Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or Blake Corum

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.

Saturday, February 14, 6:33 AM

A third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum saw limited playing time in a reserve role behind Rams back Kyren Williams as a rookie. While Williams remained the team's RB1 in 2025, Corum saw a significant workload increase in his second NFL season. Across 17 games, Corum recorded 746 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 145 touches. He was highly efficient as a rusher when given an opportunity, averaging 5.1 yards per rush attempt. Still, Williams remains under contract with the Rams through the 2028 season, and he remained a standout performer by recording over 1,500 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. Additionally, Corum has not shown much of an ability to impact the passing game so far in his NFL career, recording just 15 total receptions across 34 career games played. Corum proved that he can be an impact rusher at the NFL level in 2025, which is a notable development after his quiet rookie season. However, barring injury, his fantasy upside remains limited as long as both he and Williams are in Los Angeles.