Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or Tyjae Spears

Saturday, September 13, 4:45 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. The defending Super Bowl champions defeated the Chiefs in their last matchup, and Pacheco only had seven rushing yards on three carries. The 26-year-old will have the chance to exact some revenge, but he must first overcome the timeshare he's in with Kareem Hunt. Pacheco and Hunt had the same number of opportunities in Week 1; both handled five carries and two catches on three targets. The former ultimately finished with more total yards, but it was not an impressive performance by either back. Pacheco did manage 5.0 yards per carry when given the opportunity, so maybe he can build on that efficiency with more usage. That said, the Eagles defense was one of the toughest in the league to run against last season, and that looks to be the case again this year. Pacheco will have his work cut out for him if he wants to carve out a larger role in the Kansas City backfield. Pacheco is ranked RB35 in our RotoBaller rankings this week, making him an RB3/Flex option. He'll be a tough player to trust this week.

Tuesday, September 16, 9:39 PM

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (ankle) suffered a high ankle sprain in preseason action and was placed on Injured Reserve before the start of the regular season. Given the nature of Spears' injury, he may be able to return as soon as he is eligible in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals. The Titans have been a one-man show at running back so far this season, with Tony Pollard having logged 38 of the team's 40 rush attempts by running backs through the team's first two games. However, this was not the case down the stretch of 2024, when Spears logged double-digit touches in each of the final three games he played. Spears finished the 2024 season with 536 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns across 12 games and should have a consistent role in the Titans' offense once healthy in 2025. In fantasy leagues where he is available, Spears is a worthy stash in an IR spot ahead of his impending return.