Isiah Pacheco Signs with Detroit Lions as Top Fantasy Football Running Back Handcuff
In this story:
The Detroit Lions have found their David Montgomery replacement: Isiah Pacheco. The team signed the former Chiefs running back to a one-year deal, and now, they will run out a dual-small running back room. Pacheco aims to add north-south firepower while Gibbs continues his east-west skillset. In fantasy football, it has great implications, and that is exactly what we will analyze today.
Fantasy Football Impact
The Lions' depth chart is quite simple, with Pacheco now replacing Montgomery. It will run out Gibbs as the majority RB1 and Pacheco to back him up. We can expect Gibbs to command at least 70% of rushing attempts, if not even more. This is not a competition, and may not be as split as Montgomery had this backfield.
The fact that Pacheco signs a one-year deal is very notable. It shows that he is not a long-term piece, and the Lions sign him as a short-term, quality backup. Gibbs is one of the best running backs in the NFL. This is all Gibbs and little Pacheco. Do not be fooled.
How we may value this backfield is with Gibbs as the potential RB1 in fantasy football, uncontested by Pacheco. On the other hand, Pacheco will be among the best handcuffs in fantasy football behind a great offensive line. As for his draft status, he will be a late-round stash and should be nothing more than that.
In Kansas City, the Chiefs have signed Kenneth Walker III. He replaces Pacheco and much of Kareem Hunt. Walker III will be a solidified RB1 in fantasy football.
Detroit Lions Signs Running Back, Isiah Pacheco
The Lions dealt David Montgomery to the Texans last week amid his trade request. This left a void behind Jahmy Gibbs. The Lions, however, were never going to have a hard time gaining a replacement. They do so by signing Pacheco to a one-year deal. He is not quite going to fully replace Montgomery, but Pacheco will be a 3rd-down back with a low-end workload, likely 2/3rds-to-half of that of Montgomery.
Behind Pacheco, the Lions currently have an array of unknown running backs. This includes Jacob Saylors and Sione Vaki. It would not be a surprise if the Lions added another running back, but it would be a very low-tier name. Gibbs trends extremely high in 2026 and will contend with Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey for the RB1 ranking.
More Fantasy Sports On SI News:
Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.