Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or Blake Corum

Thursday, February 5, 11:28 AM

After an injury-marred campaign in 2024, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco entered 2025 in need of a bounce-back effort. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old struggled with inefficiency, recording 563 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 137 touches across 13 games played. Pacheco averaged just 3.9 yards per carry, his second-straight season under four yards per rush attempt after averaging 4.7 yards per carry over the first two years of his career. Pacheco spent most of the 2025 season splitting backfield work with veteran Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, with Hunt dominating touches in short-yardage situations and around the goal line. Pacheco is now set to hit unrestricted free agency, so he's not guaranteed to be back in Kansas City. Based on his performance over the last two seasons, it's not hard to imagine a scenario where Pacheco finds himself in a committee backfield or even a straight RB2 role for the 2026 season. In dynasty formats, Pacheco's future fantasy value profiles as uncertain at best coming off his shaky 2025 campaign.

Saturday, January 24, 4:00 PM

Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum handled only six touches in the team's Divisional Round win over the Bears, and in Sunday's Conference Championship, he faces a Seahawks defense that ranked as the most formidable against fantasy running backs in the regular season. In their Divisional Round thrashing of the 49ers, Seattle held MVP finalist Christian McCaffrey to 35 rushing yards and 39 receiving yards on 17 total opportunities. Should Corum find himself drastically out-touched by Kyren Williams as he was against Chicago, he'll need elite efficiency to see any relevance in playoff fantasy leagues -- a tall order, given Seattle's track record. Corum is RotoBaller's RB6 for the week.