Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or Rachaad White

Thursday, September 4, 3:32 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco said he is "on a revenge tour" this year, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN. Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones said, "Yeah, let's go! (bangs on the table with his right hand). We need him on a revenge tour!" Pacheco's violent running style finally came back to bite him in 2024 when he fractured his fibula in Week 2 and ended up playing in only seven regular-season games in his third year with the Chiefs. The 26-year-old averaged a career-low 3.7 yards per carry on his 83 rushing attempts during the regular season. He's back to 100 percent health in 2025, though, and remains KC's unquestioned lead back going into a Week 1 matchup in Brazil versus the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers on Friday. There are questions as to whether Pacheco can return to his pre-injury form, but at worst, he should be considered a low-end RB2 fantasy back.

Friday, September 5, 8:41 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White is expected to take a backseat in the backfield in 2025. Last season, White began the season as the lead back, but ultimately lost the starting role to Bucky Irving. White saw his role in the offense decrease to the point where he only saw 20 touches over the final four games of the season. He finished last season with 613 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground. White also hauled in 51 receptions for 393 additional yards and six touchdowns through the air. The expectation is that Irving will do a majority of the ground work while White is the primary receiving back. That being said, White isn't going to offer a ton of fantasy value heading into the season opener versus the Atlanta Falcons. White should be viewed as a flex option in PPR leagues with Irving serving as the lead back now in Tampa Bay.