If you're fighting for a playoff spot, or a better seed, or just some respect, you might be waiting on a player to come back from an injury. When they're finally activated it's a great moment, until you have to decide whether or not to actually throw them in your starting lineup. You have to choose whether you want to face the risk of them being eased back into the game plan, or the risk of the player blowing up on your bench. And making the wrong decision could cost you an important game, your playoff hopes, or just some rare good news on a Sunday.
If you threw Jordan Love into your lineup back in week 4, you got 389 yards, with four TDs and three INTs. Evan Engram gave you 10-102 (and a fumble) in week 6. In week 8 Tua Tagovailoa gave you a respectable 234 yards and a touchdown (and another 13 rushing yards on three frightening carries). Puka Nacua gave you 7-106 that same week, and Cooper Kupp was 5-51 and a touchdown. This past week, DK Metcalf was a solid 7-70, and Tee Higgins was an impressive 9-148 and a score. Nico Collins was just 4-54, but had a 77-yard touchdown called back due to a penalty on the game’s first play. His night could have been much bigger.
Those numbers all sound great, but past performance doesn't indicate future results. So what do you do with Isiah Pacheco, who should be coming back very soon? You'll note that none of the above players were running backs, where it makes sense to share the work while a player gets their bearings back. If you need a win badly, is Pacheco someone you'll want to start?
On one hand, Joe Mixon scored twice earlier in the year when he returned, and has scored in every week since. But on the other, that situation was a little different: The Texans struggled on the ground without Mixon, while Kansas City has gotten good production out of Kareem Hunt. And it’s logical to assume that they don’t need to lean on Pacheco to beat the Panthers or Raiders, so if you need a workhorse right now, he might not be your guy. And if it matters, Gus Edwards wasn’t the starter for the Chargers, but still logged a healthy 10 carries for 55 yards his first game back in week 10.
As always, it depends on your options. If Pacheco plays this week, when six teams are on the bye, you might have limited choices. On the other hand, if he comes back the following week, all teams will be playing. In any case, I think a timeshare makes sense when you have a decent player in Hunt, and you’re really trying to get set for the playoffs. But I’m not the guy on this site who makes projections, so my opinion doesn’t mean much.
I am, however, the guy who tries to get you to look at things from all angles to make better decisions and enhance the overall fun. I just thought you’d like to see how some players fared after some time off this year, and how each circumstance might be a little different. So whether it’s Pacheco in the next week or two, or anybody else who comes back when you might need them, it’s good to be aware of what each team is trying to accomplish and who they’re facing when determining if a guy deserves a spot in the starting lineup right away. Good luck this week.
Do you throw a player back into the lineup their first game back, or do you take a wait-and-see approach? Has either decision saved or burned you in the past? Share your thoughts below.