remained the lead running throughout the postseason. Hunt missed out on a Super Bowl during his first stint with the Chiefs, so he will be looking to get his first ring in this game.
DraftKings offers a wide variety of ways to get in on the action for the big game, including an array of prop bets and, of course, a massive Showdown DFS contest with a million-dollar first prize.
Here’s everything you need to know about Kareem Hunt heading into Super Bowl LIX.
Kareem Hunt Prop Bets
Rushing Yards: Over 45.5 (-113)
Rushing Attempts: Over 11.5 (+100)
Anytime TD: +140
2+ TDs: +900
First TD: +950
Longest Rush: Over 11.5 (-115)
Kareem Hunt Best Prop Bet
Kareem Hunt Anytime Touchdown (+140)
Kareem Hunt has had a fascinating path to the Super Bowl. He just missed out on the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run, leaving the team for the Browns just before their dynasty began. It then looked like his NFL career may have been over, as he started the 2024 regular season on his couch. However, when Isiah Pacheco went down with a long-term injury early in the regular season, the Chiefs called their former running back to help fill the hole. Hunt played a vital role in the Chiefs’ regular season success, but Pacheco was ready to return late in the regular season. It seemed inevitable that Pacheco would take over the lead back role and Hunt’s role would slowly get diminished. That process started happening late into the regular season, but Pacheco’s production was terrible.
In the postseason, the Chiefs have relied on Kareem Hunt. Pacheco is either not fully healthy or just not up to game fitness, because he has been ineffective. In the postseason, Pacheco has just 10 carries, compared to 25 carries for Hunt. Hunt, most importantly, has been getting meaningful goal-line carries. Hunt has scored a touchdown in both postseason games so far. Going back to the regular season, he has scored a touchdown in four straight games. Kareem Hunt had his highest carry total since November 4th in the AFC Championship Game against the Bills. He should be the go-to guy in the Super Bowl and find the end zone.
Kareem Hunt DFS Analysis
Captain: $9,600 | FLEX: $6,400
Kareem Hunt just had his best game since November against the Bills. He got 17 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown. In the six games prior to that, he was only averaging 8.6 carries per game. Hunt is the clear top running back for the Chiefs over Isiah Pacheco the past few weeks, but the production has been inconsistent. It has been hard to trust any of the Chiefs’ running backs this season. After two weeks of rest, Pacheco might be more prepared to take on a slightly bigger workload. Even Xavier Worthy and other players get work in the running game for the Chiefs. Kansas City has the 12th-highest passing play rate in the NFL this season, and it will be hard not to just put the ball in Patrick Mahomes’ hands as often as possible in the Super Bowl.
The Eagles have an elite defense. They rank 2nd in the NFL in defensive EPA/play, 2nd in defensive success rate and 2nd in defensive EPA/rush. Hunt is always dangerous when close to the goal line to find the end zone, which makes him valuable in a fantasy setting, but he doesn’t hit explosive runs. He did not have a single run this season that went for more than 20 yards. The Eagles’ defense will be able to contain him for short chunks. Even if he gets a majority of touches, his yardage rate won’t be very high. That makes him hard to trust in a fantasy setting compared to the Chiefs’ pass catchers.
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