San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Jordan James (finger) is expected to move down the depth chart following the trade that sent Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. to San Francisco. Given Robinson's experience at the NFL level, he will likely be the top option to slot in as the No. 2 running back behind All-Pro Christian McCaffrey. During the preseason, James was competing for a depth role over second-year running back Isaac Guerendo, but he suffered a broken finger earlier in August, which has kept him sidelined since. At the time of their injury, James was slated to miss "a couple of weeks." Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, but given his injury and the acquisition of Robinson, James is not expected to have a prominent role as a rookie. He is best to leave off your draft board in redraft leagues.
Aug 24, 2025 7:27 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Jordan James (finger) broke his finger and will undergo surgery, according to David Lombardi of The Athletic. As a result, James will be out for "a couple weeks," according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. It's tough news for the 21-year-old heading into his first NFL season, but the good news is that he could still be ready to roll for the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September. Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) is also expected to miss a couple weeks, so San Fran's backfield behind injury-prone Christian McCaffrey is suddenly very thin in camp. Going forward, Patrick Taylor, Ameer Abdullah and Corey Kiner will see more opportunities to prove themselves in practices and the preseason. Unless Guerendo isn't ready for the start of the season, James will probably go undrafted in most single-year fantasy leagues.
Aug 7, 2025 4:31 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James returned to practice on Monday after dealing with a knee injury, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The 2025 fifth-round pick returns to practice as Isaac Guerendo is expected to miss a few weeks with a shoulder injury, potentially opening a window for James to secure the number two running back role behind Christian McCaffrey. James was hyper-productive in 2024 at Oregon, accumulating 1,267 rushing yards while adding 209 as a receiver. Running backs under head coach Kyle Shanahan are always highly sought after for fantasy purposes, and along with McCaffrey's health concerns, James could be worth a late-round flier as a handcuff.
Aug 4, 2025 11:48 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Jordan James (knee) missed training camp practice on Thursday with what head coach Kyle Shanahan called "knee issues." Before missing practice on Thursday, a report recently surfaced that the 21-year-old fifth-rounder had been impressing the coaching staff at camp. As long as his knee issues don't hinder him too much further, James will have a chance to lock down the RB3 duties in San Francisco behind the oft-injured Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo, although the team did just sign veteran Ameer Abdullah on Thursday. James stands at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds and doesn't have overwhelming speed as an average pass-catcher. In redraft fantasy leagues, the rookie RB will be left to the waiver wire but could be a priority waiver-wire addition if both CMC and Guerendo miss time.
Jul 31, 2025 5:52 PM EST
San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Jordan James has played well in training camp so far, and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said James "hits holes hard," according to Vic Tafur and Matt Barrows of The Athletic. A fifth-round selection out of Oregon, James rushed for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Ducks in 2024. He's presumably competing with 2024 fourth-rounder Isaac Guerendo and fifth-year veteran Patrick Taylor Jr. for the backup job to 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. Given the injuries that McCaffrey has dealt with throughout his career, James could find himself in the mix for carries sooner rather than later. He needs an injury to be fantasy relevant, but James could emerge as an intriguing ultra-late-round handcuff option if he continues to impress throughout the remainder of the preseason.
Jul 30, 2025 11:38 AM EST
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