Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or Kenneth Walker III

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 27, 1:06 PM

The Kansas City Chiefs could be a team to monitor in the market for Seattle Seahawks impending free-agent running back Kenneth Walker III this offseason, with Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer saying that KC "looms as an interesting suitor" for the Super Bowl LX MVP. The Houston Texans are another team that has already been tied to Walker, and the Denver Broncos also seem like a good bet to be interested. Coming off his impressive postseason run to help the Seahawks lift the Lombardi Trophy, Walker figures to be one of, if not the best, RB available on the open market come next month. Seattle is not expected to place the franchise tag on Walker. The 2025 season was the first time Walker played all 17 games, and he ran for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns on 221 carries. Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco are both free agents for the Chiefs, so if Walker were to sign in KC, he'd be in line for an RB1 role as the team looks to bounce back from missing the postseason in 2025.