For most of the careers of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, the expectations for the Kansas City Chiefs have been to win the Super Bowl or nothing. For this fantastic duo there are no half measures. The quality is proven and it is only necessary to place the right receiver to receive the bombs from the star quarterback or have the running back that allows him to advance the 10 yards. The Chiefs go into this season with the intention of returning to the Super Bowl after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles last season.
An element of the Chiefs’ offense that was lacking in 2024 was a solid running game. For most of the previous two seasons, the backfield had been anchored by Isiah Pacheco. That was not the case last year, largely due to injuries, but can fantasy football managers count on Pacheco’s recovery this season? Matt Harmon and Justin Boone analyzed Pacheco’s ADP rise on the latest episode of Yahoo Fantasy Forecast.
Should the ground game be the main option for Mahomes?
In this regard, Justin Boone points out that Pacheco is healthy and his competition in the backfield is rather scarce. Behind Pacheco are veterans Kareem Hunt and Elijah Mitchell, as well as rookie Brashard Smith. While Hunt and Mitchell could compete for touches, and Smith has good pass catching, it is really Pacheco’s RB1 role that is lost. The ghost of injuries has been far from Pat Mahomes, so he will be able to show off his aerial game in several offensive series.
In 2024, Pacheco missed most of the season due to a fractured fibula suffered early in the season. He was able to return in Week 13 after missing nine games, but did not look like the same player. He would finish the season with 3.7 yards per carry and was barely a factor in Kansas City’s Super Bowl run.
How to choose Isiah Pacheco in Fantasy Football?
For Justin Boone, with the recent past of the Kansas City Chiefs running back and the little pressure he will have with his teammates, he will undoubtedly gladly choose him as his RB2 in drafts this season, and Harmon then comments that this is how the Chiefs are: they are going to be among the top five in terms of projected points, and having the RB1 in that attack would not be bad. Pacheco’s current ADP ranks him as RB24, right on the edge of the RB2 conversation in 12-team leagues.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ kickoff will take place internationally where on Friday, September 5, they will face the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil. The venue will be the city of Sao Paulo within the Neo Quimica Arena, the first opening game in the NFL’s worldwide tour.
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