Isiah Pacheco

Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki is not getting enough touches to help fantasy lineups, but his spot in the backfield suddenly matters a lot more. Vaki has three carries for 14 yards and two catches for 24 yards through two games, including 20 total yards on two touches against Buffalo. Detroit now lists him directly behind Jahmyr Gibbs on the depth chart, with Jacob Saylors third. Isiah Pacheco (back) is also expected to miss significant time after undergoing surgery, so this does not look like a temporary one-week opening. Gibbs is still handling a massive share of the backfield work, which leaves Vaki without much standalone value. The appeal is what happens if Gibbs ever misses time. RotoBaller includes Vaki among its high-upside handcuffs and recommends him in 14-team PPR leagues. He is a deep bench stash right now, but the path to a much larger role is clearer than his five touches through two games would suggest

Josh Allen

QB · BUF

A.J. Hines

+8 players

general

Bills pass rush has improved in this one vital area

Yahoo Sports NFLSep 21, 2026, 5:00 PM+94 stories · 30dSource ↗

Josh Allen A.J. Hines Dawson Knox

This is why the Bills pass rush has felt better

Patrick Mahomes

QB · KC

Travis Kelce

TE · KC

+1 players

general

Numbers Never Lie: 3 Chiefs stats and what they mean for this season

Yahoo Sports NFLSep 17, 2026, 7:45 PM+69 stories · 30dSource ↗

Patrick Mahomes Travis Kelce Isiah Pacheco

Three statistics from Week 1 are worth noting for the Kansas City Chiefs

Sione Vaki

RB · DET

Isiah Pacheco

RB · DET

+1 players

analyst

Sione Vaki Remains a Risky Start in Week 2 Despite Emerging Role in Detroit

sleeper-rotoballerSep 16, 2026, 4:30 PM+10 stories · 30dSource ↗

Sione Vaki Isiah Pacheco Jahmyr Gibbs

Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki emerged as his team's RB2 in Week 1, playing 29% of Detroit's offensive snaps in its overtime win over the New Orleans Saints. With Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (back, knee) expected to miss three-plus months after undergoing back surgery, Vaki could have an extended runway as the primary backup to star Lions back Jahmyr Gibbs. However, Vaki still projects to play a limited role on offense, as he recorded two carries for seven yards and one catch for 11 yards in Week 1. With Gibbs fully healthy heading into Detroit's matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football, RotoBaller ranks Vaki as the RB68 in Week 2. Deeper-league managers may want to consider stashing Vaki off the waiver wire for his handcuff appeal, but he's not worthy of starting consideration against the Bills

Courtland Sutton

WR · DEN

Emmett Johnson

RB · KC

+2 players

general

Ranking the five best 2026 NFL Draft classes after Week 1: Chiefs rookies shine brightest

CBS Sports NFLSep 16, 2026, 4:26 PM+10 stories · 30dSource ↗

Courtland Sutton Emmett Johnson Isiah Pacheco

They say you can't evaluate a draft class until after three seasons. Unfortunately, it's 2026, and no one has that much patience anymore, so how about we do it after one week? As always, the caveat is: this is one game. This is not the end-all, be-all. But with most things, it's better to look good early on than bad. These are the top-five draft classes after the first week of the season. Highlight: Peter Woods rare athleticism Lowlight: Mansoor Delane's shoulder injury There were whispers about Brett Veach having another masterclass draft last April, and they've now turned into roars. Peter Woods was already making special plays as a pass-rusher and in the run game. He also chased down a running back from behind on a flat route. His addition will allow Steve Spagnuolo to be more measured with how many snaps they give to 32-year-old Chris Jones going forward. Peter Woods with one of the most athletic recoveries vs. a double team you'll ever see from a DT pic.twitter.com/CdMDIiJ7CB Top-10 corner Mansoor Delane unfortunately left the game after three snaps with a shoulder injury, but the injury occurred on a play where he ran a dig route for Courtland Sutton and picked off a pass. Mansoor Delane Every Snap in NFL Debut vs Broncos pic.twitter.com/0rrFJYFzhS Then there was second-round edge rusher R Mason Thomas , who had a crucial sack in a two-minute drill before the half, where he teleported underneath Mike McGlinchey with a spin move. Rookie R Mason Thomas with the spin move right into a sack 💪 DENvsKC on ESPN Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/mVVJ07s2NB Oh, and then Day 3 running back Emmett Johnson made as many people miss on two catches Monday night (six) as Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt on 37 combined catches last season. It's hard to swing and hit harder than the Chiefs did with their first three picks, at least in Monday night's win. Highlight: Austin Barber locking down right guard Lowlight: KC Concepcion's ball security Lost in the ugliness of the Browns quarterback position was the fact that the Browns look like they've clocked yet another impressive draft haul. The Browns have four starters on offense from the 2026 draft class in Spencer Fano , Austin Barber, KC Concepcion, and Denzel Boston , with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren filling in for 14 snaps defensively. While they weren't as obviously slam dunks as the Chiefs, there were big-time flashes for all of the offensive starters. Concepcion, in particular, already looks like the Browns' best playmaker. His ability to separate was on full display. KC Concepcion consistently shows strength & fluidity when running routes. Being able to stem inside, get vertical to the proper depth, and roll into this deep sail route all while a defender on the hip isn’t easy. pic.twitter.com/rdEsYTGOJi While he didn't have any drops that he was known for in college, Concepcion did have an ugly fumble, which was also a problem for him in school, with four fumbles on 185 career receptions. The most surprising standout was third-rounder Barber. A career tackle at Florida, Barber kicked inside and flipped to the right side for the Browns. He was incredibly clean for a rookie in his first career start. PFF had him as the highest-graded rookie offensive lineman of the week. While there were more concerns on tape than that grade may suggest, Barber looked like he'll be a long-term starter at the position for Cleveland. Highlight: Vega Ioane's run game dominance Lowlight: Zion Young's 12 forgettable snaps The Ravens are the only team on this list that didn't have multiple first-rounders. That didn't stop them from getting a big impact from their rookie class, however. The big reason why is first-rounder Vega Ioane. He was the single best rookie I saw on tape in Week 1. He was dominant in the run game at right guard against the Colts , and while there was a trio of reps he'd want back in pass protection, there were others where he paved the way for Lamar Jackson's scrambles. Consid [... truncated ...]

Isiah Pacheco

RB · DET

Jahmyr Gibbs

RB · DET

+2 players

general

Lions' Isiah Pacheco undergoes back surgery, expected to miss significant time

CBS Sports NFLSep 15, 2026, 2:59 AM+3 stories · 30dSource ↗

Isiah Pacheco Jahmyr Gibbs Sione Vaki

Lions running back Isiah Pacheco underwent back surgery, coach Dan Campbell announced on Monday. The surgery was to remove a body that was pressing on a nerve in his back, and it is a 12-week recovery, with the target of a December return to action, according to ESPN . "It'll be a significant amount of time," Campbell said. The 27-year-old began the season on injured reserve. He suffered an MCL sprain during training camp, causing him to miss some time, but Campbell said it was no longer an issue. Pacheco spent the last four seasons with the Chiefs . The two-time Super Bowl champion registered 1,765 yards in his first two seasons in the league. In four years, he has 2,537 yards on 576 carries with 14 touchdowns. He signed a one-year contract with the Lions after Detroit traded veteran running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans . With Pacheco out, the Lions offense will need to lean on Jahmyr Gibbs even more than they already do. Former fourth-round pick Sione Vaki also takes on a more significant role. Gibbs delivered a solid Week 1 performance, going for 156 yards and two touchdowns on his 29 carries in an overtime victory over the Saints. Vaki had two carries for seven yards and struggled as a blocker. "But he did have some reps in there that were good," Campbell said. "He had a couple of carries I thought were pretty good, and he got a ball on a checkdown that wasn't bad. We've just got to tighten this stuff up with him a little bit because we're going to need to be able to use him. That's the bottom line. He and [Jacob] Saylors." Vaki has little experience being a go-to guy, as does Saylors. Vaki had just seven rushing attempts for 18 yards with no touchdowns in his 27 appearances ahead of this season. Saylor had two rushing attempts for 11 yards and no touchdowns last season, his first in the NFL

Isiah Pacheco

RB · DET

Jahmyr Gibbs

RB · DET

+1 players

general