Chiefs rookie running back is turning heads and earning the attention of fantasy managers.
Perhaps no rookie has seen a bigger jump in ADP this week than Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, who has gone all the way from pick 281 to as high as pick 120 in National Fantasy Football Championship (NFFC) drafts.
After quarterback Patrick Mahomes gave Pacheco a glowing review from camp, the jump was inevitable. Said Mahomes of Pacheco: "When you're big, fast and smart, usually good things happen.”
The seventh-round pick out of Rutgers ran a blazing 4.37 40 at the combine, which is especially impressive with his 215-pound frame.
In Saturday’s preseason game, Pacheco was used briefly with the first team before being pulled on the second drive, indicating he could be a valuable part of the Chiefs’ offense.
Highlights like this from camp keep the hype-train rolling:
Head coach Andy Reid is known to prefer to use his backs in a bell-cow role, but there have been questions as to whether Clyde Edwards-Helaire is the right man for the job. The Chiefs traded up to draft Edwards-Helaire in the first round in 2020, but he has yet to truly impress. His two NFL seasons have been riddled with injury, and his 0.73 yards per route run ranked 64th out of 68 qualifying running backs in 2021. It looks unlikely CEH will ever be that bell-cow, and this backfield will become a committee.
The Chiefs signed Ronald Jones in the offseason, adding to a crowded backfield that includes Derrick Gore and Jerrick McKinnon, who out-snapped CEH 3-to-1 in the final two playoff games last season.
For now, Edwards Helaire continues to take first-team reps in camp, but the door is certainly open for another RB to break through.
Pacheco could be that guy, and he’s a great sleeper pick, but be careful if you’re planning to grab him well above ADP.
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