Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Zach Charbonnet

Monday, October 21, 1:25 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) won't be available for the Week 8 game on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, and then the team is on bye in Week 9. McCaffrey has been ramping up for an early-November return, so Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 10 could be the target date he's shooting for to make his 2024 debut. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports CMC hasn't had any setbacks as he ramps up. San Fran could really use McCaffrey back with receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) going down with a potential season-ending torn ACL in the Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Fantasy managers that have been stashing McCaffrey all year could have him back just in time to make a run for a fantasy championship, although it remains to be seen how effective he'll be and how much of a workload he'll have upon his return.

Sunday, October 20, 9:45 AM

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet has taken a backseat in the backfield over the last few games. Charbonnet has rushed the ball five times or less in each of the last three games. The 23-year-old has seen a limited role with Kenneth Walker III healthy right now. Charbonnet has been able to get involved in the receiving game, but it's not enough to save his fantasy value. He's unlikely to see a significant role against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7. Charbonnet is worth stashing but really only has reliable fantasy value if Walker misses time.