Kaelon Black

Kaelon Black News

Kaelon Black a Priority Waiver Wire Target After Impressive Debut

San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black should be a priority waiver wire target for managers in 12+ team leagues. Black rushed for 65 yards on 14 carries in Week 1, and he also caught one pass for five receiving yards. This was one of the first times during Christian McCaffrey's stint with the 49ers that we saw a backup handle 10+ touches, even though McCaffrey was active. There are a few factors to consider here. First, McCaffrey was returning from an undisclosed injury, so maybe he wasn't 100 percent and the 49ers wanted to use Black to keep him fresh. Second, the 49ers won by 20 points, so it makes a little more sense to integrate the depth players once the game gets out of hand. Still, this was a fascinating development for the 49ers and their rookie running back. At worst, Black is a bench handcuff who would jump to the RB2 tier if McCaffrey gets hurt. At best, Black can have weekly RB3/flex value of his own.

Sep 14, 2026 6:29 AM EST

Kaelon Black a Top Handcuff Option in 2026

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Kaelon Black enters 2026 as the clear handcuff to star running back Christian McCaffrey. Black missed time throughout training camp with an adductor injury but played well in the final preseason game and reportedly earned the backup role in San Francisco. The third-round pick was the team's second-highest-ranked running back in the draft process and has earned praise throughout the organization, earning the label "fast and explosive." McCaffrey has missed time throughout training camp, and the team is expected to manage the 30-year-old's workload in practice. Black is a strong handcuff at the running back position and carries immense upside if McCaffrey misses time.

Sep 9, 2026 5:24 AM EST

Kaelon Black a Premier Handcuff Running Back Worth Targeting in Drafts

A third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Kaelon Black entered training camp in competition with fellow 49ers back Jordan James for the team's RB2 role behind Christian McCaffrey. However, James battled some injury issues throughout the summer, and recent reporting out of San Francisco indicates that Black currently has a hold on the backup running back job. As long as McCaffrey remains healthy, Black is unlikely to play a fantasy-relevant role in 2026. Still, McCaffrey is now 30 years old and logged an NFL-high 413 touches in 2025. The superstar back also has a history of suffering season-altering injuries, as he's played seven games or fewer in three of his nine NFL campaigns. If he is indeed the clear RB2 in San Francisco, Black carries high-end handcuff appeal into 2026.

Sep 4, 2026 12:38 PM EST

Kaelon Black Appears to Have Firm Hold on 49ers' No. 2 Job

San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black appears to have a firm grip on the No. 2 job behind Christian McCaffrey, according to Matt Barrows. Black carried four times for 28 yards in Thursday's preseason finale against Las Vegas, including a 14-yard run, and finished the preseason with 61 yards on 12 carries. The rookie missed part of camp with an adductor injury but returned Aug. 18, five days before Jordan James came back from a rib injury. That extra time seems to have mattered. Barrows pointed to Black's decisiveness, vision and receiving ability as reasons he has separated himself. The 90th overall pick rushed for 1,039 yards and 10 touchdowns at Indiana last season and caught 55 passes across his college career. James did have 55 scrimmage yards on nine touches Thursday, so the competition is not completely dead. Still, Black looks like the favorite to open the season as McCaffrey's primary backup.

Aug 28, 2026 9:22 AM EST

Kaelon Black Gets Start In 49ers' Preseason Finale

San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black got the start in the 49ers' preseason finale on Thursday night. The rookie out of Indiana had San Francisco's first three series to himself before ceding the backfield to Jordan James. Black finished the game with four carries for 28 rushing yards. Black's only target missed him by a wide margin when he turned in the opposite direction of the pass from Mac Jones. Any fantasy value Black might have would come from being Christian McCaffrey's (undisclosed) handcuff. That would be a valuable role given McCaffrey's injury history, but the depth chart past him is not yet defined. Black would have to beat out not only James but also Isaac Guerendo (pectoral), Khalil Herbert, and Sincere McCormick. Fantasy managers should keep an eye out for developments ahead of the 49ers' season opener on September 10.

Aug 28, 2026 12:30 AM EST

Kaelon Black Looks Powerful in Return to Practice

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Kaelon Black "looked powerful" in his return during Tuesday's joint practice against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Black missed the previous two weeks of camp with an inner-thigh injury, but he was the team's top runner on Tuesday with Christian McCaffrey still sitting due to undisclosed tightness. Black, a third-rounder, did not look rusty at all, taking an early carry for 50 yards while showing violence and strength on several runs. He also had a catch at the goal line during a red-zone drill. "I thought he looked good hitting the hole and running hard," quarterback Brock Purdy said. The Niners cut RB Khalil Herbert on Monday, and Jordan James (rib) and Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) are injured. Going into camp, James was the favorite for RB2 duties behind the oft-injured McCaffrey, but if Black continues to impress and James continues to sit out with his injury, it could be Black winning the RB2 role going into Week 1 in Australia against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.

Aug 19, 2026 8:24 AM EST

Kaelon Black Returns to Practice After Adductor Injury

San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black (adductor) returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since the opening week of training camp. The rookie had been sidelined since hurting his adductor during the Aug. 1 practice, wiping out more than two weeks of valuable work. Black was getting a decent amount of run before the injury, including a heavy share of the carries during San Francisco's first padded session. The 49ers used the 90th overall pick on him in April after he rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries at Indiana last season. At 5-foot-9 and 208 pounds, he gives San Francisco another option behind Christian McCaffrey as the team sorts through a banged-up backfield. Black has ground to make up after the long layoff, but getting back into practice now gives him time to push for a role before the regular season.

Aug 18, 2026 11:45 AM EST

Kaelon Black Still Dealing With Thigh Injury, Sits Out Preseason Opener

San Francisco 49ers rookie third-round running back Kaelon Black (thigh) missed out on a big opportunity to cement himself as a depth option in the team's backfield behind Christian McCaffrey going into his first year in the NFL and was held out of the preseason opener on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. The good news is that Black's primary competition, Jordan James (ribs), was also held out. The 24-year-old Black has a big believer in head coach Kyle Shanahan, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he'll beat out James in 2026 to become the primary change-of-pace option behind the oft-injured CMC. The 5-foot-9, 211-pounder didn't have amazing production in college at James Madison and Indiana, and he's old for a rookie. Going into the 2026 season, Black will be a handcuff option to McCaffrey, at best, in deeper leagues if he's able to beat out James.

Aug 14, 2026 9:08 AM EST

Kaelon Black Misses Practice With Adductor Injury

San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black (adductor) did not practice Monday because of an adductor injury, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. The team has not announced when the injury occurred or provided a timetable for his return. Black had been receiving added work behind Christian McCaffrey with Isaac Guerendo and Jordan James sidelined, including six touches during one early team-heavy practice. San Francisco selected the rookie 90th overall after he rushed for 1,039 yards and 10 touchdowns during his final season at Indiana. His absence adds to a thin backfield that recently brought in veteran Khalil Herbert for depth. Black had made a good early impression, but the injury interrupts an important stretch for a third-round pick trying to earn a place in the regular-season rotation. He remains a deeper dynasty name to monitor, though his fantasy outlook will stay uncertain until the 49ers provide a recovery timeline and he returns to practice.

Aug 3, 2026 10:44 AM EST

Kaelon Black Set to Compete for One of Fantasy's Most Important Insurance Roles

The backup running back job in San Francisco is up for grabs, and a player who will have a chance to claim it when the 49ers take to the field for their first practice of training camp is third-round rookie Kaelon Black. With four-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey leading the NFL with 413 touches in 2025, Brian Robinson Jr. was limited to only 92 carries in his lone season with the team, but the latter's departure in free agency has opened up an important insurance role. Black will need to overtake 2025 fifth-round pick Jordan James, who did not record a single offensive statistic as a rookie, but who was reported to have an edge during the non-padded practices of OTAs and minicamp. With McCaffrey now 30 years old and coming off the heaviest workload of his nine-year career, the insurance role behind him could prove to be incredibly important for fantasy, making Black's battle for the job one of the more intriguing training camp stories to monitor out of San Francisco.

Jul 25, 2026 5:30 AM EST

Kaelon Black Battling for an Important Insurance Role

After not even receiving an invite to the NFL Combine, the San Francisco 49ers selected running back Kaelon Black in the third round of the 2026 Draft, making him the third running back off the board, after only first-rounders Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. While head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have gotten uninspired returns from the running backs they've drafted in recent years, particularly those viewed as reaches by the draft community, as was Black, there is no denying the favorable situation the rookie finds himself in. Four-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey recently turned 30 and is coming off a season in which he touched the ball a career-high 450 times, and with Brian Robinson Jr. departing in free agency, Black's biggest competition for primary backup duties comes from 2025 fifth-rounder Jordan James. As a rookie, James did not register a single offensive stat until taking over late in the team's Divisional Round blowout loss to the Seahawks, but a year in the system could give him an early edge heading into 2026. While RotoBaller currently has neither ranked as a top 50 fantasy back for redraft leagues, the training camp battle between Black and James will be one to monitor, and should either gain a demonstrative edge, they will force their way into the late-round discussion for 2026 drafts.

Jul 9, 2026 5:24 AM EST

Kaelon Black Well-Positioned for Dynasty Success Following NFL Draft

After recording 1,040 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries across 16 games for the University of Indiana in 2025, running back Kaelon Black was selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Black's path to immediate playing time is blocked off by all-world 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, who has led the NFL in touches in two out of the last three seasons. However, McCaffrey has also played seven games or fewer in three out of his last five campaigns. Black likely enters his rookie season in a battle with Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo for the RB2 role in San Francisco. Both James and Guerendo offer some upside, but neither has proven worthy of a consistent role at the NFL level. If Black emerges as the 49ers' lead backup in training camp, his upside as a handcuff option would be through the roof. Additionally, with McCaffrey entering his age-30 season, Black could be a key part of San Francisco's future at the running back position. His dynasty stock is rising following the NFL Draft.

May 2, 2026 11:43 AM EST

49ers Select Kaelon Black With 90th Overall Pick

The San Francisco 49ers have selected University of Indiana running back Kaelon Black with the 90th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Black spent the first two years of his college career at James Madison before transferring to Indiana for his final two collegiate seasons. Across 16 games with the Hoosiers in 2025, he recorded 1,040 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries. Black had just eight total receptions across his final 29 games in college, so he doesn't profile as much of a receiver out of the backfield. However, he's considered to be a physical downhill runner who could excel in short-yardage situations at the NFL level. With the 49ers, Black could have a chance to emerge as the primary backup to star San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey with a strong showing in training camp.

Apr 24, 2026 6:52 PM EST