Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Dameon Pierce

Saturday, November 22, 5:26 AM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was the overall RB1 in Week 11, his third such finish in the last five weeks and his tenth top-10 finish in 2025. McCaffrey is in a good spot to attempt a repeat against the Carolina Panthers on Monday night. Much of McCaffrey's production in 2025 has come as a pass-catcher, but with Carolina offering up 4.72 yards per carry to opposing running backs this season, there is reason to believe he will do more damage on the ground than usual in Week 12. Carolina has been especially bad over the last four weeks, giving up a league-worst six rushing touchdowns and the fourth-most fantasy points per game to running backs. It goes without saying that McCaffrey should be in starting lineups in Week 12, but fantasy football managers are justified in feeling especially optimistic about what the superstar will produce in his first game against his former team.

Thursday, November 20, 4:53 PM

The Houston Texans have waived running back Dameon Pierce, per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. A fourth-round pick of the Texans in 2022, Pierce burst onto the scene as a rookie by rushing for 939 yards and four touchdowns on 220 carries across 13 games. However, injuries and ineffectiveness have plagued him basically ever since. Across four games this season, Pierce had logged just 26 rushing yards on 10 carries. The 25-year-old was buried behind Woody Marks, Nick Chubb, and Dare Ogunbowale on the running back depth chart in Houston and had not recorded an offensive snap since Week 5. Pierce will now search for a new home for the remainder of the 2025 season. Regardless of where he ends up, Pierce is unlikely to play a fantasy-relevant role.