Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or Brian Robinson Jr.

Thursday, November 27, 12:13 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) doesn't have an injury designation heading into Thanksgiving's game against the Dallas Cowboys. Pacheco has missed three straight games since suffering an MCL sprain during Kansas City's Week 8 win over the Washington Commanders. The 26-year-old logged three full practices this week, and it will be interesting to see how the running back touches will be distributed in his return on Thursday. Kareem Hunt has handled a big workload in Pacheco's absence, and just recorded a career high 30 carries in last week's win over the Indianapolis Colts. Rookie Brashard Smith has held a small role, mostly on designed touches. Pacheco was the Chiefs' leading rusher before getting injured, but he will likely be eased back into action and split touches with Hunt. He is ranked as RotoBaller's RB41 in PPR leagues for Thanksgiving's game against the Cowboys.

Saturday, November 29, 3:47 AM

San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr.'s fantasy value faces a hard cap in his change-of-pace role behind Christian McCaffrey. With the offense flowing through McCaffrey to the tune of nearly 25 touches per game, on average, those changes of pace are few and far between. To his credit, Robinson has been effective when on the field, logging 4.7 yards per carry in 2025. In Week 13, the 49ers travel to Cleveland to face the Browns. With strong winds, rain, and snow in the forecast, San Francisco will likely lean into the run game, which could provide Robinson a few more opportunities than usual. He can be avoided in most formats, but could be of use in deep leagues on Sunday.