Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Wednesday, January 7, 3:00 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey finished 2025 as the RB1 in almost all fantasy formats, and he carries the same projection into most fantasy playoff leagues. San Francisco opens the playoffs against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles and a defensive front that scarcely resembles the one that gave Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs fits in Super Bowl LIX. The Eagles were the 10th most generous fantasy defense to opposing running backs, and McCaffrey comes into the matchup having finished as the RB12 or better in 14 of 17 starts in Full-PPR formats. He is RotoBaller's RB1 for Wild Card Weekend and, given San Francisco's status as 4.5-point road underdogs, an obvious must-start in formats that allow players to be started only once.

Sunday, January 4, 5:53 PM

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushed for 103 yards on 18 carries during Sunday's Week 18 win over the Dallas Cowboys. He also caught eight of his nine targets for an additional 56 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. The lone blemish of Tracy's performance was a third-quarter fumble. The second-year back finished the 2025 season with four touchdowns and over 1,000 scrimmage yards, filling in admirably for rookie Cam Skattebo (ankle). While we expect Skattebo to operate as the Giants' workhorse running back next year, Tracy is a valuable handcuff who has shown that he can be equally productive in the lead-back role.