Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or Zach Charbonnet

Thursday, February 5, 11:28 AM

After an injury-marred campaign in 2024, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco entered 2025 in need of a bounce-back effort. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old struggled with inefficiency, recording 563 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 137 touches across 13 games played. Pacheco averaged just 3.9 yards per carry, his second-straight season under four yards per rush attempt after averaging 4.7 yards per carry over the first two years of his career. Pacheco spent most of the 2025 season splitting backfield work with veteran Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, with Hunt dominating touches in short-yardage situations and around the goal line. Pacheco is now set to hit unrestricted free agency, so he's not guaranteed to be back in Kansas City. Based on his performance over the last two seasons, it's not hard to imagine a scenario where Pacheco finds himself in a committee backfield or even a straight RB2 role for the 2026 season. In dynasty formats, Pacheco's future fantasy value profiles as uncertain at best coming off his shaky 2025 campaign.

Monday, January 19, 1:52 PM

Updating a previous report, Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (knee) suffered a torn ACL in his knee in Saturday's Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Charbonnet will require surgery and will not only miss the rest of the playoffs, but he'll most likely miss most of the 2026 season as well, given the timing of his injury. Before tearing his ACL, the 25-year-old third-year back ran the ball five times for 20 yards. Kenneth Walker had 19 carries for a season-high 116 yards and three touchdowns with Charbonnet out. It's a tough ending to Charbonnet's best season in the NFL, as he set career highs across the board during the regular season in carries (184), rushing yards (730), and rushing touchdowns (12). Walker should see a bigger workload the rest of the way in the postseason, with Velus Jones Jr. being elevated to the RB2 role.