Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or Breece Hall

Saturday, January 25, 4:25 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has been a shell of his former self since returning from injury. Even when given the opportunity to start last week's contest, Pacheco remained inefficient and ceded work to veteran Kareem Hunt. The 25-year-old handled five carries for 18 yards against the Texans, compared to eight carries, 44 yards, and a touchdown for Hunt. Given the importance of the matchup and Pacheco's struggles, the Chiefs likely lean on Hunt as their workhorse back in the AFC Championship game this Sunday. Kansas City will face the potent Buffalo Bills in Arrowhead to determine who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. With the Chiefs searching for a historic three-peat, the stakes are too high to rely on Pacheco. The second-year back should not be viewed as a start-worthy asset in fantasy playoff leagues and should be considered a dart-throw option in DFS leagues.

Monday, March 3, 10:19 PM

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that the New York Jets are unlikely to pursue an early contract extension with running back Breece Hall, who will be a free agent in 2026. It doesn't mean that won't change, but the Jets have to promising young backs in Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, who are both under contract through 2027. Hall, who tore his ACL in his rookie season in 2022, took a slight step back in 2024 with 876 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 209 rushing attempts in 16 starts, adding 57 receptions on 76 targets for 483 yards and three additional scores through the air. The 23-year-old running back still has RB1 upside in fantasy heading into his fourth NFL season, but he finished as the RB17 in half-PPR scoring a year ago, and the jury will be out on his 2025 fantasy value until we know who the Jets will be starting at quarterback.