Who Should I Start? Cordarrelle Patterson or Isiah Pacheco

Monday, July 28, 2:17 PM

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released running back Cordarrelle Patterson, according to a tweet from Patterson himself on Monday morning. The 34-year-old appeared to be fifth on the team's depth chart at running back behind Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson, Kenneth Gainwell, and Trey Sermon, so this news does not come as a huge surprise. Patterson appeared in 13 games for Pittsburgh in 2024, rushing for 135 yards on 32 carries and catching 12 passes for 80 yards. He also served as a kick returner, which is where Patterson has arguably made the biggest impact throughout his career. It remains to be seen whether the 12-year vet will look to catch on with another team as a gadget piece on offense and contributor on special teams, or hang up his cleats. Either way, his days as a fantasy-relevant player are in the past.

Saturday, September 13, 4:45 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. The defending Super Bowl champions defeated the Chiefs in their last matchup, and Pacheco only had seven rushing yards on three carries. The 26-year-old will have the chance to exact some revenge, but he must first overcome the timeshare he's in with Kareem Hunt. Pacheco and Hunt had the same number of opportunities in Week 1; both handled five carries and two catches on three targets. The former ultimately finished with more total yards, but it was not an impressive performance by either back. Pacheco did manage 5.0 yards per carry when given the opportunity, so maybe he can build on that efficiency with more usage. That said, the Eagles defense was one of the toughest in the league to run against last season, and that looks to be the case again this year. Pacheco will have his work cut out for him if he wants to carve out a larger role in the Kansas City backfield. Pacheco is ranked RB35 in our RotoBaller rankings this week, making him an RB3/Flex option. He'll be a tough player to trust this week.