2 Encouraging Isiah Pacheco Stats vs. Titans for Fantasy Championship

Should Isiah Pacheco start in the fantasy championship? That might seem like a ridiculous question, but the answer is actually maybe, depending on the depth of the roster.

Clearly, he's been a severe disappointment throughout the year, but that makes him potentially available on the waiver wire, and he might just be the best option there for anyone in a crunch.

The Kansas City Chiefs couldn't get anything going on offense in their 26-9 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

They were already without two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes, who had torn his ACL in their last game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Then, they lost backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II to the same injury versus the Titans. From then on, there was no hope for KC's offense, but Pacheco kept grinding all the same.

Isiah Pacheco could be a championship steal

Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Tennessee Titans, Isiah Pacheco — Dec 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) runs against Tennessee Titans linebacker James Williams Sr. (52) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

1. Seven targets

At first glance, it doesn't seem like third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun had a terrible game for the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished with 111 yards and no turnovers, which is more than can be asked from a lot of emergency quarterbacks. However, he only averaged 6.9 yards per pass attempt, which isn't exactly surprising considering the circumstances.

While that's horrible news for the Chiefs, it's encouraging for anyone in the championship round of their PPR leagues who might need to throw Isiah Pacheco into the flames. He ended the day with six receptions on seven targets, and he'll likely see plenty of checkdowns come his way next week against the Denver Broncos, too.

2. 33 snaps

At this point in the season, the Chiefs are looking toward the future. They found out this year that they desperately need to upgrade their running game. While Kareem Hunt has been reliable in short-yardage and goal-line situations, his lack of burst at this stage of his career puts a hard cap on what Kansas City can do on the ground.

Pacheco has been much worse than even Hunt, but he at least has the athletic profile to be a meaningful piece in this offense next season. As such, he outsnapped both Hunt and Brashard Smith combined, 33 to 19. He probably won't have much success running the ball against the Denver Broncos, who just held Travis Etienne Jr. to 50 yards on 16 carries, but he should see the field enough to rack up points on short catches and potentially even find the end zone.

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