Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Javonte Williams

Saturday, June 29, 1:07 PM

No NFL running back played a higher percentage of his team's offensive snaps last year than San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey. Elijah Mitchell, their top backup, missed six games in another injury-riddled season, and McCaffrey was simply too good to take off the field. CMC led the league with 1,459 rushing yards -- 292 more than the next best RB. His 21 TDs tied for the league lead and he also added 564 receiving yards, which ranked fourth on the 49ers. His 339 total touches were the second-most of his career. McCaffrey's efforts earned him Offensive Player of the Year honors and a two-year extension. The Niners would love a repeat performance in 2024, but perhaps with less wear and tear. A healthy Mitchell would help them accomplish that. "We have to protect Christian from himself. He doesn't like to ever come out no matter what the situation is and I do think that's something we could protect him with more," head coach Kyle Shanahan said.

Wednesday, July 24, 9:40 PM

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that he wanted Javonte Williams to look more like he did during his final season at North Carolina with a goal weight of 220-to-221 pounds. Williams was praised by Payton for being in good shape and working on his condition. Following a 2023 season where Williams had looked a bit sluggish, Williams now competes to make the Broncos' roster as he's been the subject of rumors as a cut candidate. If Williams can hold off second-year pro Jaleel McLaughlin, rookie Audric Estime, and veteran Samaje Perine, Williams should maintain a lead role for the Broncos. Williams looks to improve his 3.6 yards per carry and with his ADP of 115.5, he's a value in the middle rounds of drafts to bounce back to the promise he had as a former second-round pick in 2021.