Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Nyheim Hines

Thursday, July 30, 10:49 AM

With the news that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) is facing season-ending surgery for a PCL injury, it means that San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey could see an even larger target share in the passing game in 2026. McCaffrey, who has a lengthy injury history of his own, was the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2025 after he played in just four games due to injury in 2024. The four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro was the top fantasy RB after running for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns on 311 carries while adding a whopping 102 receptions for 924 yards and another seven TDs on 129 targets across 17 starts. At this point in CMC's career as he heads into his 10th NFL season, it seems likely that the Niners would be looking for ways to reduce his workload, especially when considering his injury history and coming off a career-high 413 touches last year. But the 49ers might not have that luxury, with their players already dropping like flies due to injury early in training camp. As long as he's healthy, McCaffrey should continue to be the engine of head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, cementing him as a no-doubt top-five fantasy RB.