On Monday, the San Francisco 49ers placed Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) on injured reserve. With McCaffrey and Mason likely out for the remainder of the season, all eyes will be on rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo as he takes over Kyle Shanahan’s backfield.
What is Guerendo’s fantasy football outlook, how much FAAB should fantasy managers spend on him, and what are his strengths and weaknesses?
Isaac Guerendo’s Fantasy Outlook
McCaffrey going on IR was expected, but Mason also being out for the season came out of nowhere. That puts Guerendo in the RB1 role for the remainder of the campaign.
The only running backs currently on San Francisco’s roster are Guerendo, Patrick Taylor Jr. (who was called up from the practice squad), and Israel Abanikanda (who they just claimed off waivers from the New York Jets). Guerendo is clearly the 49ers’ back to own. He’ll get the most opportunities, and he’s already shown what he can do when given significant touches. In the lone game when Guerendo played more than 50% of the snaps (Week 8 vs. the Dallas Cowboys), he saw 18 opportunities and scored 19.2 fantasy points.
Now, to be clear, this isn’t as appealing of a spot as it might have been given the current state of the 49ers. Nevertheless, it’s exceedingly rare for a weekly startable RB to pop up on waivers in nearly every league this late in the season.
This season, the 24-year-old has rushed 42 times for 246 yards and two touchdowns while also adding five catches and 19 receiving yards.
The hope is that Guerendo can become the latest reserve back who thrives in a Shanahan-led offense. Mason and Elijah Mitchell are recent examples, and Shanahan’s father, Mike, was a legendary head coach who used the same system and had six different 1,000-yard rushers throughout his coaching career (including several unheralded RBs).
How Much FAAB Should You Spend on Guerendo?
In most circumstances, I don’t like offering FAAB recommendations because it’s impossible to know the specific needs and situations of each fantasy manager. In this case, it’s as straightforward as it gets.
We are now in Week 14. It’s the final week of the fantasy regular season. Then, we have three weeks of playoffs. The odds of there being a stronger waiver wire addition are close to zero.
This is it, folks. All in. Full send. Whatever you have left. Everything on Guerendo.
Isaac Guerendo
Averaging 5.9 Yards/Carry during his rookie season.
Both Christian McCaffrey & Jordan Mason have been placed on IR.
Elijah Mitchell ruled out for season months ago.
Use the waiver priority.
Dump all the FAAB.
New San Fran RB1.
— Joe Orrico (@NoExpertFF) December 3, 2024
Take a look at the remaining FAAB balances of the managers in your league. However much money the manager directly behind you in FAAB has left, bid $1 more than that.
Given how little time there is left, it’s a near certainty there won’t be a better use of whatever waiver capital you have. Burn it all.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Jason Katz
Guerendo’s Background
Guerendo was selected in the fourth round (No. 129 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft. The rookie entered the season as the fourth option on the 49ers’ depth chart, so he has seen more touches than originally anticipated.
Guerendo is best known for his blazing 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which led all running backs. He also posted a 41.5-inch vertical jump, which again ranked first at his position. That performance at the Combine helped convince the Niners to take him in the fourth round.
It’s worth noting that Guerendo hasn’t been a running back very long, and he was never the leading rusher of any team during his collegiate career. During high school and his early days at Wisconsin, he played wide receiver.
After making the transition to running back, Guerendo had trouble getting on the field with the Badgers since he was playing behind Jonathan Taylor and Braelon Allen. But once he transferred to Louisville, he thrived. The 6’0″, 220-pounder finished his collegiate career with 1,392 career rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.
Guerendo has elite home-run speed and quality vision, and his days as a receiver show up in his pass-catching fluidity. However, his lateral agility is more functional than elite, and he’s an upright runner who can be impatient, bouncing runs outside prematurely.
Now, Guerendo has an incredible opportunity to show what he can do over the final five weeks of the 2024 season.