Who Should I Start? Kenny Gainwell or Isiah Pacheco
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5 | 28.1 | 0.2 | 2.8 | 19.8 | 0.1 |
Kenny Gainwell News
Friday, August 28, 11:14 AM
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenneth Gainwell could lead the team in all-purpose yards this season, according to Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report. That sounds like a bold call with Bucky Irving still expected to lead the backfield, but Gainwell did exactly that for Pittsburgh last year. He finished 2025 with 1,656 all-purpose yards, piling up 537 on the ground, 486 as a receiver and another 633 on kickoff returns. Gainwell has carried that versatility into Tampa Bay. He has been used heavily as a receiver during camp, including in two-back packages with Irving, and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has praised his ability to handle just about anything the offense asks of him. Irving should still get most of the carries, and Tampa Bay has not named Gainwell its primary kick returner. Reynolds' projection is aggressive, but Gainwell's receiving role and history of producing yards in several different ways give him a real path to making it happen.
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
Tuesday, September 1, 12:36 PM
The Detroit Lions announced on Tuesday that they placed running back Isiah Pacheco (back) on Injured Reserve. Pacheco will now have to wait until at least Week 5 to make his Lions debut in 2026. The 27-year-old also missed time in training camp this summer with a sprained MCL in his knee, so the injury issues that plagued his final two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 and 2025 have followed him to Detroit. Pacheco was not expected to see much volume behind three-down workhorse Jahmyr Gibbs, but his fantasy appeal as a late-round handcuff now takes another hit. In Pacheco's absence, Sione Vaki is expected to serve as Detroit's RB2, with Jacob Saylors and Jabari Small fighting for expanded roles as well. Pacheco had a combined 1,765 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in his first two years in KC, adding 57 receptions for 374 yards and another two scores as a receiver. However, he managed to play in only 20 games over the last two seasons and produced 772 rushing yards and only two rushing TDs on 201 carries in the last two years.
Kenny Gainwell vs. Isiah Pacheco
Still trying to decide between Gainwell and Pacheco? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Kenny Gainwell is projected to score 9.5 points this week while Isiah Pacheco is projected to score 6.3 points.
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