Christian McCaffrey
Running Back #23
Christian McCaffrey News
Christian McCaffrey Remains an Elite Fantasy Option in 2026
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey is aiming to overcome the "400-touch rule" in 2026. McCaffrey was incredible in 2025, totaling 311 carries for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns, and adding 102 receptions for 924 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. Despite not being efficient on the ground last season, McCaffrey made up for it with elite receiving production, and he is the main reason fantasy managers should not fade the star this season. Now, fantasy managers are worried about the health of the 30-year-old back after a massive workload last season, but he's never faced a major injury that required a lengthy recovery. The addition of Kaelon Black as the backup running back shouldn't affect McCaffrey's receiving or goal-line workload. If the 49ers star running back stays healthy in 2026, he will be a contender for the RB1 overall.
Sep 4, 2026 6:00 AM EST
Christian McCaffrey "Looks Ready for Week 1"
CBS Sports' Matt Lively thinks that San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) "certainly looks ready for Week 1" after seeing him practice on Tuesday. McCaffrey, who missed some training camp practices with an undisclosed issue, looked spry in a video that Lively posted of 49ers practice. CMC was catching passes and running around in full uniform, so he looks ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener next Thursday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in Australia, barring any setbacks between now and then. San Francisco most likely was just keeping the oft-injured star RB in bubble wrap during camp and the preseason, especially when considering the rest of their backfield was banged up as well. All signs point to McCaffrey being a full-go for Week 1, and he still has league-winning upside as a top-five fantasy RB, albeit with more risk than some of the other top names at the position. McCaffrey managed to play in all 17 regular-season games a year ago to finish as the RB1 in fantasy, recording 1,202 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and 924 receiving yards with another seven scores through the air.
Sep 1, 2026 1:10 PM EST
Christian McCaffrey a Top Target in Drafts Despite Steep Price Tag
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McMaffrey has an average draft position of 6.4, making him a mid-first-round pick in most fantasy leagues this year. That's a hefty price tag, but McCaffrey's track record suggests that he's absolutely worth it. Last year, the star running back tallied 1,202 rushing yards, 102 catches, 924 receiving yards, and 17 total touchdowns, which allowed him to rank as the clear-cut overall RB1 in fantasy football. He has now been the RB1 in two of his last three seasons, as well as a top-two fantasy running back in three of his last four. There has been plenty of dialogue this draft season about McCaffrey's injury risk impacting his draft stock, but that seems a bit excessive. First of all, McCaffrey has only been truly plagued by injuries in one of his last four seasons (2024). He missed zero games in 2022, one game in 2023, and zero games in 2025. Additionally, passing on a player just because they might get injured is bold. In the NFL, nobody is safe from injuries, so passing on McCaffrey certainly doesn't guarantee that the other player you choose to draft will stay healthy. All in all, the 30-year-old running back continues to prove that he's a star in this league with league-winning upside in fantasy football. He should be drafted as such in the early or middle portion of the first round in 2026 drafts.
Aug 29, 2026 5:54 PM EST
Christian McCaffrey's Absence Part of the Plan
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) said his absence in training camp was always part of the plan to have him ready for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. "Obviously when you don't practice, the way the media works now it's a firestorm," McCaffrey said. "But this was kind of part of the plan from the jump was to ramp up pretty big, get nine, 10 practices in, kind of come back down and then ramp back up so we're fresh for the duration... And again, I feel great. I feel fresh, and it's good to be back out there." The Niners have been holding out their star RB late with undisclosed tightness, but he returned to practice on Sunday and even jumped into team drills. San Francisco is taking every precaution to keep the oft-injured four-time Pro Bowler as fresh as possible going into Week 1 after he had 1,202 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on a career-high 311 carries in 2025 in 17 regular-season games, adding 102 catches for 924 yards and another seven scores. CMC remains one of the most talented dual-threat backs in the league, but his lengthy injury history makes him high-risk, high-reward as RotoBaller's No. 3 overall RB.
Aug 23, 2026 5:15 PM EST
Christian McCaffrey Back on Practice Field
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was back in uniform and on the practice field Sunday, according to Nick Wagoner. McCaffrey had not practiced since Aug. 8 while the 49ers managed what the team called tightness. Kyle Shanahan said earlier this week that the absence was health-related and that McCaffrey probably would have practiced if San Francisco were preparing for a regular-season game. That made the extended layoff sound precautionary, and Sunday's return fits that read. McCaffrey handled a massive workload last season, finishing with 311 carries for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 102 catches for 924 yards and seven more scores. His 413 touches led the NFL. Wagoner noted that McCaffrey's level of participation Sunday was not immediately clear, so this is not the same as saying he's back to a full workload. Still, getting him onto the field again is an encouraging step with Week 1 approaching.
Aug 23, 2026 9:45 AM EST
Christian McCaffrey Did Not Participate in Practice Saturday
The Athletic's Vic Tafur reports San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) did not participate in Saturday's practice. The star running back has been held out of practices and preseason action due to undisclosed "tightness." However, head coach Kyle Shanahan said earlier in the week that if it were the regular season, McCaffrey would be practicing and playing. With his injury history, the team has understandably opted to be cautious. In the two seasons following a 330-plus-touch season, he has played a combined seven games (three games in 2020 and four games in 2024). McCaffrey saw over 400 touches last season that produced 2,126 total scrimmage yards and 17 total touchdowns. The 30-year-old will be a high-risk, high-reward fantasy option for managers heading into drafts in 2026.
Aug 22, 2026 2:09 PM EST
Christian McCaffrey Sits Out Second Preseason Contest
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) sat out of the team's second preseason game on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. McCaffrey was on the field for pre-game warmups, but as expected, he did not play in the contest as the team continues to be cautious with the oft-injured star RB as he works his way through undisclosed "tightness." Head coach Kyle Shanahan said earlier in the week that if it were the regular season, McCaffrey would be practicing and playing. Given CMC's lengthy injury history and the fact that the rest of the backfield has been banged up in training camp, it makes total sense for the Niners to put McCaffrey in bubble wrap and save him for the Week 1 regular-season opener in Australia against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. He doesn't appear to be in any danger of missing the first game of the regular season. McCaffrey has proven he has league-winning upside, but his injury history makes him a high-risk/high-reward top-end RB1 in fantasy. RotoBaller has CMC ranked behind only Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson at the RB position.
Aug 22, 2026 9:14 AM EST
Christian McCaffrey Could Have Practiced Tuesday
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey remains out with tightness, but head coach Kyle Shanahan gave a positive update Tuesday. Shanahan said McCaffrey is coming along well and would have participated if the 49ers had held a normal practice instead of a joint session with the Los Angeles Chargers. He also pushed back on speculation that McCaffrey's absence has anything to do with his contract, saying that would be wrong. San Francisco has been careful with McCaffrey rather than having him push through the tightness during August. That's understandable after he handled a franchise-record 413 touches last season, rushing for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 102 catches for 924 yards and seven more scores. Tuesday's update is probably the clearest sign yet that McCaffrey is getting close to returning to regular practice work.
Aug 18, 2026 12:19 PM EST
Christian McCaffrey is Actually Dealing with Tightness, Not a Hold-In
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (tightness) is actually dealing with tightness despite speculation that he was sitting out due to contractual reasons, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. There had been plenty of recent speculation on social media that McCaffrey was holding in, but Rapoport confirmed that he is actually experiencing tightness, as the 49ers previously announced. The exact specifics of his injury are unknown, though, and it's too early to tell whether he'll play in the 49ers' season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. McCaffrey is no stranger to injury concerns, but he was able to stay healthy for a full slate of 17 games last season. In doing so, he tallied 413 touches, 2,126 scrimmage yards, and 17 touchdowns en route to ranking as the RB1 in PPR leagues. Even at 30 years old, he remains capable of leading his position group in fantasy points if he can stay healthy for a full season. Fantasy managers will want to monitor McCaffrey's status and seek out additional updates as Week 1 gets closer.
Aug 17, 2026 5:05 PM EST
Christian McCaffrey Still Not Practicing, Injury Concerns Continue to Rise
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will remain out of practice Sunday, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. McCaffrey hasn't practiced since August 10 while dealing with what the team has called tightness. San Francisco has downplayed it. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said last week that his concern would be McCaffrey trying to push through the tightness and turning it into something worse. Still, nearly a week off the field is hard to completely shrug off with McCaffrey. He handled a career-high 413 touches in 2025, rushing for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 102 catches for 924 yards and seven more scores. The recent injury history is part of the concern, too. McCaffrey missed 13 games in 2024 because of Achilles tendinitis and a later PCL injury. There is still nothing coming out of San Francisco suggesting this is a serious injury, but fantasy managers will want to see McCaffrey back on the practice field soon.
Aug 16, 2026 9:50 AM EST
Christian McCaffrey Sits Out Another Practice
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) missed Saturday's practice due to "tightness," according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. So far, we don't have much info on McCaffrey's injury. We know that it sidelined him for several practices and the 49ers' preseason opener, but we can't read too much into those absences since the 49ers have been lightening many of their starters' workloads anyway. With that being said, fantasy managers would be justified if they take the injury into consideration when drafting this year. In the event that he does have a clean bill of health, though, McCaffrey is worth drafting as an early-to-mid first-round pick. He was the overall RB1 in PPR leagues with 2,126 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns last year, and he ranks as the overall RB3 in RotoBaller's latest 2026 fantasy football draft rankings.
Aug 15, 2026 5:22 PM EST
Christian McCaffrey Not Practicing for Second Straight Day
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) is not practicing at training camp for the second straight day on Tuesday, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. McCaffrey is being held out so far this week with undisclosed "tightness," but offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has downplayed CMC's situation and said the team is "just managing" the All-Pro RB. The 49ers are already pretty banged up early in training camp, and as a result, they are resting some of their key veterans like McCaffrey. In addition to McCaffrey, RBs Kaelon Black (groin), Jordan James (ribs), and Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) are injured, so the Niners can't afford to lose their most valuable offensive weapon in McCaffrey before the season even starts. CMC managed to stay completely healthy in 2025 and finished as the RB1 in half-PPR scoring with 1,202 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 924 receiving yards and seven touchdowns as a receiver in 17 games. McCaffrey has elite upside at his position but also high-end bust potential due to his lengthy injury history. RotoBaller has him ranked as the RB3 for 2026, behind only Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson.
Aug 11, 2026 10:01 AM EST
Christian McCaffrey Sits Out Practice With Soreness
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey sat out Monday's practice with some soreness, but offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak does not sound concerned. According to Matt Barrows, Kubiak said the team is "just managing" McCaffrey and added that he is "fine." Kubiak later explained that McCaffrey always has a rep count during camp and that his workload is right where the 49ers want it. There is good reason for San Francisco to be careful after McCaffrey led the NFL with 413 touches last season. He played all 17 games, running for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while catching 102 passes for another 924 yards and seven scores. No specific injury has been announced. McCaffrey is still RotoBaller's No. 4 overall player in current PPR rankings. Unless the soreness lingers or keeps him out for an extended stretch, this looks like routine summer maintenance for one of the league's busiest backs.
Aug 10, 2026 11:58 AM EST
Christian McCaffrey Sits Out Monday With Tightness
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is sitting out Monday's practice with what the team is describing as "tightness," according to Matt Maiocco. No specific body part has been identified, and the 49ers have not provided any additional details on the issue. McCaffrey is coming off a massive 2025 season in which he played all 17 games, rushing for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while catching 102 passes for 924 yards and seven more scores. San Francisco is scheduled to hold a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday before the teams meet in Thursday's preseason opener. McCaffrey's availability for Tuesday's session will be the next thing to watch.
Aug 10, 2026 10:05 AM EST
Christian McCaffrey Could See Even Larger Target Share
With the news that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) is facing season-ending surgery for a PCL injury, it means that San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey could see an even larger target share in the passing game in 2026. McCaffrey, who has a lengthy injury history of his own, was the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2025 after he played in just four games due to injury in 2024. The four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro was the top fantasy RB after running for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns on 311 carries while adding a whopping 102 receptions for 924 yards and another seven TDs on 129 targets across 17 starts. At this point in CMC's career as he heads into his 10th NFL season, it seems likely that the Niners would be looking for ways to reduce his workload, especially when considering his injury history and coming off a career-high 413 touches last year. But the 49ers might not have that luxury, with their players already dropping like flies due to injury early in training camp. As long as he's healthy, McCaffrey should continue to be the engine of head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, cementing him as a no-doubt top-five fantasy RB.
Jul 30, 2026 10:49 AM EST
Christian McCaffrey's Work Not Being Limited Early in Camp
After touching the ball an astounding 450 times in 2025, much of the offseason narrative surrounding San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has been about how the team will handle his workload in his age-30 season, and through two days of training camp, there have been no indications of any holding him back. After standing out in his usual ways in the passing game during the team's first practice, 49ers digital editor Brooke Evans reports that he again saw steady volume in Day 2, totaling seven carries in team sessions and routinely working up to the second level. With CBA rules not allowing for full padded practices until the fifth or sixth session of camp, McCaffrey could continue to see heavy run with the first team offense, but it will be interesting to see how carries are divvied up when the pads do come on, particularly with a battle brewing between Jordan James and Kaelon Black for the ever-important insurance role behind the four-time All-Pro.
Jul 28, 2026 6:49 AM EST
Even an Elevated Risk of Injury Can Not Sink Christian McCaffrey's Draft Cost
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has played in at least 16 games five different times since 2018, finishing as the fantasy RB1 in three such seasons and never lower than the RB3. One of the premier playmakers of his generation, McCaffrey has been a true difference-maker both as a runner and in the receiving game, leading to some astronomical touch counts over the years. Unfortunately, the same workload that has allowed him to dominate for fantasy has taken a substantial toll on his body, and three times in that same eight-year span, McCaffrey has seen his season cut short after playing fewer than eight games. Now 30 years old and coming off the heaviest workload of his career, the 2017 first-round pick is the embodiment of risk/reward in 2026 drafts. With Brian Robinson Jr. departing in free agency, the depth chart behind McCaffrey has been thinned to rookie Kaelon Black and 2025 fifth-rounder Jordan James, and while keeping the four-time All-Pro fresh and healthy remains a priority, the team is simply better with McCaffrey on the field. Even with injury risk baked thoroughly into his draft cost, the bull case for McCaffrey is as strong as any player in the league, and he remains RotoBaller's RB3 for 2026.
Jul 15, 2026 6:00 AM EST
A Familiar Story of Risk/Reward Follows Christian McCaffrey into 2026
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has become one of fantasy's greatest paradoxes. In 2025, he played in all 17 games and finished as the RB1 by a substantial margin, marking the fifth time in the last eight seasons that he's played at least 16 games, with accompanying finishes of RB1, RB1, RB2, RB1, and RB3. McCaffrey is one of the most unique weapons in the game, as dangerous aligned out wide as he is from the backfield, making him nearly impossible to remove from the field despite yearly discussions about limiting his workload. Unfortunately, his unquestioned bell cow role has come with predictable wear and tear and a number of catastrophic injuries, and three times over those eight years, he's played in seven or fewer games. McCaffrey is now 30 years old and coming off the heaviest workload of his career, handling more than 430 opportunities in 2025, and his fantasy outlook remains familiar: if he makes it through another full season, he's as strong a bet as anyone to finish as the RB1, but getting there means facing the type of physical strain that very few human beings on the planet are equipped to handle. With injury risk pitted against upside, McCaffrey is RotoBaller's RB3 for 2026.
Jun 23, 2026 5:13 AM EST
Should Dynasty Managers Be Looking to Sell High on Christian McCaffrey?
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was an unquestionably dominant force in fantasy football in 2025, collecting 2,126 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns on 413 touches across 17 games. Even in a year in which he averaged just 3.9 yards per carry, McCaffrey provided ridiculous receiving production with 102 catches for 924 yards and seven scores on 124 targets. As long as McCaffrey stays healthy, he has a solid chance to finish as the overall RB1 once again in 2026. However, dynasty managers need to at least consider selling high on the superstar back. McCaffrey is entering his age-30 season in 2026. He also has an extensive track record of injury issues and is coming off a year in which he led the NFL in touches. The last time McCaffrey led the league in touches was 2023, and he followed that up by playing just four games in 2024. For dynasty managers who are not in immediate contention in their leagues, moving McCaffrey for a king's ransom could be the right call.
May 29, 2026 10:44 AM EST
Christian McCaffrey is Still Fantasy's Ultimate Gamble
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is coming off the third RB1 fantasy finish of his career despite putting up some of his lowest efficiency numbers since entering the league. His 413 touches in 2025 marked a career-high, while his 5.1 yards per touch were the lowest since 2020, a season in which he only played three games. This was McCaffrey's third time finishing a season with more than 330 total touches, all three times culminating in an All-Pro selection, but in both previous instances, he missed significant time the following season. Only twice in four opportunities has he played more than four games following a 200+ touch campaign. While that sort of fragility might frighten some fantasy managers, the ceiling that he represents when given a full workload is unattainable by any other player in the league. 58 times in his career, McCaffrey has touched the ball at least 20 times in a game. Only once under such circumstances did he fail to record at least 100 yards or a touchdown. Unfortunately, that occurred in 2025, along with several other instances where he barely cleared the mark, further signaling a decline in efficiency. About to turn 30 years old, McCaffrey appears to have hit a crossroads where his continued fantasy greatness is reliant on a one-of-one workload, while that same workload could be his ultimate undoing were he to sustain another serious injury. He currently ranks as RotoBaller's dynasty RB10, but contending managers would be advised to ride him until the wheels fall off.
Apr 19, 2026 5:43 AM EST
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