Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Zach Charbonnet


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
19.7 64.8 0.4 4.9 39.1 0.3

Christian McCaffrey News

Christian McCaffrey Played Through Cramping in Season-Opening Win

Friday, September 11, 8:04 AM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that running back Christian McCaffrey dealt with some cramps during the season-opening win on Thursday over the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, but made it through fine, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. McCaffrey did not have a huge Week 1 performance, but he did enough to help the Niners pull off a blowout win over a Rams defense that came into the 2026 season expected to be one of the best units in the league. The 30-year-old had 10 carries for 68 yards and caught five of his eight targets for 20 yards. It was a notable reduction in his workload after finishing as the RB1 in fantasy in 2025 with a career- and league-high 413 touches in 17 regular-season starts. Rookie Kaelon Black actually had four more carries than CMC, who did not do much in training camp due to undisclosed tightness. McCaffrey might not see as hefty a workload in 2026, but if he stays healthy again all year, he still has the potential to be a league-winner in San Fran's offense. He is a must-start for a Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 20.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Zach Charbonnet News

Zach Charbonnet On Track With his "Aggressive" Return Timetable

Monday, September 7, 2:41 PM

Updating a previous report, Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (knee) has an "aggressive" timetable that he is currently on target to meet as he recovers from a torn ACL that he suffered in last year's postseason, head coach Mike Macdonald told Corbin K. Smith of the Emerald Spectrum. Macdonald said that Charbonnet looks "dang good." Seattle placed Charbonnet on the Physically Unable to Perform list to begin the 2026 season, which means that he will miss at least the first four games. However, this report on Monday suggests that Charbonnet could be a candidate to come off the PUP and make his season debut as early as Week 5 against the division-rival San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 11. Rookie first-rounder Jadarian Price and George Holani are expected to share the backfield to open the year without Charbonnet, but once Charbonnet returns, he should eventually be Seattle's preferred back. He is currently rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues, but he deserves to be rostered in more formats, especially in leagues that have IR/PUP roster spots. Charbonnet had a bigger role alongside Kenneth Walker (now in KC) last year, carried the ball 184 times for 730 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 20 catches for 144 yards through the air in 16 regular-season games. Charb has found the end zone on the ground 20 times in the last two years.


Christian McCaffrey vs. Zach Charbonnet

Still trying to decide between McCaffrey and Charbonnet? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Christian McCaffrey is projected to score 19.7 points this week while Zach Charbonnet is projected to score 0.0 points.