Kansas City prepares for their Week 13 Thanksgiving Day clash against the Dallas Cowboys looking to continue their playoff push. Isiah Pacheco has been dealing with a knee injury he suffered nearly a month ago that’s kept him out for four games. Will fantasy football managers finally get the powerful runner back on the field this week?
Isiah Pacheco Injury Update
Pacheco sat out the team’s Week 11 defeat to Denver after being unable to practice all week. The Rutgers product sprained his MCL during a fourth-quarter run in Kansas City’s Week 8 win over Washington when he absorbed contact to the knee and hobbled to the sideline. Trainers evaluated him on the sideline, and he never reentered that game.​
The diagnosis came back as an MCL sprain, with Kansas City labeling him week to week. That designation usually indicates a multi-week layoff rather than a day-to-day situation. MCL sprains typically need 4-6 weeks of healing time based on severity.​
Following the team’s Week 9 contest against Buffalo, the Chiefs had their Week 10 bye. The original expectation was that the bye would provide enough recovery time for Pacheco to play in Week 11, but that proved too aggressive.​
Last week brought an encouraging development when Pacheco logged full participation on Wednesday. That appeared to put him on track for Sunday’s game. However, Thursday saw him downgraded to limited work.​
Pacheco’s practice participation level progression last week certainly raised eyebrows. Going from full on Wednesday to limited Thursday and Friday suggests a setback. But head coach Andy Reid said no such thing occurred. If he’s telling the truth, then fantasy managers should expect Pacheco back this week.​
It sounds as if holding him out one more week was more precautionary than anything else. Perhaps the Chiefs playing on a short week had something to do with the decision. Asking a player to return from injury and play two games in five days is a lot. By holding Pacheco out on Sunday, he can be fresh for Thursday’s primetime matchup.​ He was listed as a full participant on Monday’s estimated practice report.
Pacheco missed nine consecutive contests with a broken leg in 2024, and even after returning from that setback, he never quite looked like himself. The hope is this MCL sprain doesn’t limit his effectiveness the way last year’s leg injury did. Kansas City tried to bolster the running back room at the trade deadline by pursuing Jets back Breece Hall, but those discussions never materialized into a deal.​
Pacheco’s Fantasy Outlook
During Pacheco’s four-week absence, Kareem Hunt has served as Kansas City’s primary ball carrier. He’s been a true workhorse, playing around 80% of the snaps. Hunt demonstrated his ability to shoulder a featured workload last season when filling in for Pacheco during his broken fibula recovery, and he’s been doing it again these past three games.
RELATED: Free Fantasy Football Start/Sit Optimizer
However, Pacheco’s expected comeback likely ends Hunt’s month-long stint as the workhorse. The Chiefs have stumbled badly recently, essentially falling out of the AFC West race and now focused solely on trying to secure a Wild Card spot.
Seventh-rounder Brashard Smith remains a non-factor despite expectations he’d share carries with Hunt. Following his 14-attempt performance earlier in the season, Smith has been confined to specialty situations and isn’t worth rostering in most leagues.​
Pacheco will not necessarily be startable upon his return. But at the very least, he can get fantasy managers 6-8 points.
