Dynasty Value Check
Isiah Pacheco has quietly landed in one of the better backup running back situations in the NFL. That does not automatically make him worth rostering in dynasty leagues, though. It does, however, make him worth thinking about…carefully.
Pacheco spent four years in Kansas City, winning two Super Bowls and establishing himself as one of the more punishing ball carriers in the league. Then injuries happened. Then efficiency slipped. Then the Chiefs moved on. He entered 2026 free agency as a bruised asset, and the Lions picked him up on a one-year, $1.81 million deal, the kind of contract a team gives a player they want but are not yet sure about.
The 2025 season in Kansas City was rough. Across 13 games, Pacheco produced 563 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 137 touches. His yards per carry sat below four for the second consecutive season. Over the past two years combined, he missed 14 games. For a running back entering his age-27 season, that injury history is not a footnote. It is the story.
Detroit, to its credit, is a smart landing spot. The Lions run the ball with purpose and conviction, and they have the offensive line to make it work. Jahmyr Gibbs handles the volume and the big-play role. The running back behind him handles the dirty work, short yardage, early downs, and sometimes scores touchdowns in bunches as a result. David Montgomery proved exactly how productive that role could be, scoring 20 touchdowns over his final two seasons in Detroit before being traded to Houston this offseason.
That is the blueprint Pacheco is being handed. And therein lies both the appeal and the risk.
The Case For
The Lions’ backfield historically produces fantasy value at the RB2 spot in ways most teams simply do not replicate. Montgomery scored in 21 of 28 games during his Detroit tenure. The offense lines up at the goal line and hands it to the second running back. That is not a scheme thing. That is a culture thing under Dan Campbell, and it carried over even after Ben Johnson left for Chicago.
If Pacheco stays healthy and holds the role, the touchdown upside is real. In a best-case scenario, he becomes a low-end RB2 in dynasty formats with a reliable scoring floor, the kind of back worth stashing if you have the roster space.
The Case Against
Pacheco has not looked like his 2022-23 self in two years. His burst has faded. His efficiency has declined. And the Lions, fully aware of his injury history, gave him a one-year deal worth less than two million dollars, hardly a signal of organizational commitment.
Any injury to Gibbs would vault Pacheco into a workhorse role, which raises his ceiling considerably. But counting on an injury to unlock a player’s value is not a dynasty strategy. It is a gamble.
The Verdict
Pacheco is a low-cost dart throw in dynasty leagues, not a foundational piece. If you can acquire him for pennies in a trade, the touchdown upside in Detroit’s offense makes the investment worthwhile. If anyone is asking for real value in return, pass. The situation is appealing. The player himself remains a question mark.
Buy low. Just do not overspend