Should You Start Kansas City Chiefs RBs Kareem Hunt or Isiah Pacheco in Fantasy Football Week 14?
Kansas City’s backfield dynamics shifted dramatically during Isiah Pacheco’s month-long absence and the backfield split came into clearer focus last week. Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco head into a Sunday Night Football showdown with defined roles. Which Chiefs running back warrants fantasy football trust for Week 15?
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Kareem Hunt’s Fantasy Outlook
Hunt remains the clear lead back despite Pacheco’s return to health. Before Pacheco’s knee injury, Hunt hadn’t hit a 50% snap share in any game. While Pacheco was out, Hunt operated as the workhorse, averaging around a 75% snap share.
The question heading into last week was how the split would look with a returning Pacheco. We got our answer. While Hunt wasn’t quite at a 70% snap share, he started and was the clear lead back. Hunt played 64% of the snaps and out-carried Pacheco 14-3.
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Hunt rushed 14 times for 37 yards while adding one reception for four yards in the 31-28 loss to Dallas. He did not find the end zone for the first time in five games, ending his touchdown streak. However, the short-yardage role that defined his recent success appeared unchanged despite Pacheco’s presence.
It’s certainly possible that the only reason Hunt played so much more than Pacheco is because it was Pacheco’s first game back and he was being eased in. But that is unlikely. The reality is Hunt has been the superior performer all season.
Isiah Pacheco’s Fantasy Outlook
Pacheco hasn’t done anything this season to warrant even being on fantasy rosters. He has hit double-digit fantasy points twice, and only because those were the two games in which he randomly scored a touchdown. Pacheco’s touchdowns are flukes because he’s not involved in the passing game and he has never been the goal-line back. Even in those two games, he maxed out at 12.8 fantasy points.
Pacheco carried the ball three times for 16 yards and caught both his targets for 17 yards in last Thursday’s loss to the Cowboys. Pacheco finished with just 33 total yards on five touches despite Kansas City’s offense moving the ball effectively throughout the contest.
His usage suggests the coaching staff views him as a complementary piece rather than a featured option. Pacheco played only 20 offensive snaps compared to Hunt’s 42. The disparity in touches signals Kansas City’s clear preference for Hunt.
Should You Start Hunt or Pacheco This Week?
If the time to reinsert Pacheco into lineups is coming, it certainly isn’t this week. We would need a game where both Chiefs backs can thrive. The Texans allow sixth-fewest schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to running backs.
Interestingly enough, the Texans are actually softer against the run than the pass. But this defense is simply a nothing funnel. There is no clear way to beat them. They are the best defense in football.
The game environment projects as a low-scoring, defensive contest. Kansas City opened as 3.5-point favorites with the total set at just 41.5 points. Both teams enter with strong defensive units that limit explosive plays and force methodical drives.
Even Hunt is probably going to need a touchdown to crack double digits. It’s just a bad spot all around for anyone relying on Chiefs offensive weapons. Consider Hunt a touchdown-dependent RB2 and Pacheco should be nowhere near fantasy lineups.
The Chiefs need wins to secure their playoff positioning after dropping to 10-3 with last week’s loss. Houston sits at 9-4 and controls their own destiny in the AFC South race. The high-stakes nature creates conditions where both teams emphasize ball security and field position over aggressive play-calling that would benefit fantasy production.
