PlayerProfiler is home to award-winning dynasty rankings and tools. Our Dynasty Deluxe package includes complete Dynasty Rankings, Rookie Rankings, Trade Analyzer, Draft Planner, Mock Drafts, and more. Check it out! Below, Kyle Lesti talks about Isiah Pacheco: This Year’s Standout Value at RB.
Isiah Pacheco’s advanced stats and metrics
Isiah Pacheco is my favorite value right now in drafts. Had he taken the playoffs off last year and taken the time to recover from his fractured fibula FULLY, we would be drafting him where he was going in drafts this time last year, if not sooner. Many of us (myself included) may forget that he also suffered a rib injury in week 17. Upon returning from his broken leg, his snap share eclipsed 40 percent just once, in week 14. In the first two weeks, when healthy, Pacheco averaged 4.5 yards per touch and scored 15.8 and 16.1 PPR points in those games, respectively.
Kareem Hunt, who returned to the team only AFTER Pacheco suffered his injury, showed himself to be, generally, still a capable back. He was able to handle anywhere from 47-69 percent of the snaps in Pacheco’s absence and averaged about 14.75 fantasy points per game as the lead back. When Pacheco returned, however, it instantly became a split backfield. Hunt’s snap share dropped to an average of 48 percent in the 5 games at the end of the regular season.
Reid and Co. were clearly trying to ease Pacheco back in, but it was easy to see that he was just not the same. Certainly, the injured leg had atrophied, explaining the dip in his efficiency and overall productivity.
2025 Additions
This offseason, the Chiefs added free agent journeyman Elijah Mitchell and 7th-round draft pick Brashard Smith to the running back room.
Mitchell, after being sidelined all of last year with a hamstring injury, was given a 1-year deal on March 12. The former 6th-round pick flashed in his rookie season with San Francisco. There, he compiled 963 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 11 games while filling in for an injured Raheem Mostert.
However, it would be Mitchell who would deal with his own injuries in subsequent seasons. Care to guess as to who PlayerProfiler has as Mitchell’s Best Comparable Player? It’s Jerrick McKinnon! Hinting at a complimentary role at best.
Brashard Smith spent his first three years primarily as a return specialist (with some receiving work sprinkled in) at the University of Miami. He then transferred to Southern Methodist University (SMU) for the 2024 season. There, he had his breakout, accumulating nearly 2,000 all-purpose yards and 18 touchdowns.
While Smith looks like an exciting prospect, he is definitely on the lighter side, listed at 194 pounds. The average NFL RB weighs 215-220 lbs. This, along with his receiving chops, makes him another candidate for that Jerrick McKinnon-type role. Knowing how this coaching staff likes to bring rookies along slowly, his taking on a prominent role should come later than sooner.
In Conclusion
Pacheco has a clear path to regain the lead-back duties this season. Sure, a healthy Rashee Rice (suspension pending) and Xavier Worthy may prompt Reid to open up the offense a bit. But Spags’ defense is set to again be a significant strength of this team, which will lead to a more balanced attack than many suspect.
Hunt may still serve as a change of pace back, vulturing a touchdown here or there, but that is easily baked into Pacheco’s cost. Let’s not gloss over the fact that Hunt averaged just 3.6 yards per carry last year. In fact, he has averaged 3.5 yards per tote over the last 3 years. More than a full yard less than the 4.6 he boasted over the first five seasons of his career, when he was at his peak. “But what about in the red zone, where they featured Hunt last year?”. In 2023, Pacheco handled 50 red zone touches, showing the team’s confidence in him when and where it counts.
He’s a target in the 5th/6th-round range, depending on roster settings and host site. ESPN ADP has him at RB 23 (66th overall), and Sleeper ADP has him at RB 22 (61st overall). As evidenced by PlayerProfiler’s more sensible rank of RB18, these ADPs are closer to his floor than his ceiling.
That’s why I feel strongly about Isiah Pacheco: this year’s standout value at RB.
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