Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Saquon Barkley

Saturday, December 27, 4:04 AM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has finished outside of the top ten at his position just twice in 2025. The heart of San Francisco's offense, McCaffrey leads the team in targets per game, is averaging 125.9 scrimmage yards per game, and has scored a touchdown in all but four of the 49ers' games this season. CMC's role in the passing game regressed in recent weeks until his 6-29-2 line on eight targets in Week 16. His target share may remain elevated in Week 17, as tight end George Kittle (ankle) is a game-time decision and Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) is questionable. McCaffrey has a welcome matchup against the Bears in Week 17. Chicago has allowed the sixth-most rushing yards per game and the second-most rushing yards before contact per attempt this year. As always, McCaffrey is in contention for an RB1 finish and should be locked into lineups for the final weekend of the fantasy football season.

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.