Fantasy News: Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt to Rotate Situationally vs. Raiders

Fantasy football players hate a backfield by committee, but they will apparently be stuck watching one when the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Friday's AFC West showdown.

Running back Isiah Pacheco is set to return from a fractured fibula he suffered in the Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, which means the Chiefs can rotate him with Kareem Hunt. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy suggested that is exactly what he is going to do against the Raiders:

While fantasy players won't be as enthused, it is a positive development for the Chiefs.

After all, keeping both running backs relatively fresh heading into the playoffs will allow them to better avoid injuries and attack opposing defenses on the ground. It will also make sure Hunt is still involved in the offense given his overall performance since Kansas City signed him in the aftermath of Pacheco's injury.

He has been quite the revelation with 577 rushing yards and five touchdowns in eight games. It is his most rushing yards since the 2020 campaign when he was a member of the Cleveland Browns, and he has two games with more than 100 yards on the ground.

Fantasy players who took a chance and picked Hunt up from the waiver wire have greatly benefited, but that stretch of good fortune may be coming to an end.

After all, Pacheco was the clear-cut No. 1 running back on the roster at the start of the campaign after accounting for 1,179 total yards and nine touchdowns for the Super Bowl champions last season.

And he seemed to be well on his way to another productive season with a touchdown in the opener against the Baltimore Ravens and 111 total yards against the Bengals prior to his injury.

He will surely be involved, but his fantasy ceiling will also be limited for the rest of the season by the presence of Hunt and the possibility the Chiefs will ease him back into the lineup. Kansas City has its eyes on another Lombardi Trophy, and it won't want to put too much on Pacheco's plate before the postseason push.

It makes sense for the team's chances at a third straight championship, but it isn't what fantasy football players want to hear.