Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Tyjae Spears

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.

Friday, January 3, 2:15 PM

Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (concussion) has been ruled out for the Week 18 matchup against the Houston Texans. Spears will sit out the regular season finale after suffering a concussion during last week's game. Before that, Spears rushed for 95 yards on 20 carries, which was his best running performance of the season. Lead back Tony Pollard (ankle) is considered a game-time decision, so the Titans could be in a bad spot if he's unable to play. Julius Chestnut and Joshua Kelley could end up having bigger roles for Sunday's game. However, neither back is considered a viable streaming option for Week 18.