IsiahPacheco

News: 7 hours agoThe Chiefs have activated Pacheco (ankle) from IR ahead of Friday's game against the Raiders.

Spin: 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.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: If Pacheco's rookie campaign was the one that put him on the fantasy map, his sophomore year was the one that earned him star status. His 15.3 fantasy points per game were nearly double his 2022 number (7.9), and he surged late in the season, scoring 20-plus points in three of his final four regular-season games before totaling 373 yards and three touchdowns on 93 touches during the Chiefs' Super Bowl championship run. Most importantly, Pacheco handled seven of the team's 10 goal line carries and 16 of 23 carries in goal-to-go situations, establishing himself the clear primary rusher. He's a fantasy RB1 and should settle in as a near-universal second-round pick.