Isiah Pacheco vs David Montgomery: Who should I start in fantasy football Week 1?

Fantasy football is in full swing as Isiah Pacheco and David Montgomery will be making their 2023 regular-season debuts on Thursday Night. The Kansas City Chiefs host the Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium.

Last season, Pacheco came onto the scene and played a vital role in Kansas City's offense. Pacheco started 11 games in 2022, rushing for 830 yards and five touchdowns. The then-rookie had 122 PPR points in 2022, becoming a top-40 running back in fantasy football.

Montgomery is a veteran in the backfield who was equally, if not more impressive in fantasy last season with the Chicago Bears. He racked up 144 total fantasy points, making him a top-25 running back last season.

It's time to look at which player is a viable option in Week 1 for your team.

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Is Isiah Pacheco a good fantasy pick?

Isiah Pacheco

Pacheco is as good as a pick when it comes to fantasy given his age and upside. Looking at Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs offense, the seventh-round pick is the No.1 running back this season. He is also a valuable asset in the passing game, making him an even better pick.

However, Pacheco will likely be used as the anchor of the Chiefs' run game. It had 18 touchdowns on the ground in 2022, seventh in the league in 2022. He also accounted for 40.8 percent of the team's carries (170).

The other two running backs behind him on the depth chart, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon, were responsible for 34.3 percent combined. Edwards-Helaire and McKinnon had 71 and 72 carries in 2022, respectively.

It seems that Pacheco will get possibly 200 carries this upcoming season with an outside chance of a 1,000-yard season. Taking Pacheco in 2023 ensures an opportunity to compete for a championship.

He's listed as the 72nd overall player and the RB29 in fantasy this season when it comes to PPR. His average of ADP of This means he'll be available in the second to early third rounds as a solid-skill position option. Pacheco could be a team's RB1 at excellent value.

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Is David Montgomery a good fantasy pick?

David Montgomery

David Montgomery is a good pick in fantasy but comes with a minor risk based on the Detroit Lions' depth chart at running back. The Lions took running back Jahmyr Gibbs with their first-round pick in this year's NFL draft.

While still listed as the team's No. 1 back, Montgomery could see a slight dip in both carries and receptions this season. Gibbs could used all over the field in this Jared Goff-led offense.

Montgomery will likely get between 700-800 yards rushing and 270-280 yards receiving. Yet, it stands to chance that Gibbs could get a bit more of the receiving yards out of the Lions backfield. Playing in a split backfield can be tough as Montgomery will find out in 2023.

His expected usage is reflected as he's the 84th-best player and an RB31 when it comes to PPR. His average ADP of 41 means he will be on the board in the third to fourth rounds. Under the circumstances, it is a great spot for him as his production is still good enough in fantasy.

The question becomes what happens if Gibbs pulls away from Montgomery in terms of targets and carries later in the season?

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Isiah Pacheco vs. David Montgomery: Who should I start?

Both players are good starters in Week 1 but there's a slight edge given the defensive matchup, Taking a look at Sportskeeda and the Fantasy Football optimizer, Montgomery gets that slight edge.

The edge may come from the fact Chris Jones won't be on the Chiefs' front seven Thursday night amid a contract holdout. Jones led the team in sacks with 15.5 last season.

The Sportskeeda optimizer gives Montgomery the edge over Pacheco

Here's a breakdown of the projected stats for both players in the opening game of the 2023 NFL season:

A deeper look at Sportskeeda's projected stats

The Lions' defense was one of the worst statistically in 2022 but allowed the fewest receiving yards to running backs (351). This means Pacheco will get the bulk of his yards rushing with the chance of a touchdown.

The Lions-Chiefs game could end up being a passing bonanza, which favors Montgomery also. There are other options for Mahomes to throw the ball to such as Kadarius Toney or Skyy Moore over Pacheco.

It wouldn't come as a shock if Montgomery reached at least 15 points in PPR this game. Goff may lean on the veteran more as he's still getting comfortable with Gibbs on a weekly basis. Expect Pacheco to get around 12-15 receiving yards against the Lions.