Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or Kenneth Walker III

Sunday, June 1, 8:36 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco told the Kansas City Star's Jesse Newell that he focused on gaining weight this offseason to get closer to his shape at the NFL Combine. "Just going back to 216, 4.37 Isiah Pacheco-style," said Pacheco. The Rutgers product was excellent for Kansas City over his first two seasons, but a fibula fracture in Week 2 of 2024 would derail a fantastic start for him. Miraculously, he'd return in Week 13, but the 26-year-old was not his usual effective self. The missed time caused him to lean out, but head coach Andy Reid notes that Pacheco put on some "good weight" and is looking "tremendous" ahead of the 2025 season. There'll be more competition for him in the Chiefs' backfield this year. However, more time removed from an ugly injury should benefit him. It's unclear whether or not the added weight will be a boon to him. Still, he has an excellent chance at a bounce-back season.

Wednesday, July 30, 9:55 PM

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has been a stud when healthy. However, the biggest problem has been keeping Walker on the field. He missed six games last year and only played 15 games in each of his first two seasons. The good news is, Walker is healthy coming into camp and has looked explosive on the field so far. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has vowed to run the ball more this upcoming season. That being said, Walker figures to see a heavy workload in his walk year. When healthy, Walker can easily be a 1,000-yard running back, so hopefully the injuries are behind him. It looks like he's going to get a heavy workload, but fantasy managers know the risk when drafting Walker.