Isiah Pacheco: 12-week recovery, December return possible

THE FACT. Lions running back Isiah Pacheco faces a roughly 12-week recovery from back surgery, which would put a possible return in early December, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport in reporting carried Monday, Sept. 14. Dr. Robert Watkins IV performed the procedure, and Rapoport framed the December date as a possibility rather than a set return.

THE VERDICT. Redraft: drop him in shallow leagues and stash him on IR everywhere else, because a December return only helps you if you are still alive in Week 14. The real move is on the other side of the depth chart. Jahmyr Gibbs was already handling a heavy workload and now has no committee partner of consequence, which makes him a top-three overall play every week. Dynasty: Pacheco's value is at its floor, so buy only at a genuine discount. DFS: pay all the way up for Gibbs.