Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or DeVonta Smith

Monday, August 18, 6:14 PM

The Athletic's Matt Barrows writes that it makes sense for the San Francisco 49ers to lean on running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle in the passing game early this season. Barrows also added that if McCaffrey is "not back to his 2023 form, he's pretty close to it." McCaffrey helped many fantasy managers win championships in 2023, when he ran for a career-high and league-high 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns on 272 carries while also catching 67 passes for 564 yards and another seven scores in 16 regular-season starts. Unfortunately, CMC got a late start to his 2024 season due to Achilles tendinitis and also injured his knee late in the year. He ultimately played only four games and didn't look like his All-Pro self. McCaffrey is no longer in play for No. 1 overall in fantasy drafts, and although he's ranked fifth among RBs at RotoBaller, he's the biggest risk/reward RB.

Tuesday, August 19, 11:41 AM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (groin) will not practice on Tuesday, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The severity of Smith's injury is unclear, but it's a potentially worrying sign for Philadelphia, given that they are also currently without star wideout A.J. Brown (hamstring). The Eagles made a trade to acquire wide receiver John Metchie III from the Houston Texans on Monday, which could indicate that the team is at least somewhat concerned about its depth at the position. If Smith and/or Brown were to miss time, Metchie III and Jahan Dotson would likely be heavily relied upon. Assuming Smith's groin injury is minor, he profiles as a high-end WR3 whose value would skyrocket if Brown were to remain sidelined for a significant stretch.