Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Saquon Barkley

Wednesday, December 31, 12:54 PM

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on KNBR Radio on Wednesday that star running back Christian McCaffrey (back) is "trending to play" on Saturday night for the divisional clash against the Seattle Seahawks in the Week 18 regular-season finale, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. Tight end George Kittle (ankle) is expected to be available, too, after missing the Week 17 win over the Chicago Bears. Back stiffness kept McCaffrey from practicing on Tuesday, but he's expected to return Wednesday or Thursday and play this weekend in a massive game that will decide the No. 1 seed in the NFC going into the playoffs next week. CMC had a season-high 140 rushing yards and a touchdown on Sunday night against Chicago, and despite a tough matchup against Seattle, he's a no-doubt, must-start in all fantasy lineups. McCaffrey has 20-plus touches in five straight games.

Friday, December 26, 11:13 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby recorded 37 rushing yards and his first touchdown of the season on four carries against the Commanders last week. Bigsby broke free for a 22-yard score in the fourth quarter, and now averages an impressive 6.1 yards per attempt this year. However, with Saquon Barkley healthy and ready to play, it seems as though any chance of Bigsby stepping into a notable role before season's end has faded away. With his low volume, it would be a massive gamble to start him in fantasy lineups as playoffs come to a close, even against a poor Buffalo run defense. It's best to leave Bigsby benched for Week 17.