IsiahPacheco

News: 3 days agoPacheco (ribs) has been ruled out for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Broncos.

Spin: With the Chiefs having clinched the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed, they'll play it safe with Pacheco with an eye toward having him healthy for the team's divisional-round contest. Meanwhile, fellow RB Kareem Hunt (not injury-related) is among the team's key players listed as doubtful for Sunday's contest and on track to be rested in Week 18. In that context, Samaje Perine and Carson Steele are available to handle backfield reps versus Denver, with Keaontay Ingram being a potential practice-squad elevation.

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.