Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or Tyjae Spears

Saturday, January 25, 4:25 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has been a shell of his former self since returning from injury. Even when given the opportunity to start last week's contest, Pacheco remained inefficient and ceded work to veteran Kareem Hunt. The 25-year-old handled five carries for 18 yards against the Texans, compared to eight carries, 44 yards, and a touchdown for Hunt. Given the importance of the matchup and Pacheco's struggles, the Chiefs likely lean on Hunt as their workhorse back in the AFC Championship game this Sunday. Kansas City will face the potent Buffalo Bills in Arrowhead to determine who will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. With the Chiefs searching for a historic three-peat, the stakes are too high to rely on Pacheco. The second-year back should not be viewed as a start-worthy asset in fantasy playoff leagues and should be considered a dart-throw option in DFS leagues.

Tuesday, May 20, 11:27 PM

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (concussion) has been taking part in the team's organized team activities this week after sitting out the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Houston Texans at the end of last season. The 23-year-old has obviously recovered from his head injury and will be ready for the start of the 2025 campaign this fall. Tony Pollard was a workhorse back for the team in 2024 in his first year in Tennessee, but head coach Brian Callahan has already been hinting that it might be in the team's best interest to take some of the load off of Pollard in order to keep him healthy. Spears, who is more of a pass-catching back, was only active for 12 games last year and had 84 carries for 312 yards and four TDs on the ground, adding 30 catches for 224 yards and another score. He's elusive with the ball in his hands, so if he can stay healthy, Spears could be a nice sleeper pick late in fantasy drafts.