Should I drop Kareem Hunt? Week 13 fantasy projection for Chiefs RB

Kareem Hunt has had an excellent 2024 fantasy football season since taking over as the Kansas City Chiefs' starting running back. He has finished among the top 30 weekly running backs in all eight of his games, with four being finishes of the RB13 or better.

The issue with Hunt's fantasy outlook entering Week 13 is that Isiah Pacheco is expected to make his return from injury. All of Hunt's games with the Chiefs have been while Pacheco has been out, so his role is likely to decrease going forward. Despite his strong output, he has become a potential drop candidate from fantasy rosters.

Should you drop Kareem Hunt for Week 13 fantasy football?

Kareem Hunt

Kareem Hunt has dominated that backfield workload for the Kansas City Chiefs ever since Isiah Pacheco went down with an injury. He currently ranks as the overall RB28 this year, despite only playing eight games. He has been a massive addition to fantasy rosters for managers lucky enough to claim him off the waiver wire.

His impressive run may be coming to an end as Pacheco is reportedly ready to make his return to the lineup ahead of their Week 13 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. He has been the leading back for the Chiefs, so this will likely shift Hunt down their depth chart.

Even if the two backs share the touches out of the backfield, it's unlikely that Hunt will receive enough volume to maintain his currently elite fantasy value. For managers playing in smaller leagues or those with shallow benches, Hunt is a potential drop candidate.

Managers playing in standard or deeper leagues should probably still hang onto him for now and see how things play out, as long as they have available bench spots.

Kareem Hunt fantasy outlook for rest of 2024 season

Kareem Hunt has been a valuable RB1 on many fantasy rosters while filling in for Isiah Pacheco. Unless Pacheco suffers another injury, it's hard to imagine any way that Hunt holds onto his current value. It's more likely that Pacheco will take over as Kansas City's featured back, demoting Hunt to RB2.

Even if the Chiefs decide to evenly split their backfield workload between the two of them, Hunt is unlikely to receive enough volume to avoid a decline in his overall production. He has been one of the best waiver wire additions during the 2024 season, and could still hold streaming value going forward but his days as an elite option this year are likely behind him.