Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Nyheim Hines

Wednesday, January 7, 3:00 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey finished 2025 as the RB1 in almost all fantasy formats, and he carries the same projection into most fantasy playoff leagues. San Francisco opens the playoffs against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles and a defensive front that scarcely resembles the one that gave Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs fits in Super Bowl LIX. The Eagles were the 10th most generous fantasy defense to opposing running backs, and McCaffrey comes into the matchup having finished as the RB12 or better in 14 of 17 starts in Full-PPR formats. He is RotoBaller's RB1 for Wild Card Weekend and, given San Francisco's status as 4.5-point road underdogs, an obvious must-start in formats that allow players to be started only once.

Monday, October 27, 7:01 PM

Los Angeles Chargers running back Nyheim Hines was elevated from the practice squad for the third time this season but made little impact in Thursday's 37-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Hines saw only seven snaps, four on offense and three on special teams, and finished with two carries for minus 2 yards. He was clearly behind Kimani Vidal and Jaret Patterson on the depth chart and has since returned to the practice squad. Now that Hines has reached the maximum number of elevations allowed from the practice squad, the Chargers must decide whether to sign him to the active roster to keep him available, as per NFL rules. With Hassan Haskins (hamstring) and Omarion Hampton (ankle) still sidelined, there's a possibility Hines gets signed. However, his limited usage on Thursday might suggest otherwise. Either way, he's off the fantasy radar heading into Week 9 against a struggling Tennessee Titans defense.