Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Kyren Williams

Sunday, September 7, 10:07 AM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) did not practice on Friday, but he was a "big participant in the walkthrough on Saturday," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. As a result, the star running back is trending toward playing. Fantasy managers are holding their breath and hoping that McCaffrey avoids a repeat of the 2024 season when he was expected to be healthy for Week 1 but then ultimately missed the first nine games. We'll get confirmation on his status around 2:35 p.m. ET when the 49ers post their list of inactive players. If McCaffrey does suit up against the Seahawks, he'll rank as a mid-range RB1 in fantasy football.

Saturday, September 6, 10:07 AM

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams has been the topic of many backfield discussions this offseason, and there was plenty of speculation that the team could look to bring in running back competition. While the presence of Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter can't be ignored, there's no doubt that this backfield belongs to Williams and that he should continue to have an every-down role. That will benefit him this week against the Texans, who allowed the sixth-fewest rushing touchdowns to running backs last year. Therefore, a high-volume role is necessary to justify starting a running back against the Texans in fantasy football. Williams fits that description, and he also has a track record of scoring touchdowns against stingy defenses. He belongs in fantasy lineups this week.