Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or Bryce Young

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.

Friday, February 13, 4:01 PM

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young may never fully live up to his prospect pedigree as the number one overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, the 24-year-old made definite strides in his third NFL season in 2025 and led Carolina to its first playoff berth since 2017. Across 16 games, Young completed 63.6% of his pass attempts for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while also adding 216 yards and two scores as a rusher. While Young averaged a middling 6.3 yards per pass attempt for the season as a whole, that number improved to a much more respectable 7.2 yards per attempt over his final seven games played of the regular season. While the Panthers are reportedly not expected to push to sign Young to an extension this offseason, the team is likely to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract after his successful 2025 campaign. As such, Young should have a bit more runway in Carolina to continue to develop and establish himself as the organization's long-term answer under center. Young is far from a high-end fantasy quarterback, but his stock in dynasty formats is moderately improved following his 2025 output.