Lions Free Agent Addition Receives Fantasy Sleeper Status

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes shared what he likes so much about the team's new running back Isiah Pacheco. Getty

Isaiah Pacheco was a major disappointment for the Kansas City Chiefs last year. However, he is expected to bounce back and have a strong season in 2026 with the Detroit Lions. The loss of David Montgomery should propel Pacheco into flex territory in fantasy football, according to Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report.

“Pacheco will get a fresh start with the Detroit Lions this offseason,” wrote Knox. “While he isn’t a threat to surpass Jahmyr Gibbs as RB1, he will replace David Montgomery as Gibbs’ top running mate. While Detroit’s offensive line is experiencing some shuffling, the Lions do have the receiving weapons to back off opposing defenses and give their ground game running room.”

Knox notes that while Pacheco might not completely replace Montgomery in production, the role still offers value in certain weeks for fantasy football players.

Detroit Lions Running Back Isiah Pacheco is a Fantasy Football Sleeper

Getty Lions free agent Isiah Pacheco

Pacheco is going to take a backseat to Jahmyr Gibbs, and the big reason the team moved on from Montgomery is that they wanted to get Gibbs the football more. The drop in volume has been coming for Montgomery over the past couple of seasons.

Montgomery went from 219 carries in his first year with the Lions to 185 in year two and then 158 rushes with Detroit last season. Gibbs cannot take all of 158 of the carries, so there is still going to be a valuable role out there for Pacheco.

If Gibbs is going to get more work, the role might just be a little over 100 carries.

Still, behind the right line and in the right system, the fit could be there.

Isiah Pacheco Needs to Bounce Back in 2026

Early in his career, it was looking like Pacheco was going to be a major value in fantasy football. He was a seventh-round pick, but he had 170 carries for 830 yards in his rookie season. During his second year, he jumped up to 205 rushes for 935 yards and seven touchdowns.

Unfortunately, that remains his best season right now. Pacheco only had 83 rushes for 310 yards in his third season. He missed 10 games due to a leg injury that impacted his 2025 season as well.

Pacheco came back but was not quite the same. He had 118 rushes for 462 yards. He started to show some more production, but his last two years are what turned him from a starter in the NFL and fantasy football into a backup.

Still, even in both seasons that featured him being hampered by injury, he averaged 100 carries per season. Considering Gibbs only needs his backup to carry the ball about 100 times, there is a good chance Pacheco can take the work on.

The Lions should present a better offensive environment than the Chiefs did last season. They are leaning on a rebuilt offensive line and improved playcalling. Beyond that, the expectation is for Pacheco to be healthier in 2026. The combination should lead to Pacheco handling the 100 carries or more and being more efficient than he was in the past two years. This could allow him to provide strong fantasy value.

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