Who Should I Start? Josh Jacobs or Isiah Pacheco


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
6.4 32.1 0.4 0.4 3.6 0.0

Josh Jacobs News

Josh Jacobs Will Return in 2026

Tuesday, February 24, 12:41 PM

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday that running back Josh Jacobs will "absolutely" be back in 2026, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "He's a very important cog in what we're trying to do here," Gutekunst said. Jacobs was in the second year of a four-year, $48 million contract in 2025 that he signed in March of 2024. The 28-year-old three-time Pro Bowler took a slight step back in Green Bay in his second season, but he was still very productive, gaining 929 yards on the ground and 13 touchdowns on 234 rushing attempts while adding 36 catches for 282 yards and one touchdown through the air in 15 regular-season starts. Unfortunately, the former first-rounder's production tanked near the end of the season at the most inopportune time for fantasy managers, as he played through his knee injury. Jacobs has a lot of tread on his tires, but he's racked up four 1,000-yard seasons in seven years and has double-digit rushing touchdowns four different times, including in each of the last two seasons.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
11.0 38.5 0.4 2.4 15.5 0.1

Isiah Pacheco News

Isiah Pacheco Unlikely to Return to Chiefs?

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.


Josh Jacobs vs. Isiah Pacheco

Still trying to decide between Jacobs and Pacheco? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Josh Jacobs is projected to score 6.4 points this week while Isiah Pacheco is projected to score 11.0 points.