Who Should I Start? James Conner or Isiah Pacheco

Saturday, September 14, 2:55 AM

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner put up 83 yards from scrimmage and found the end zone in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. He will look to do more of the same on Sunday in the Cardinals' home opener against the Los Angeles Rams. Fears that he might lose work to rookie Trey Benson were assuaged last week as Conner handled 16 of Arizona's 20 handoffs and was on the field for 67% of offensive snaps compared to Benson's 13% share. The Rams had one of the toughest run defenses in the league in 2023 but no longer have Aaron Donald anchoring their line. In Week 1, they gave up 131 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to the Lions. Conner should be locked into fantasy lineups this week and can be expected to put up another RB1 performance.

Friday, September 13, 4:58 PM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season. Last week, Pacheco ran against one of the most formidable defenses in the league, the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens held Pacheco to just 45 rushing yards on 15 carries, but he did manage to find the endzone. The Chiefs starting running back will face an easier test this week against the Bengals, who allowed the seventh-most rushing yards in 2023. The Bengals also allowed the second-most runs of 20 or more yards in 2023. Pacheco had six runs of 20 or more yards in 2023, so he could be in for a few explosive plays in this week's contest. The 25-year-old dominated the backfield carries and was involved in the receiving game in Week 1, which should continue to be the case moving forward. Pacheco is attached to one of the best offenses in the NFL and should be considered a strong start every week he is active.