Is Jerick McKinnon or Isiah Pacheco worthy of a fantasy football waiver wire pickup ahead of Week 11?
During the Week 10 Kansas City Chiefs win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, both Pacheco and McKinnon were favored over former first-round pick, Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Given the new dynamic in the Chiefs backfield, let’s take a look at the McKinnon-Pacheco fantasy football ranking.
Isiah Pacheco–Jerick McKinnon Fantasy Football Ranking & Analysis
In the Week 10 win, Pacheco handled the duties of the lead running back, carrying the ball 16 times for 82 yards while playing in 56% of offensive snaps. McKinnon has turned into the main pass-catching option out of the running back trio. He had six receptions on eight targets for 56 yards, getting just one carry. Edwards-Helaire played in just four snaps in the 27-17 win.
“It’s just the way it worked out,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said.
If the fall from grace coupled with Reid’s short response tells us anything, it’s probably a safe play to drop Edwards-Helaire from your fantasy football team. But which Chiefs running back will provide the most fantasy value?
Per our Stokastic weekly running back rankings, Pacheco is ahead of McKinnon. You can also use our free player compare tool to compare Chiefs running backs or any other player for the remainder of the season.
Sure, McKinnon could have strong performances as a receiver, but now that Pacheco is getting the bulk of the carries, he’s far and away the running back you should be picking up on the Chiefs roster. The biggest reason is that he seems to have gained the trust of Reid. Even after fumbling early against the Jaguars, Reid immediately went back to the rookie for the remainder of the afternoon.
“He’s a young guy. You got to get back on the horse,” Reid said. “He was upset that he fumbled. He learned from it.”
On the very next play after the fumble, Pacheco was given the ball and burst loose for a 13-yard carry. The series of events should shed some light on how the offense will be in Kansas City for the remainder of the season. Pacheco is the guy and Edwards-Helaire will likely remain on the sidelines.
If Pacheco is available in your fantasy football league, he’s worth a pickup. You can also use our free Player Compare tool to put Pacheco up against any other running back you’re considering in DFS and see what our expert projections suggest.
