Lions backup RB Isiah Pacheco will now miss at least the first 4 games of the regular season with a back injury. GM Brad Holmes was asked if we would see Pacheco back on the field at some point this season and his response was, “That’s the hope.” Year 2 RB Jacob Saylors will take over backup responsibilities in the meantime, but this backfield belongs fully to superstar RB Jahmyr Gibbs.
After trading RB David Montgomery to the Texans early this offseason, backup RB could now be a weakness for Detroit. The Lions signed Pacheco, PlayerProfiler’s RB60, to a cheap 1 year contract and now they will have to rely on Jacob Saylors as the backup. Saylors had an impressive 17 carry-1oo yard game in the 2026 preseason finale against the Colts and may be worth an add in deep leagues with Pacheco’s return status up in the air. Gibbs will see the lions share of the touches and he’s poised to have a monster season.
~Justin Teck
Updating a previous report, Detroit Lions running back Isiah...
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that running back...
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Isiah Pacheco is now dealing with a back injury on top of his MCL sprain, with Dan Campbell unable to give a definitive answer on the running back’s Week 1 status. Campbell downplayed the MCL issue, but the combination of injuries is enough to put Pacheco’s availability and early season workload under serious scrutiny.
Pacheco owns a 90th-percentile Burst Score and 92nd-percentile College Dominator Rating on PlayerProfiler, but athletic metrics do not matter if he cannot get on the field. Pacheco is a draft fade until the injury picture clears, and Detroit’s workout of Kareem Hunt is a reminder that the Lions are not treating the backfield situation as settled.
Despite Dan Campbell expressing confidence regarding his Week 1 availability after recent practice absences, MCL strains require a multi-week recovery, and Isiah Pacheco may simply not be ready for the start of the season. Once active, he sits firmly behind Jahmyr Gibbs on the depth chart.
Gibbs ceiling only goes higher with this news, as he already commands elite volume metrics, including a 63.6-percent Opportunity Share and a 17.1-percent Target Share, leaving zero standalone fantasy value for secondary backfield options. Meanwhile, Pacheco functions as a pure contingent asset whose fantasy utility depends on a starter injury ahead of him.
Fantasy relevant players ruled out Sunday include Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin, Joe Burrow, Samaje Perine, Chris Godwin, Bucky Irving, Dalton Kincaid, Jaxson Dart, Darius Slayton, C.J. Stroud, Brenton Strange, Marvin Harrison, Tory Horton, Isiah Pacheco, J.K. Dobbins, Rashod Bateman, Justice Hill, and Sam LaPorta.
Per Adam Schefter
Isiah Pacheco suffered an injury on Monday Night Football. It appeared he was ok when he hopped off the trainers table, but it has come out that he suffered an MCL sprain.
This will keep Pacheco out on a week to week basis. This immediately provides life to Brashard Smith in the profitable Jerick McKinnon role and fortifies Kareem Hunt as the between the tackles grinder. With the Chiefs backfield narrowing from 3 to 2 primary weapons, this will be easier for fantasy purposes in start and sit decisions. Fire up Smith for upside and Hunt for stability in the RB2/Flex spot(s) of lineups.
Author: Jeremiah Retzlaff (@coachretzlaff1)
Kareem Hunt carried nine time for forty yards and a touchdown, he also added a receiving touchdown on his only reception. The Chiefs ground game was very effective throughout the game, rushing for 148 yards on thirty carries.
Hunt scored the two touchdowns but Isiah Pacheco paced the backfield with twelve carries for fifty-eight yards. Brashard Smith continues to have a limited role, carrying just three times for eight yards.
The Chiefs could always add a running back at the deadline but Hunt and Pacheco are running well, both averaged over four yards a carry last night. Smith appears to be the odd man out currently but remains a solid handcuff in case Hunt or Pacheco suffers an injury.
Author: David Leonard Jr. (@RealDelcoDave)
