Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Rasheen Ali

Thursday, February 27, 6:29 PM

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday at the NFL Combine that running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) is "doing great" and that he thinks the star RB will be able to participate in "at least parts" of the offseason program. McCaffrey was a bust at the top of fantasy drafts last fall, as he played in just four games in 2024. He missed the first two months with bilateral Achilles tendinitis and then suffered a season-ending PCL injury on Dec. 1 in the loss to the Buffalo Bills. The 28-year-old's fantasy stock will take a hit in 2025 because of his injury-plagued season, but it's hard to forget that he has rushed for 2,407 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns while catching 134 passes for 1,174 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns in 31 games since he joined San Fran midway through the 2022 season. If healthy, CMC can be a league-winner, but the injury risk is very high.

Sunday, January 19, 5:29 PM

According to the team, Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. Ali did not carry an injury designation into this game but will instead watch this game from the sidelines. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Derrick Henry to operate as the lead back, with Justice Hill slotting behind him and Keaton Mitchell as the No.3 option. Ali also sat out during their wild-card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Over his final four games of the regular season, the 23-year-old tallied 31 yards on ten attempts. Henry carries high-end RB1 upside in DFS in this contest, while Hill is worth a look at as a value play in what could be a high-scoring affair.