Who Should I Start? Leonard Fournette or Isiah Pacheco

Monday, November 11, 12:22 PM

The Cincinnati Bengals are working out veteran free-agent running back Leonard Fournette on Monday. The Bengals apparently are considering adding to their RB room after Zack Moss (neck) suffered a season-ending injury in the Week 9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, despite trading for Khalil Herbert at the deadline last Tuesday. Chase Brown should operate as the team's unquestioned lead back moving forward, with Trayveon Williams as the RB3 behind Brown and Herbert. If the Bengals were to add Fournette, he'd almost certainly start on the practice squad before potentially working his way onto the active 53-man roster as additional RB depth. The 29-year-old veteran played in two games with the Bills in 2023 and has 12 carries for 40 yards on the ground. There's no guarantee that Lenny would find a significant role in Cincy if he were to be signed.

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.