Pacheco has not made the impact Fantasy managers were hoping for when he returned from his broken leg in Week 13. In three games, Pacheco has scored 8.1 PPR points or less, and he has just four catches for 26 yards on six targets, along with no touchdowns. He continues to share playing time with Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine, and now Patrick Mahomes (ankle) is not 100 percent. This week, Pacheco is facing a Texans defense that is No. 4 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Pacheco should only be considered a flex option at best in the majority of leagues.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Splits carries evenly with Hunt
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Pacheco rushed 13 times for 32 yards and brought in his only target for 15 yards in the Chiefs' 21-7 win over the Browns on Sunday.
Pacheco and backfield mate Kareem Hunt finished with the same number of carries, one week after Pacheco appeared to reclaim his lead-back role with 16 totes against the Chargers. Hunt actually outgained Pacheco by 13 rushing yards and one target, although the latter did more with his one pass-catching opportunity. The division of labor in the ground attack during a tough Week 16 home matchup Saturday afternoon against the Texans will therefore be interesting to monitor, and if star signal-caller Patrick Mahomes were to miss that game with the ankle injury he suffered Sunday, it could be even tougher sledding on the ground for either back.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Works as clear RB1 with 16 touches
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Pacheco rushed 14 times for 55 yards while catching two of four targets for six yards in Sunday's 19-17 win over the Chargers.
Pacheco returned to the clear-cut lead role in his second game back from a fractured fibula, as Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine combined for just eight touches. After posting 189 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in two games prior to the injury, Pacheco has 110 total yards without a score in two games since returning. Pacheco will look to pick up the pace in Week 15 against the Browns.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Returns as KC's leading rusher
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Pacheco (ankle) took seven carries for 44 yards and caught his only target for five receiving yards in Friday's 19-17 win over the Raiders.
Pacheco made a successful return from a nine-game layoff due to an ankle injury that occurred back in Week 2. The explosive back looked the part after averaging 6.3 yards per carry while tying fill-in starter Kareem Hunt with seven carries in Friday's slim win. Both backs figure to remain involved with a head coach as creative as Andy Reid, but Pacheco is certainly the back with the upward trending arrow on his fantasy stock. For now, consider both Chiefs playable options heading into an important divisional matchup against the Chargers next Sunday.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Activated from IR
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The Chiefs have activated Pacheco (ankle) from IR ahead of Friday's game against the Raiders.
Pacheco doesn't carry a designation on the Chiefs' Week 13 injury report, which sets the stage for him to see his first game action since suffering a fractured fibula during Week 2 action. In his looming return to the lineup, it remains to be seen how heavy of a workload Pacheco will be handed after his extended absence, but it's plausible that he could be eased back into the mix to a degree, with Kareem Hunt, who has been filling in as the team's starting RB, also on hand.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Looks likely to play Friday
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Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed Wednesday that Pacheco (ankle) will play Friday against the Raiders unless he suffers a setback this week, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.
Listed as a limited participant in each practice the past two weeks, Pacheco upgraded to full participation Tuesday and now is expected to get activated from injured reserve and play for the first time since Week 2. Reid hasn't said if Pacheco is likely to get his usual workload Friday or if he'll yield touches to Kareem Hunt, who served as the Chiefs' lead back during Pacheco's absence.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Remains limited at practice
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Pacheco (ankle) remained limited at practice Thursday.
Pacheco, who was also limited Wednesday, thus has one more opportunity to practice fully ahead of Sunday's game against the Panthers. While he's trending in the right direction ahead of the weekend, it remains to be seen if the Chiefs will elect to activate Pacheco from IR prior to Saturday afternoon's deadline to do so. If he's held out of Week 12 action, Kareem Hunt would once again be in line to lead the team's backfield versus Carolina.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Logs another limited practice
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Pacheco (ankle) was a limited participant in practice Wednesday.
While Pacheco's ability to continue practicing in a limited fashion is encouraging, head coach Andy Reid said earlier Wednesday that he's not yet ready to commit to the running back -- who remains on injured reserve -- playing Sunday against the Panthers, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. If Pacheco ends up sidelined this weekend, Kareem Hunt would once again be in line to handle the bulk of the Chiefs' backfield touches Sunday.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Eyeing Week 12 return
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Pacheco (ankle) is expected to be ready to return from injured reserve for the Chiefs' Week 12 game against the Panthers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Pacheco will miss his eighth straight game this Sunday at Buffalo, but the running back took a major step forward in his recovery from his surgically repaired right fibula by returning to practice this week as a limited participant from Wednesday through Friday. Though the Chiefs will have 21 days from when his evaluation window was first opened this past Tuesday to add Pacheco back to the 53-man roster, the 25-year-old looks as though he'll need just two weeks of practice to get himself ready to play. Kareem Hunt has been serving as the Chiefs' lead back in Pacheco's absence over the last couple of months, but he'll likely move into more of a secondary change-of-pace role out of the backfield once Pacheco is activated. Assuming Pacheco is ready to go for the Week 12 contest, the Chiefs could still look to limit his snaps and usage to some degree in his first game back, especially with the team facing a quick turnaround for Week 13 with a Black Friday matchup with the Raiders on Nov. 29.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Won't return Sunday
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Coach Andy Reid said Friday that Pacheco (ankle), who remains on injured reserve, won't play Sunday at Buffalo, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.
Since the Chiefs designated Pacheco for return from IR on Tuesday, Pacheco put together limited practices Wednesday and Thursday, but he's still in his ramp-up period following the fractured fibula that he sustained Week 2 against the Bengals. In the meantime, Kareem Hunt will continue to pace Kansas City's backfield, while Samaje Perine and Carson Steele will be on hand for any RB reps that linger.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Unlikely to play Week 11
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Kansas City head coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that Pacheco (fibula) is unlikely to be activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game against the Bills, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.
Pacheco was designated to return from IR on Tuesday and will resume practicing with the Chiefs this week, but Reid said that the running back will be gradually worked back into the mix and isn't trending toward being available for Sunday's game. If that's the case, Kareem Hunt will continue to lead Kansas City's backfield versus Buffalo, with Samaje Perineand Carson Steele working in complementary roles behind him. If Pacheco fares well in practice over the next two weeks, he could make his return to the lineup Nov. 24 versus the Panthers.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: May resume practicing soon
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Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Monday that Pacheco (fibula) is closing in on a return to practice, Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com reports. "They're all close. JuJu closer than the other two," Reid said in regards to when Pacheco (fibula), wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) and defensive end Charles Omenihu (knee) might resume practicing.
The Chiefs must designate Pacheco for return from injured reserve in order for him to practice for the first time since he fractured his right fibula back on Sept. 15. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the team is eyeing a return for Pacheco in late November, so getting on the practice field this week would mean his 21-day window extends through the end of the month. In the meantime, though, Kareem Hunt will continue to dominate touches out of Kansas City's backfield.
Pacheco (fibula) is expected to resume practicing in 2-to-3 weeks and is tracking toward a return from injured reserve in late November, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Pacheco has already spent the requisite four games on injured reserve, as the Chiefs deactivated him Sept. 18 after he fractured his right fibula in a Week 2 win over the Bengals three days earlier. The running back underwent surgery shortly thereafter and seems to have steered clear of any setbacks in the rehab process, but he'll still have a few more checkpoints to pass before the Chiefs integrate him into practices. Given the timeline laid out by Rapoport, Pacheco should be expected to remain sidelined for at least the Chiefs' next three games, which will extend Kareem Hunt's leash as Kansas City's lead option out of the backfield.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Not ready to practice
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While head coach Andy Reid noted Thursday that Pacheco (fibula) is "doing fantastic," the running back is not ready to return to practice this week, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.
The report suggests that Pacheco -- who injured his fibula Sept. 15 -- is unlikely to practice next week, either, but that's not especially surprising, considering the initial estimate that he'd miss 6-to-8 weeks. With that context, as well as Reid's encouraging comments Thursday, in mind, it does seem that Pacheco could start inching toward a return to action in a couple of weeks or so, but for the time being Kareem Hunt will continue to lead Kansas City's backfield.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Goes on IR
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The Chiefs placed Pacheco (fibula) on injured reserve Wednesday.
Per Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site, Pacheco is slated to undergo surgery later Wednesday. Once the surgery is completed, the Chiefs could have a better idea of how much time Pacheco will miss, though Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Monday that the running back is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks. At the very least, Pacheco will be sidelined at least four games, leaving Carson Steele, Samaje Perine and Keaontay Ingram as the available backfield options on the 53-man roster. Meanwhile, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is on the reserve/non-football illness list and will be eligible for activation beginning in Week 5, and Kareem Hunt signed with Kansas City's practice squad Tuesday and can be elevated at any time.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Undergoing surgery this week
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Pacheco is slated to undergo surgery on his fractured right fibula in the middle of this week, which will require at least six weeks to recover from, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Pacheco's right leg was caught under a defender on the Chiefs' final possession during Sunday's win against the Bengals. He was seen in a walking boot afterward, and testing eventually revealed the diagnosis of a fracture and a prognosis of 6-to-8 weeks, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. In Pacheco's absence, the duo of Carson Steele and Samaje Perine likely will get the first chance to man Kansas City's field. As for other RB options, Clyde Edwards-Helaire must remain on the reserve/non-football illness list until at least Week 5, Keaontay Ingram and Emani Bailey reside on the practice squad, and Kareem Hunt is expected to visit the team.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Could miss 6-to-8 weeks
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Pacheco (fibula) is expected to miss in the range of 6-to-8 weeks, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
For his part, coach Andy Reid has already confirmed that Pacheco will miss Sunday's game against the Falcons, per Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star, while acknowledging that "it's going to take a little bit of time there" for the running back to recover from his fibula injury. With Pacheco expected to land on IR, Carson Steele and Samaje Perine are next up in the Chiefs' backfield pecking order, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire -- who is on the non-football illness list -- not eligible to return to the active roster until Week 5. The team also has Keaontay Ingram and Emani Bailey on the practice squad and plans to bring Kareem Hunt in for a visit.
Initial tests indicate that Pacheco suffered a fractured fibula in Sunday's 26-25 win over the Bengals, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Pacheco left the stadium Sunday in a walking boot and crutches, and he looks poised to miss some time, although no official recovery timeline has been provided yet. Additional work in the Kansas City backfield will be available for Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Leaves arena in walking boot
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Pacheco (ankle) left the stadium in a walking boot and on crutches after Sunday's 26-25 win over the Bengals, and he will undergo additional tests on his ankle injury Monday, Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com reports.
Pacheco's tests Monday will clarify the severity of the ankle injury he suffered on his 24th and final touch of Sunday's nailbiting win. If the running back carries an injury designation into Week 3 against the Falcons, the pool of possible alternatives for his fantasy managers will be diminished since most games will have been completed by the time the Chiefs kick off on Sunday Night Football. Carson Steele and Samaje Perine, who combined for eight touches against Cincinnati, would be the top candidates to fill in if Pacheco misses any time.
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Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco: Continues to lead backfield
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Pacheco remains in line to serve as the Chiefs' lead back in Thursday's season opener versus the Ravens, Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star reports.
With Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the reserve/non-football illness list and in line to miss at least four games, Samaje Perine and rookie Carson Steele are slated to work in complementary roles behind Pacheco to begin the season. While Perine is an adept pass-catching option and will have an opportunity to carve out a change-of-pace role with Kansas City, the newcomer is still getting up to speed with the team's playbook, so he might not be heavily utilized versus Baltimore. With that in mind, Pacheco is a candidate to see plenty of touches Week 1.
