Pacheco opens his Lions tenure without a Week 1 position rank at PFN, and a back issue plus an MCL sprain have him starting on IR. Nobody drafted him expecting standalone value out of the gates. I do buy the contingent value the former Chief holds, and he's the type of handcuff back I prioritize.
I have a hard time seeing the Lions coming into this season with much in the way of a script for when Gibbs is off the field, and that's a good thing.
If you drafted Pacheco, like I did, you didn't do it with the thought that he'd hold standalone value out of the gates. Maybe we get there eventually (currently dealing with a bulging back and an MCL sprain); maybe we don't.
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I do buy the contingent value that the former Chief holds, and I've played fantasy long enough to know that if Pacheco gains three yards on four touches whenever he makes his season debut (opening the season on IR, back), managers are going to sour.
I'd pounce. We know that he's capable of carrying the mail, and we know that this offense is going to generate scoring opportunities as often as anyone. A world exists in which he's a version of David Montgomery, and even if he's not, he's the type of handcuff back I prioritize.
Pacheco sits outside our top 50 at running back. Here are the last five on the PFN Consensus Board:
46) Keaton Mitchell
47) Tank Bigsby
48) Jonah Coleman
49) Nick Singleton
50) Tyjae Spears
More start and sit calls can be found in PFN's Week 1 Running Back Rankings .
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
