Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Zack Moss

Saturday, September 7, 5:04 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) is questionable to play Monday night against the New York Jets. The superstar running back suffered a calf injury in August, knocking him out of the preseason and most of training camp. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan never seemed concerned about McCaffrey missing Week 1. Every indication has been that the veteran will be on the field for the Monday night matchup against the Jets. Yet, fantasy players should have a backup plan on their roster if McCaffrey is a last-minute inactive. Jordan Mason and Deebo Samuel will see most of the team's rushing workload if McCaffrey doesn't play.

Friday, September 6, 9:24 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Zack Moss signed a two-year deal with the team this offseason. He's coming off the best year of his career, running for 794 yards and five touchdowns off 183 attempts, adding 27 catches for 192 yards and 2 touchdowns in 14 games with the Colts. With Joe Mixon now in Houston, the door is open for someone to take over the No. 1 spot in the backfield. Although some predict Moss will see the majority of the touches over Chase Brown, at least early in the year, his fantasy outlook isn't as clear while the likelihood of a timeshare exists. But Ja'Marr Chase (not injury-related) and Tee Higgins (hamstring) aren't a lock to suit up in Week 1. As a result, Moss could see more touches than usual. He may also see more attention on the receiving end from Joe Burrow (wrist), who could start the 2024-25 campaign without his two primary receiving options. With that said, Moss should be a starting fantasy option in nearly all formats on Sunday, especially if Higgins or Chase are out. The same would be true for Brown, who would be in line for more snaps against the Patriots.