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Isiah Pacheco is back. On Black Friday, he played for the first time since Week 2, carrying the ball seven times for 44 yards as his Kansas City Chiefs eliminated the Las Vegas Raiders from playoff contention with a 19-17 victory.
Despite his return, Pacheco remains behind in meeting fantasy managers’ expectations for major points after his leg fracture and subsequent recovery. Can he regain his form as he takes on Najee Harris in his first fantasy matchup back?
Is Najee Harris a good fantasy pick in Week 14?
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As someone who frequently appears in fantasy football comparisons, Najee Harris needs no introduction. The Steelers running back delivered his best performance of the season last week, racking up 24.9 points with 16 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh's 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Ranked as Sportskeeda’s RB16, Harris should have a solid performance against the Cleveland Browns, who have been mediocre against running backs. Despite possessing Myles Garrett, one of the deadliest pass rushers in football, and a deep secondary led by Denzel Ward, the Browns' defense has allowed an average of 24.1 points — not a great endorsement for a franchise that has long prided itself on being hard-nosed.
Is Isiah Pacheco a good fantasy pick in Week 14?
Now, to the man of the hour.
Isiah Pacheco's injury couldn't have come at a worse time, as he had been putting up double-digit fantasy performances in both of his previous games. Entering the matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, he sits at RB22, but he has plenty of room for improvement.
Even though the Chargers are the best team at containing quarterbacks (allowing just 2.1 points after stifling Kirk Cousins with four interceptions), they rank in the bottom quarter against the run, allowing 28.7 points per game. (Bijan Robinson scored a touchdown in that same game.) That’s not a good stat for a playoff contender, but then again, every mid-tier playoff contender has a weakness.
Who should I start: Najee Harris or Isiah Pacheco?
As Pacheco continues to overcome his remaining physical limitations, the Sportskeeda Start/Sit tool recommends laying off him for the foreseeable future.
Right now, Harris is on a monumental run. Expectations were low for him and the Steelers when the new league year began. He was entering the final year of his contract, had a new quarterback situation, and other teams were loading up.
But he has exceeded those expectations to become a consistently good player and help his team take an unexpected divisional lead. That makes him worth leaning on for fantasy managers.
