Alvin Kamara vs Isiah Pacheco: Who Should You Start?
Alvin Kamara and Isiah Pacheco are both viable fantasy running backs heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Alvin Kamara averaged 7.7 PPG across 11 games with the New Orleans Saints, while Isiah Pacheco posted 6.0 PPG in 13 appearances for the Detroit Lions.
A 1.7-PPG gap gives Alvin Kamara the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Both profile as early-down workhorses. Alvin Kamara ran for 471 yards and 1 touchdowns; Isiah Pacheco posted 462 and 1. Goal-line share, red zone touches, and which team is favored are usually the tiebreaker when neither back offers passing-game volume.
Alvin Kamara has his bye in Week 12, and Isiah Pacheco rests in Week 5. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at running back for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
