Who Should I Start? James Conner or Isiah Pacheco

Friday, December 20, 11:55 PM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner is a must-start RB1 in Week 16 when the Cardinals face the Carolina Panthers on the road. Conner will look to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards for a second straight season, entering this game with 973 yards. He has been a workhorse all year, posting ten games with 20 or more touches. The Cardinals have no margin for error if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive, and the offense has relied on Conner to carry the load. Since signing his contract extension, Conner has put together back-to-back games with 90 or more rushing yards. The vibes are high with Conner and the Cardinals' rushing attack, and fantasy managers should trust him in this matchup.

Friday, December 20, 4:35 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco will face the Houston Texans on Saturday in Week 16. Pacheco appeared to emerge as the lead back in Week 14, earning 16 touches compared to six for Kareem Hunt, but that changed in Week 15. The two running backs each handled 13 carries last week against the Cleveland Browns, and Hunt outproduced Pacheco. It will be interesting to see how the backfield split shakes out this week against the Houston Texans, who rank fourth in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this year. The 25-year-old is ranked RB25 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a low-end RB2/Flex option this week. Fantasy managers will have a tough time trusting Pacheco in the fantasy playoffs, especially with Hunt stealing touches.