Christian McCaffrey vs Isiah Pacheco: Who Should You Start?
Christian McCaffrey and Isiah Pacheco are at different tiers heading into 2026. The San Francisco 49ers running back averaged 21.5 PPG in 2025, a full 15.5 points per game ahead of Isiah Pacheco's 6.0 with the Detroit Lions. That kind of gap doesn't close on matchup alone.
Christian McCaffrey carries a 15.5-point PPG advantage from the 2025 season. That baseline matters, but it is one input among several. Matchup difficulty, scoring trends, and injury reports move the needle week to week, which is why the best answer changes depending on when you are asking.
Christian McCaffrey is the receiving back in this matchup, turning 102 targets into 924 yards, while Isiah Pacheco profiles as a more traditional rusher with 462 rushing yards and 1 touchdowns. In PPR and half-PPR formats Christian McCaffrey carries the higher weekly floor. In standard leagues the gap tightens considerably.
Christian McCaffrey has his bye in Week 9, 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.
