Who Should I Start? DeVonta Smith or Isiah Pacheco

Monday, February 9, 6:37 PM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith had another solid campaign during the 2025 season, catching 77 passes for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns. This was the lowest touchdown total of his career, but it was encouraging to see him eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in the last four years. It's also worth noting that he had more yards and just one fewer catch than teammate A.J. Brown, indicating the gap between the two may not be as large as it seems. Of course, it's unclear if this duo will be together for long. There were rumors of drama between Brown and the Eagles throughout the year, and we wouldn't be surprised to see trade talks ramp up during the offseason. Trading Brown is far from a guarantee, but even the threat of a depth chart shakeup makes Smith a very intriguing "buy" in dynasty fantasy football leagues. If Smith were to become the top receiver in Philly, he'd have top-12 appeal among wide receivers in 2026 fantasy football drafts.

Friday, February 20, 10:44 AM

The Athletic's Jesse Newell writes that Kansas City Chiefs impending free-agent running back Isiah Pacheco is "likely to sign elsewhere" in free agency this offseason. Pacheco did not show his pre-injury burst out of the backfield in 2025, averaging 3.9 yards per carry while rushing for 462 yards and just one touchdown on 118 rushing attempts in 13 games played. He ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL scouting combine, but he hasn't shown that same speed after a productive first two seasons in the NFL. In addition to his declining speed, he hasn't established himself as a receiving threat out of the backfield, with his 44-catch season in 2023 looking like an outlier. On top of injuries the last two seasons, Pacheco's fantasy stock is down as he enters free agency. Pacheco's 2026 fantasy value will depend on where he's playing, but most likely, he'll be involved in some sort of timeshare after struggling the last two seasons.