Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Jonathan Taylor


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
21.2 71.3 0.6 4.9 37.3 0.3

Christian McCaffrey News

Christian McCaffrey "Looks Ready for Week 1"

Tuesday, September 1, 1:10 PM

CBS Sports' Matt Lively thinks that San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (undisclosed) "certainly looks ready for Week 1" after seeing him practice on Tuesday. McCaffrey, who missed some training camp practices with an undisclosed issue, looked spry in a video that Lively posted of 49ers practice. CMC was catching passes and running around in full uniform, so he looks ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener next Thursday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in Australia, barring any setbacks between now and then. San Francisco most likely was just keeping the oft-injured star RB in bubble wrap during camp and the preseason, especially when considering the rest of their backfield was banged up as well. All signs point to McCaffrey being a full-go for Week 1, and he still has league-winning upside as a top-five fantasy RB, albeit with more risk than some of the other top names at the position. McCaffrey managed to play in all 17 regular-season games a year ago to finish as the RB1 in fantasy, recording 1,202 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and 924 receiving yards with another seven scores through the air.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
18.2 82.5 0.7 3.0 21.4 0.1

Jonathan Taylor News

Jonathan Taylor Carries More Risk at His First-Round Price

Monday, August 31, 7:21 AM

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor isn't falling because his role suddenly changed. It's the price after a season that will be tough to repeat. Taylor led the NFL with 323 carries and scored 20 total touchdowns in 2025, finishing with 1,585 rushing yards and another 378 through the air. Indianapolis has openly spent camp looking for a dependable No. 2 back who can help keep him fresh after that workload, with DJ Giddens and Seth McGowan making the initial 53-man roster behind him. Taylor is still the clear starter, and the Colts signed him to an extension in August. This isn't a playing-time scare. The risk is paying a first-round price after he handled more carries than anyone in football. RotoBaller's Aug. 30 early-round avoids piece also noted how much game script mattered last year: Taylor averaged 31.5 PPR points in Colts wins and 12.4 in losses. He's still an elite fantasy back. There's just less margin for error at the current cost.


Christian McCaffrey vs. Jonathan Taylor

Still trying to decide between McCaffrey and Taylor? 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 21.2 points this week while Jonathan Taylor is projected to score 18.2 points.