Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Dameon Pierce


Week 5 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
18.6 60.0 0.6 4.4 34.5 0.2

Christian McCaffrey News

Christian McCaffrey Matches Up Well Against Broncos

Friday, October 2, 11:44 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is in line for a productive Week 4 when he squares off against the Denver Broncos. So far in 2026, Denver has given up the third-most rushing yards, has the highest EPA allowed per run, and has the most missed tackles in the league. The Broncos defense will also be missing linebacker Dondrea Tillman (hamstring). This makes for an inviting matchup for McCaffrey, who owns the league's fifth-best rushing success rate and the highest average rushing yards before contact among starting running backs. As usual, McCaffrey can be expected to be one of quarterback Brock Purdy's favorite targets. And with Mike Evans (ribs) questionable and expected to be a game-time decision on Sunday, McCaffrey could see his receiving work increase. The Broncos gave up six catches for 70 yards to Kyren Williams last week. McCaffrey is projected as the overall RB6 in Week 4.


Week 5 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
4.8 22.5 0.1 0.9 6.3 0.0

Dameon Pierce News

Eagles Excited for Dameon Pierce's Opportunity

Wednesday, October 7, 9:06 AM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Dameon Pierce, who was promoted from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster this week due to injuries to both Saquon Barkley (hamstring) and Tank Bigsby (abdomen), could have a significant role in Philly's backfield going forward, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic. "He's an NFL starting running back. Maybe wouldn't have said that when he was on our practice squad publicly, because of the fear of losing him. But he's an NFL starting running back. Excited for his opportunity," head coach Nick Sirianni said of Pierce. The 26-year-old was originally a fourth-round pick by the Houston Texans in 2022 from Florida. He had 220 rushing attempts for 220 yards and four touchdowns in 13 starts in his rookie campaign but could never find his footing in Houston after that. He played in only five games last year with Houston and the Kansas City Chiefs and had just 14 carries for 36 yards combined. Pierce will have an opportunity with the Eagles this Sunday in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars, making him worth deep-league waiver consideration at the position, but Will Shipley should see most of the backfield work if Barkley is unavailable.


Christian McCaffrey vs. Dameon Pierce

Still trying to decide between McCaffrey and Pierce? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Christian McCaffrey is projected to score 18.6 points this week while Dameon Pierce is projected to score 4.8 points.