Isiah Pacheco runs like the ground did him wrong.
At least, he used to run like that. In 2025, it felt like the ground started fighting back, with the former Kansas City Chiefs running back going from a key cog in their offense to a bit of a liability, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry and picking up just 462 rushing yards on the season.
It led to the Chiefs going out and signing Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, leaving Pacheco to land with the Lions in a new conference, and with big shoes to fill behind Jahmyr Gibbs.
It feels like the perfect set-up for Pacheco to have a bounce back season in relief of Gibbs, as this new two-headed attack on offense looks to recreate the feeling we all had watching "Sonic and Knuckles" tear apart defenses in 2023 and 2024. That kind of bounce back, writes FanSided's Justin Carter, could also mean a huge fantasy year from Pacheco.
"Montgomery had 158 carries last season, so there should be plenty of available touches for Pacheco, and I think it's safe to say this Lions coaching staff knows how to maximize its running backs better than the Chiefs did. Pacheco is being viewed as a fringe top-50 running back by fantasy experts, but he could sneak into a top-35 finish simply by being 75 percent as good as he was from 2022 to 2023."
Pacheco could be a risky bet worth taking in fantasy football for 2026
Back in 2023, Pacheco was generating 15.3 fantasy points per game, which was a career-high for the running back. That came on the back of a 935 rushing yard season for the Chiefs, the same season the team also won the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. Everyone was riding high in Kansas City in 2023, which made Pacheco's sudden decline all the more startling.
Following 2023, Pacheco only averaged 8.1 fantasy points per game, and only suited up for seven due to injury. In 2025, he sank even lower, averaging 6.7 fantasy points in 13 games played.
Assuming he can stay healthy with a "lighter" workload in Detroit, he could be the perfect RB2 to bank on in fantasy this season.
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However, Detroit's also looking to rely on their run game to generate yards for their offense this season, which is heavily indicated by their hiring of Drew Petzing as their new offensive coordinator. This could also help Pacheco along in his campaign for a bounce back, and could mean more touches for him behind a healthier Lions O-line.
Gibbs and Pacheco are shaping up to be a sleeper duo to bank on in fantasy, although Gibbs is far from a sleeper headed into 2026. Pacheco's effectiveness could really boost this backfield, though.
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