Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco reclaimed the rushing lead in Sunday's loss to the Chargers. He took his 11 carries for just 21 yards (1.9 per rush), while Kareem Hunt carried six times for 12 yards (2.0). Brashard Smith claimed the other two RB attempts, contributing a mere 1 yard. The usage pushed the backfield split back to what we saw from Kansas City backs before Pacheco's injury absence.
According to Pro Football Focus, Pacheco claimed 66.8% of the Chiefs' early-down RB snaps over the first eight weeks. Hunt took the smaller share there while operating as the more frequent receiving and goal-line back.
After Pacheco missed weeks 9-12, he returned to just 36.6% and 37.8% of those early-down snaps in his first two games back. But that jumped to 68.8% against the Chargers on Sunday.
That's good timing for Pacheco, with a Titans matchup coming in Week 16. Losing QB Patrick Mahomes to an ACL tear obviously downgrades the entire offense. But it could also motivate more of a rushing lean for that game.
Expect Pacheco to hit our Week 16 rankings as a RB3 with some upside.
A Week 17 spot vs. Houston, on the other hand, looks like one to miss.
The work shift makes Hunt difficult to like for Week 16 usage, even in deeper leagues.
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