Isiah Pacheco Fantasy Stats

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes said that he does not want to put a timeline on running back Isiah Pacheco's (back) return after the team placed him on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. "He's doing everything that he can to get back. He's steadily feeling better," Holmes said. Pacheco's fantasy stock continues to fall because of injuries after he was brought to Detroit in free agency to handle change-of-pace duties behind stud All-Pro back Jahmyr Gibbs. The 27-year-old will miss at least the first four games in 2026, and possibly more if he is not ready by then. With Pacheco now injured, Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors will battle for RB2 scraps behind Gibbs, who is one of the few elite workhorse backs left in the NFL. Pacheco, a former seventh-rounder in 2022 from Rutgers, had 1,765 combined rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in his first two years with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 and 2023, adding 57 receptions for 374 yards and two more TDs as a receiver. But he played in only 20 games the last two years and finished with 772 rushing yards and two touchdowns and 31 catches for 180 yards and a score.

The Detroit Lions announced on Tuesday that they placed running back Isiah Pacheco (back) on Injured Reserve. Pacheco will now have to wait until at least Week 5 to make his Lions debut in 2026. The 27-year-old also missed time in training camp this summer with a sprained MCL in his knee, so the injury issues that plagued his final two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 and 2025 have followed him to Detroit. Pacheco was not expected to see much volume behind three-down workhorse Jahmyr Gibbs, but his fantasy appeal as a late-round handcuff now takes another hit. In Pacheco's absence, Sione Vaki is expected to serve as Detroit's RB2, with Jacob Saylors and Jabari Small fighting for expanded roles as well. Pacheco had a combined 1,765 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in his first two years in KC, adding 57 receptions for 374 yards and another two scores as a receiver. However, he managed to play in only 20 games over the last two seasons and produced 772 rushing yards and only two rushing TDs on 201 carries in the last two years.

When asked about Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco's (back, knee) status for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Dan Campbell said, "I can't give you anything definitive." Campbell said that Pacheco picked up a back injury in training camp, in addition to his MCL sprain, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. Right now, Pacheco's knee is not the concern. If the 27-year-old Pacheco is unavailable to play in the season opener in early September, Sione Vaki is likely to step up into the RB2 role in Detroit behind starter Jahmyr Gibbs. Pacheco ran for 1,765 yards and 12 touchdowns on 375 carries while adding 57 catches for 374 yards and two more TDs as a receiver in his first two years with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 and 2023, but he combined for just 201 carries, 772 rushing yards, and two touchdowns in 20 games in the last two years while dealing with various injuries. When healthy, he's expected to be the backup in a change-of-pace role for Gibbs, but he is not selling himself as a handcuff target for fantasy managers with more injury issues before the start of the 2026 season. Right now, Pacheco is ranked as the RB54 at RotoBaller.

Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco didn't have the greatest stint in Kansas City, but landing with the Lions should allow him to be utilized in a more appropriate fashion. We expect the Lions to use Pacheco in short-yardage scenarios, giving Jahmyr Gibbs an opportunity for a breather. That's similar to what we have seen in years past from David Montgomery, who handled some early-down work and got involved near the line to gain or the goal line. That role saw Montgomery score 33 touchdowns over the last three seasons, so there's a real growth opportunity here for Pacheco, who has never scored more than seven touchdowns in a single season. While Gibbs is the undisputed No. 1 back here, Pacheco is a solid handcuff who also has some standalone fantasy value because of his ability to score touchdowns in a really favorable system and environment. The 27-year-old currently ranks as the RB57 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football draft rankings for 2026.

Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) will not practice this week, according to head coach Dan Campbell. Pacheco suffered an MCL sprain during last week's practice, and it reportedly won't affect his Week 1 status. However, with Pacheco's injury and Jacob Saylors (ankle) dealing with a minor injury, the team signed running back Trayveon Williams to a one-year contract. If this knee sprain lingers as the season approaches, Pacheco could lose reps to star running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who has proven he can be a full workhorse back. Fantasy managers of Gibbs and Pacheco should monitor the former Kansas City Chiefs back's status closely, since missed time could impact both players in fantasy.

Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) is dealing with a sprained MCL, but head coach Dan Campbell told the media that the team still feels good about his Week 1 availability, according to beat writer Nolan Bianchi. Pacheco signed a one-year deal in the offseason but having now missed a string of training camp practices, the Lions have leaned on third-year back Sione Vaki to handle an expanded workload as three-time Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs ramps back up from an early training camp hold-in that resulted in him becoming the league's highest paid running back. After splitting the backfield with David Montgomery for his first three seasons, Gibbs is expected to handle close to a bell cow role in 2026, limiting Pacheco's standalone value but making him one of fantasy's most important handcuff backs and a player who can generally be found in the closing rounds of drafts as RotoBaller's RB44.

With an unexpected absence at the top of the depth chart, Detroit Lions running backs Isiah Pacheco and Sione Vaki have been splitting first-team reps in the early days of training camp. Three-time Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs has not been practicing as he seeks a long-term contract extension, and head coach Dan Campbell is taking advantage of an opportunity to load his other backs up with valuable work. Pacheco signed a one-year deal this offseason and is expected to handle parts of the vacated David Montgomery role, while Vaki enters his third season with the team after Detroit spent a fourth-round pick on him following a collegiate career in which he played predominantly on the defensive side of the ball. While Campbell has expressed confidence that an extension with Gibbs will get done, he is not overlooking the situation in front of him and is using it to prepare both players for any unexpected call to action over the course of a long 17-game season.

When Detroit Lions veterans gather for training camp on July 28, free agent acquisition Isiah Pacheco will have his first opportunity to prove that the Lions still possess the top running back tandem in the league. Expectations are through the roof for three-time Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs following the offseason trade that sent David Montgomery to the Texans, but having already handled 337 opportunities in 2025, it's unrealistic to think he'll absorb the bulk of Montgomery's 182 vacated touches, and so in factors Pacheco. After racking up more than 2,100 yards and 14 touchdowns across his first two years with the Chiefs, Pacheco has dealt with injuries over the past two seasons that have seen his efficiency plummet and limited him to only 952 total yards. In Detroit, he won't be asked to carry the load, but the opportunities he does see could be of the high-value variety, with the Lions again projected to have one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league and Montgomery averaging 16 carries from within the five-yard line over his three seasons with the team. At RotoBaller's WR43, Pacheco holds enough standalone value to make him worthy of selection at the end of 2026 drafts, but his true value comes through the insurance he provides as a back capable of handling an every-down role in a worst-case injury scenario.

The Detroit Lions have made it clear that running back Jahmyr Gibbs will be their bell-cow back in 2026, which means that newcomer Isiah Pacheco must prepare for a backup role in his new digs, according to Kory Woods of MLive Media Group. Pacheco, who won two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, signed a one-year deal with Detroit to replace David Montgomery, who was traded to the Houston Texans in early March. The 27-year-old former seventh-rounder in 2022 out of Rutgers started 31 of 34 games in the last three seasons in KC, but he's preparing for a much different role in Detroit. He's looking at a drastically reduced role in the Lions' backfield, especially after dealing with injuries in recent seasons. Pacheco missed nine games in 2024 with a broken right fibula and missed a month with an MCL sprain in 2024. In his first two years in the league, Pacheco averaged at least 4.6 yards per carry, but that number has dropped to 3.8 yards per attempt the last two years. Pacheco is committed to his new role behind Gibbs, but he has tumbled to No. 44 in RotoBaller's RB rankings for the 2026 campaign, making him more of a handcuff for Gibbs' managers.

Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco enters 2026 in a backup role behind star Lions back Jahmyr Gibbs. It's a new role for Pacheco, who spent most of his first four seasons in the NFL as the RB1 for the Kansas City Chiefs. However, Pacheco has struggled with both injuries and ineffectiveness over the past two seasons, missing 14 games and averaging just 3.8 yards per carry since the start of the 2024 campaign. In Detroit, Pacheco's touches will be limited as long as Gibbs remains healthy. Still, former Lions RB2 David Montgomery recorded 908 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns across 17 games in 2025. If Pacheco can assume a similar role as the thunder to Gibbs' lightning, he could be a productive player for fantasy managers in 2026. Pacheco's handcuff appeal is obvious as well, as he profiles as the clear winner in the Detroit backfield if Gibbs suffers an injury. In redraft leagues, Pacheco could be a late-round sleeper to target in drafts.