Who Should I Start? James Conner or Isiah Pacheco
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.4 | 10.9 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 6.5 | 0.0 |
James Conner News
Wednesday, August 26, 8:47 AM
Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters in Green Bay that running back James Conner (foot) is "progressing well," but it's too early to tell if he will be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports. Conner is still working his way back from foot surgery that ended his 2025 campaign after only three games played. When healthy, the 31-year-old former third-rounder by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of Pittsburgh figures to operate as the team's RB3 behind Jeremiyah Love (ankle) and Tyler Allgeier, but that type of role isn't going to make the veteran back relevant in any single-year fantasy leagues. Conner had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2023 and 2024 in the desert, but it all came crashing down last year, when he played in just three games. Until Conner is able to make his way back onto the field, Bam Knight figures to operate as the team's RB3 with Trey Benson (knee) done for the season.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3 | 31.2 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 6.4 | 0.0 |
Isiah Pacheco News
Thursday, August 27, 8:37 AM
When asked about Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco's (back, knee) status for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Dan Campbell said, "I can't give you anything definitive." Campbell said that Pacheco picked up a back injury in training camp, in addition to his MCL sprain, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. Right now, Pacheco's knee is not the concern. If the 27-year-old Pacheco is unavailable to play in the season opener in early September, Sione Vaki is likely to step up into the RB2 role in Detroit behind starter Jahmyr Gibbs. Pacheco ran for 1,765 yards and 12 touchdowns on 375 carries while adding 57 catches for 374 yards and two more TDs as a receiver in his first two years with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 and 2023, but he combined for just 201 carries, 772 rushing yards, and two touchdowns in 20 games in the last two years while dealing with various injuries. When healthy, he's expected to be the backup in a change-of-pace role for Gibbs, but he is not selling himself as a handcuff target for fantasy managers with more injury issues before the start of the 2026 season. Right now, Pacheco is ranked as the RB54 at RotoBaller.
James Conner vs. Isiah Pacheco
Still trying to decide between Conner and Pacheco? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that James Conner is projected to score 3.4 points this week while Isiah Pacheco is projected to score 6.3 points.
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