Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or RJ Harvey

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, 12:37 AM

Although Denver Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey was drafted in the second round in April and impressed during training camp, he was listed as the RB2 behind J.K. Dobbins on the team's initial 2025 depth chart. Dobbins is expected to "start" the Week 1 season opener on Sunday against the Titans, but fantasy managers shouldn't read too much into that and should still consider the 24-year-old Harvey worth starting as an RB3/flex in his first NFL regular-season game. Denver is currently eight-point favorites at home against Tenneessee, a team that allowed 133.9 rushing yards per game (seventh-most) and 22.1 half-PPR points to RBs (10th-most) in 2024. Dobbins' presence surely lowers Harvey's fantasy ceiling, but the Central Florida product is younger, healthier, and has more home run potential. By season's end, Harvey is expected to take over the "starting" role from Dobbins.