The San Francisco 49ers officially placed running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, which means he'll be forced to miss at least the next four games. However, McCaffrey suffered a PCL sprain in his right knee in the Sunday night loss to the Buffalo Bills and is expected to need at least six weeks of recovery time. It means that unless the 49ers pick things up and make a run to the postseason, CMC's injury-plagued 2024 campaign will come to an end. Jordan Mason (ankle) is also on IR with a high-ankle sprain, which will force rookie Isaac Guerendo into the team's lead-back role for at least the next four weeks. With CMC officially on IR, fantasy managers can drop him in redraft leagues. The 28-year-old was a huge bust for fantasy managers this year. He didn't make his season debut until Week 10 due to bilateral Achilles tendonitis and ended up playing in just four games in 2024.
Dec 3, 2024 6:08 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) is dealing with a PCL injury after getting hurt in the Sunday night loss to the Buffalo Bills and is facing a six-week recovery, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. McCaffrey was officially placed on Injured Reserve on Monday, and he will miss at least the rest of the regular season. The Niners have work to do just to get into the postseason, so we've most likely seen the last of CMC in 2024. In addition to McCaffrey, Jordan Mason (ankle) suffered a high-ankle sprain on Sunday night and will miss at least the next four games. It means that rookie Isaac Guerendo should become San Fran's top back moving forward, making him a priority waiver-wire addition this week. It was a disastrous 2024 campaign for the 28-year-old McCaffrey after winning Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. He finishes with 50 carries for 202 yards and no TDs in four games.
Dec 2, 2024 4:54 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a knee injury in the Week 13 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. The superstar running back left in the first half and didn't return. While fantasy players worried he suffered an Achilles injury, the team quickly called it a knee injury. Unfortunately, head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that the 49ers fear McCaffrey might have suffered a season-ending PCL injury. Fantasy players who spend the top pick in their fantasy drafts might only get four games from the superstar running back this year. Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo will likely split the backfield work with McCaffrey out of the lineup. Mason had 13 rushing attempts compared to four for Guerendo after McCaffrey left the matchup against the Bills.
Dec 1, 2024 11:32 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) will not return to his team's outing against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football. Head coach Kyle Shanahan reports. The veteran RB was off to a hot start, averaging 7.4 yards per touch across his first seven handles (67). However, he started awkwardly on a sweep and will not reenter the game. Jordan Mason projects to handle most of the backfield touches for the remainder of the contest, with rookie running back Isaac Guerendo potentially mixing in as a change of pace.
Dec 1, 2024 10:04 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) has exited Sunday night's contest against the Buffalo Bills with a knee injury and is questionable to return. McCaffrey took a toss on a 49ers first-and-ten, took a few steps, and immediately gave himself up as he did not look right. He was quickly brought into the blue medical tent for evaluation and escorted into the locker room shortly thereafter. It's unclear which play he picked up the injury in. Before his exit, the 28-year-old racked up 53 yards on his seven carries, adding another 14 through the air on 2-of-3 receiving. Stay tuned.
Dec 1, 2024 9:16 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is in Buffalo for a Week 13 contest against the Bills on Sunday night. The 2023 touchdown machine has not been himself on the ground since returning from double-Achilles tendinitis three weeks ago, averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per carry. Shockingly, McCaffrey has been held out of the end zone as well. McCaffrey's involvement in the passing game has been steady though, garnering 5.3 targets per game which is right in line with last year's average. Still, fantasy managers hope that Week 12's 6.3 half-PPR dud is the nadir, and there is nowhere to go but up. Besides CMC's obvious track record, there are reasons for hope. First, Buffalo has allowed the fourth-most half-PPR points to opposing running backs. Also, quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder) is expected to be back, increasing the efficiency of the Niners' offense. However, San Francisco will again be without legendary left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and left guard Aaron Banks (concussion) who was ruled out in the fourth quarter against Green Bay. The injuries on the line, plus speculation that McCaffrey is not yet at his sharpest, have him as a low-mid RB1 in Week 13.
Nov 29, 2024 11:08 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey continued his post-injury slump in a 39-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Last year's overall RB1 finished with 31 yards and a lost fumble on 11 carries while adding three catches of four targets for 37 yards. The last time a healthy McCaffrey scored so few half-PPR points in a game was way back in Week 2 of 2019 with the Carolina Panthers. Opinions may vary on how much blame to pin on McCaffrey himself -- it's fair to question his football shape after his lengthy absence -- but other circumstances are certainly in play. With career backup Brandon Allen filling in for quarterback Brock Purdy (shoulder), Green Bay was likely emboldened to key in on the running game. All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams (ankle), who is just as important to the Niners' rushing attack as its passing game, was also out. If Purdy and Williams can return in Week 13 at Buffalo, it's safe to flush and forget this one for the most part. But if not, McCaffrey will be at risk for continued struggles.
Nov 24, 2024 11:42 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is in Green Bay for a Week 12 matchup with the Packers. Through two games since his return, McCaffrey hasn't quite been himself, producing 13.7 half-PPR points in Tampa before totaling 12.6 at home in last week's home loss to the Seahawks. Conspicuously, McCaffrey hasn't scored a touchdown since he came back. The last time he went two consecutive games without a touchdown was almost exactly two years ago, spanning 28 games including playoffs. Green Bay presents a good enough opportunity for McCaffrey to start a new streak, ranking in the exact middle of the NFL in fantasy points surrendered to running backs. Though CMC has proven to be matchup-proof during his time in San Francisco, the 49ers offense is limping into Lambeau. Quarterback Brocky Purdy (shoulder) has been ruled out -- ceding the start to backup Brandon Allen -- and future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) is questionable. Any volume boost created by the 49ers leaning more on McCaffrey is washed out by the likelihood that the offense becomes less efficient. McCaffrey is still a must-start high-end RB1 this week, but DFS players looking for maximum production out of a pricy back might rather have Saquon Barkley or De'Von Achane.
Nov 23, 2024 12:21 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) was rested on Wednesday in the first practice of the week before being limited in Thursday's session. McCaffrey isn't in any real danger of not playing in Week 12 against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but the 49ers will continue to take it easy on him during the practice week after he missed the first nine weeks of the season due to bilateral Achilles tendonitis. The 28-year-old hasn't scored for his fantasy managers in his first two games of the season, but he has gone over 100 scrimmage yards in both contests, which counts for something. In addition, backup Jordan Mason has been a distant No. 2 in terms of usage. The Packers defense has been middle of the pack this year in terms of fantasy points allowed per game to RBs, but they've given up the fourth-most fantasy points to the position in the last three weeks. CMC is a must-start RB1.
Nov 21, 2024 6:49 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Rest/Achilles) was held out of Wednesday's practice, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. McCaffrey has received a heavy workload in both of his games this season and is likely still being eased into a full practice schedule, given the lengthy time he missed earlier in the season. During the past two weeks, McCaffrey tallied at least 20+ touches in each game and saw a season-high 19 carries this past weekend. Fantasy managers should monitor his status throughout the week in case, but he should be expected to return to practice in some capacity on Thursday. The 28-year-old should be viewed as a high-end RB1 for the remainder of the season, given his integral role on one of the best offensive units in the sport.
Nov 20, 2024 4:22 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey disappointed again during a 20-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara on Sunday. The All-Pro out of Stanford took 19 carries for 79 yards rushing and four catches of five targets for 27 yards in the passing game. It's almost shocking to see McCaffrey fail to reach the end zone for the second consecutive game since returning from his long injury absence. McCaffrey only had three such games total last year (16 starts). It's hard to say whether McCaffrey's conditioning, opponents' defensive game-planning, or personnel changes to San Francisco's offense are to blame. The Niners' rushing attack certainly missed George Kittle (hamstring) today and his knack for springing CMC to long runs. McCaffrey's 4.2 yards per carry against a vulnerable Seattle run defense would have ranked as his fourth-lowest single-game average of 2023. At least McCaffrey appeared to stay healthy from start to finish. McCaffrey's next chance comes against the Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 12.
Nov 17, 2024 10:45 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will look to get into a better rhythm when the team hosts the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11. McCaffrey's season debut last week against the Bucs was disappointing, ending with 39 yards on 13 carries but adding six receptions on seven targets for 68 yards to save his day in PPR formats. On the bright side, McCaffrey emerged healthy from his first game back since Super Bowl LVIII. The two limited practices he logged on Wednesday and Thursday before practicing in full on Friday can likely be chalked up to load management. It was also positive that McCaffrey only ceded two touches to his backups versus Tampa Bay. CMC is likely to increase his efficiency on the ground while maintaining his involvement in the passing game on Sunday. He's also more likely than not to break the seal on this year's touchdown total. Seattle is allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to running backs. Sounds like enough good reasons to put McCaffrey into the overall RB1 spot in Week 11.
Nov 16, 2024 1:15 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) was limited for the second straight day in practice this week on Thursday. McCaffrey made his 2024 debut in the Week 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but will most likely continue to have his workload monitored in practice the rest of the season. In his debut last Sunday, the 28-year-old All-Pro back had 19 touches for 107 scrimmage yards while playing 88 percent of the offensive snaps. We'd expect CMC to be removed from the final Week 11 injury report and be San Fran's lead back in a divisional clash against the Seattle Seahawks. Backups Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo had a combined two carries for five yards in McCaffrey's return. McCaffrey will be looking to build on his debut last week and is a must-start in all fantasy lineups.
Nov 14, 2024 8:03 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) will be a limited participant during Wednesday's practice, according to Tracy Sandler of FGSN. Sandler noted that his previous injury did not act up at all after the game and this is "part of the plan." McCaffrey made his 2024 season debut last weekend after sitting out the entire first half due to tendinitis in both of his Achilles. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during the week, but this could simply be a way to manage his workload given the time he missed. The 28-year-old looked sharp last weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and tallied 39 rushing yards and 68 receiving yards on 19 total touches. Fantasy managers should continue to view him as an elite RB1 going forward given his integral role on one of the best offensive units in football.
Nov 13, 2024 4:17 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey made his 2024 debut in a 23-20 victory in Tampa over the Buccaneers on Sunday. In a bit of a fantasy disappointment to managers waiting for a return on their first-round investment, McCaffrey took 13 carries for 37 yards rushing and caught six of seven targets for 68 yards receiving. Credit should go to Tampa Bay's ground defense for consistently bottling up San Francisco's rushing attack. If not for one 13-yard rush, McCaffrey would have averaged 2.2 yards per carry. Still, today's game represents the floor for a healthy McCaffrey. Importantly for CMC managers who remain in the playoff hunt, there were no signs of a setback with the dual Achilles tendinitis that held him out until today. McCaffrey did come off the field a few times, probably due to some combination of the Florida heat and his conditioning, but he only ceded two carries to his backups. Assuming he came away unscathed, McCaffrey is a must-start in Week 11 versus Seattle.
Nov 10, 2024 11:19 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) is officially active for Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had been listed as questionable but was widely expected to play after the Niners activated him from injured reserve on Saturday. The star running back has not yet appeared in a game this season, so Sunday represents his much-anticipated return. Many fantasy managers who selected McCaffrey with the 1.01 pick in fantasy drafts felt betrayed by his long absence, but now, he has a chance to make it up with a strong stretch throughout the second half of the season. In case he has a reduced workload, McCaffrey ranks as a low-end RB1 in his first game back. In future weeks, though, he'll likely rank among the top three running backs, joining the conversation with Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry.
Nov 10, 2024 11:32 AM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) will suit up for the Week 10 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. McCaffrey is set to make his season debut after missing the few first months due to a lingering Achilles issue. The return of McCaffrey should mean that Jordan Mason falls into the backup role which will decrease his value. There was uncertainty around how many snaps McCaffrey would play during his first game. It doesn't sound like he's going to be limited, so fantasy managers can get McCaffrey back in their lineups ahead of this Week 10 matchup.
Nov 10, 2024 10:27 AM EST
According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) will make his 2024-25 debut on Sunday against the Bucs. The 28-year-old hasn't played all season while dealing with bilateral Achilles injuries. But fantasy managers will finally get him back in Week 10. Although there's a chance he could see fewer snaps than usual, there's no way anyone should keep him out of their fantasy lineups. McCaffrey's expected return will cause Jordan Mason's fantasy ceiling to come crashing down. Still, Mason is worth holding on to for insurance purposes, considering McCaffrey has had issues staying off the injury report over the years.
Nov 9, 2024 4:22 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles), who is listed as questionable to play in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said he feels great and is ready to make his 2024 debut on Sunday. McCaffrey missed the first eight games with bilateral Achilles tendonitis but completed his first full week of practice and will be activated from Injured Reserve on Saturday. CMC also dealt with a calf strain in early August and missed most of training camp in the summer. Now that the reigning Offensive Player of the Year is back, fantasy managers want to know how effective he'll be against Tampa and how much work he'll get. While McCaffrey should operate as San Fran's lead back on Sunday, he'll more than likely have his workload monitored, which will make him a more risky RB1. Jordan Mason will now lose most of his fantasy value as he reverts to a backup role.
Nov 9, 2024 1:19 PM EST
The San Francisco 49ers officially listed running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) as questionable for the Week 10 game this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday's final injury report. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that McCaffrey will be activated from Injured Reserve on Saturday and should be good to go. Last year's rushing leader is dealing with Achilles tendinitis in both of his legs that has sidelined him all year to this point. While fantasy managers have to be ecstatic that they will finally be able to put the 28-year-old All-Pro in their starting lineups, you should also temper expectations somewhat, as it would be a surprise if the Niners didn't play it safe from a workload perspective in his 2024 debut. Still, we aren't recommending that anyone sit McCaffrey if he's active. Jordan Mason will revert to backup duties and loses most of his fantasy value.
Nov 8, 2024 6:55 PM EST
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