Who Should I Start? James Conner or Isiah Pacheco

Monday, February 16, 7:27 AM

The Athletic's Doug Haller believes that Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (foot) could be a salary cap casualty this offseason. Conner has been a major asset to Arizona's offense during his five years with the team and is among the most respected players in the locker room, but he's also coming off a severe foot injury that limited him to just three games in 2025. He'll turn 31 years old in May and is under contract through the 2026 season, and cutting him would save the Cardinals around $8 million. Cutting Conner would allow the team to use the extra money to find a younger replacement in the backfield. The Cardinals would face a $2.25 million dead-cap hit by releasing Conner if he's a pre-June 1 cut. Even though Conner had two 1,000-yard seasons before his injury last year, he will most likely struggle to find a prominent role as a lead back in either Arizona or somewhere else next season while coming off a serious injury.

Friday, February 20, 10:44 AM

The Athletic's Jesse Newell writes that Kansas City Chiefs impending free-agent running back Isiah Pacheco is "likely to sign elsewhere" in free agency this offseason. Pacheco did not show his pre-injury burst out of the backfield in 2025, averaging 3.9 yards per carry while rushing for 462 yards and just one touchdown on 118 rushing attempts in 13 games played. He ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the 2022 NFL scouting combine, but he hasn't shown that same speed after a productive first two seasons in the NFL. In addition to his declining speed, he hasn't established himself as a receiving threat out of the backfield, with his 44-catch season in 2023 looking like an outlier. On top of injuries the last two seasons, Pacheco's fantasy stock is down as he enters free agency. Pacheco's 2026 fantasy value will depend on where he's playing, but most likely, he'll be involved in some sort of timeshare after struggling the last two seasons.