Isiah Pacheco’s injury means it’s Carson Steele SZN for the Chiefs and in fantasy football

Isiah Pacheco is set to miss a bunch of time after he fractured his fibula on Sunday in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 26-25 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, a devastating blow to the defending champs.

And in fantasy football, if you hoped Pacheco would be an RB1 who would consistently carry you week to week? He looked the part until the horrible injury.

So … now what?

Let’s break down each of the running backs on the Chiefs’ roster and discuss how you should approach them if you need a replacement on the waiver wire for Pacheco for however long he misses action for the Chiefs:

Carson Steele

Kansas City Chiefs running back Carson Steele (42) celebrates his touchdown score during the second quarter of a preseason NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Dude is a fullback out of UCLA

Samaje Perine

Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Samaje Perine (34) runs the ball as Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Travis Jones (98) makes the tackle during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images 

There was a time I’d be excited if Perine was more of a factor in the Chiefs offense, but that time is not now. He’s barely gotten any looks as a pass catching back and he has zero carries. Maybe he’s more of a factor now, but I don’t see it. Still, he’s worth rostering in case he gets more playing time.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Dec 26, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (25) runs for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

He was placed on the non-football illness list as he deals with PTSD. That means he may not be back until Week 5, but there isn’t any certainty there. We hope he’s OK.

Will the Chiefs sign or trade for another running back?

I’m guessing yes. Who? That’s uncertain, but keep an eye out.

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who signed as an undrafted free agent. And we saw him look pretty good on Sunday despite a fumble. He may not get a ton of targets in the passing game (more on that in a sec) but for now, he’s the priority to play meaningful minutes.