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Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco enjoyed a big breakout season in 2023, finishing as the RB15 in full-PPR scoring despite missing three games due to injury. Pacheco was one of the toughest runners in the NFL and had many highlight-reel-worthy plays. It was hard to find a runner as tough as Pacheco in the league.
Isiah started well in 2024, scoring 15.80 and 16.10 PPR fantasy points in his first two games before tragically breaking his leg and being forced to undergo surgery and miss a significant amount of time in the 2024 season. Pacheco has an inspiring backstory, so it's exceptionally sad to see this happen.
Will Pacheco return during the 2024 season? If so, when will he be back? Let's dive in.
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Isiah Pacheco Injury Update for Fantasy Football
Pacheco's injury is a fractured fibula, meaning there was no simple recovery option and he had to have surgery. The exact timeline for his return isn't clear at this point. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid stated that there was no timeline for his return yet, and the team is letting him rehab and not placing expectations on him yet.
Andy Reid says Pacheco is headed to IR to have surgery and has no timeline
Says it could be this season or the next pic.twitter.com/CRa9QybCXz
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 18, 2024
The "or the next" phrase could scare fantasy managers, but luckily, Pacheco isn't expected to miss the rest of the season. A fractured fibula this early in the year isn't typically season-ending, and NFL insider Adam Schefter reports that while it will likely be longer than a four-week absence, it isn't believed to be a threat to end Pacheco's season.
"Isiah Pacheco is gonna wind up on IR and he's gonna miss a minimum of four weeks..
I think it'll be a little bit longer than that but it's not gonna be season ending" ~ @AdamSchefter#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/umXPhgVh8E
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 16, 2024
This is good news for Pacheco owners. Fractured fibulas aren't great injuries, but they heal well and don't lead to long-term complications generally, unlike complex ligament and joint injuries that are much more difficult for the body to repair.
Isiah Pacheco Fantasy Football Outlook
Pacheco required a high pick to draft and doesn't have much trade value this far away from his return, so managers are mostly stuck holding the bag with him. Luckily for managers who drafted him, he's an extremely talented player and is far more skilled than any other RB on the Chiefs roster.
This means Pacheco, once fully healthy, should resume getting a lion's share of the touches in the Chiefs backfield. He's a must-start when he plays, and he has the potential to easily score double-digit points every time he plays. Backs in roles like Pacheco's are massively valuable for fantasy football, as volume is nearly all that matters for the position.
Pacheco managers will have to sit tight for some time. But it will be worth it when he returns, and there's a good chance he could be back to mostly full strength for the fantasy playoffs. If his managers can weather this storm and make it to the postseason, they could be rewarded greatly.
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