Should I drop Isiah Pacheco in Week 4? Fantasy projection for Chiefs RB

Isiah Pacheco has been a major part of the Kansas City Chiefs' elite offense across the past two seasons. This made him an attractive running back to target in fantasy football drafts for the 2024 NFL season. He unfortunately suffered a devastating leg injury and has been placed on the temporary injured reserve list, so managers may now consider dropping him from their rosters.

Should I drop Isiah Pacheco for Week 4 Fantasy Football?

Isiah Pacheco

Managers who selected Isiah Pacheco during their 2024 fantasy football drafts likely used one of their first five picks to get him. Using a premium pick on any player is surely a commitment because they serve as the building blocks for a fantasy roster. This may make Pacheco difficult to drop in many fantasy leagues, but it must be considered in his current situation.

The Kansas City Chiefs placed Pacheco on the injured reserve list ahead of their Week 3 game against the Atlanta Falcons. This means that he will first be eligible to return in Week 7, but many reports have indicated that the Chiefs expect him to be out much longer than that.

It has been reported that Pacheco will miss a minimum of six to eight weeks, but a real possibility exists that he may be out for the remainder of the season. His leg injury in Week 2 has been diagnosed as a fractured fibula, an extremely difficult injury for a running back to recover from.

Managers who have Injured Reserve slots on their fantasy football rosters should utilize one of them for Pacheco. While his return this season is questionable, he could be a major boost late in the season if he is able to do so. In leagues that don't have IR spots, dropping him makes the most sense. It may be too risky to stash him on the bench, weakening the overall weekly structure of a fantasy roster.

Isiah Pacheco fantasy outlook for rest of 2024 season

His ability to recover from his fractured fibula is clearly the biggest factor in Isiah Pacheco's fantasy football outlook for the rest of the 2024 NFL season. He has been a major factor in the Chiefs' offense and has finished in the RB2-range on most fantasy rosters in each of the past two years. He is still an elite option if he can play, but if and when that happens is questionable.

Carson Steele is currently filling in as the Chiefs' starter ahead of Samaje Perine, but the team also recently signed Kareem Hunt to join their backfield. Some combination of the three of them will fill in for Pacheco, but none of them have the elite upside of the injured star.