The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, but one of their key players will be missing. Star running back Isiah Pacheco will be out for quite some time after suffering a serious injury during last week’s 26-25 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Isiah Pacheco’s Injury Details
After Pacheco was tackled while his leg was trapped under another defender, he limped off the field with roughly two minutes remaining in the Week 2 game. He appeared to have suffered a lower-body injury, and he didn’t return to the game.
This appears to be the moment of injury for Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco. Andy Reid said Pacheco is undergoing tests. The back was seen leaving Arrowhead in a walking boot and crutches. pic.twitter.com/aPZpRe629X
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) September 16, 2024
Initially, the injury didn’t seem serious, as Pacheco was seen jumping up and down to celebrate Harrison Butker’s game-winning field goal, and reporters who spoke to him after the game said he was in good spirits and it didn’t seem like anything was wrong.
However, tests must have revealed the extent of his injury shortly after, as Pacheco was visibly upset postgame, and he left the stadium on crutches and in a walking boot. The next morning, it was revealed that he suffered a fractured fibula.
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Pacheco is expected to miss six to eight weeks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He has been added to injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least the next four weeks and very likely longer.
“I don’t have a timeline on (his return),” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said, per The Athletic’s Nate Taylor. “It’s going to take a little bit of time.”
After Pacheco exited the contest, the Chiefs used backup running backs Samaje Perine and Carson Steele for the rest of their final drive, which ended when Butker converted a game-winning 50-yard field goal to give Kansas City a 26-25 win.
Fantasy Implications of Pacheco’s Injury
This is the worst-case scenario for Pacheco owners, who drafted him very early due to his huge workload in one of the NFL’s best offenses. Unfortunately, there is not even a clear handcuff to turn to in Kansas City.
As previously mentioned, the Chiefs leaned on Steele and Perine after Pacheco exited the game. In Week 2, Steele got five carries, while Perine had one target. Steele is more suited to being an early down back, and Perine is typically a traditional passing down back.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire will also miss another couple of weeks, so this has become a tricky spot to find fantasy value. The team recently signed Keaontay Ingram and Kareem Hunt (to the practice squad), but it remains to be seen how either will factor in.
Steele perhaps has the upside, with the potential of being the goal-line back, but he will be very touchdown-dependent.
Steele has the most value in non-PPR leagues while Perine is the player to target in PPR formats.