San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is dealing with a calf strain and will miss a couple of weeks of practice, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced on Tuesday. McCaffrey is unlikely to play in any of San Francisco’s preseason games.
The 49ers are already missing several offensive starters in training camp. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is holding in for a new contract and could be traded in the near future, while left tackle Trent Williams is holding out as he awaits a fresh deal.
Christian McCaffrey Injured at 49ers Training Camp
Shanahan said McCaffrey strained his calf several days ago. At this point, there’s no indication that CMC is in any danger of missing the start of the regular season. The 49ers will kick off the 2024 campaign with a Monday night game against the New York Jets on Sept. 9.
McCaffrey, 28, earned Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Pro honors after leading the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards, 2,023 yards from scrimmage, and 21 total touchdowns.
The gap between McCaffrey and the rest of the NFL’s running backs may have been the widest delta between the top player at a position in the league and his cohorts in 2023. CMC posted 2,023 yards from scrimmage despite sitting out Week 18; no other RB put up more than 1,600.
MORE: Simulate the NFL Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor
His 21 total touchdowns tied for the NFL lead, while he generated more first downs — both in the passing game (31) and the running game (83) — than any other running back.
McCaffrey isn’t the 49ers’ only injured RB. Elijah Mitchell, CMC’s primary backup in 2022 and 2023, and fourth-round rookie running back Isaac Guerendo have pulled hamstrings.
San Francisco signed free agent Matt Breida this week, reuniting with a veteran who spent the first three seasons of his career with the club. Breida joins Jordan Mason, Patrick Taylor, and undrafted rookie free agent Cody Schrader as the 49ers’ healthy running backs.
Fantasy Fallout From McCaffrey’s Injury
McCaffrey’s production for the 49ers speaks for itself, and he’s far enough removed from his injuries with the Carolina Panthers to not yet adjust your rankings as a result of this news.
In fact, you could argue that this only solidifies his status as the 1.01 without worrying about suffering a setback over the next month.
This does, however, push CMC’s backups up the ADP board. I’m not willing to overpay, but Guerendo and Mitchell are both on the short list of handcuff running backs who should be considered in the late rounds of fantasy football drafts.
Ty Chandler headlines the secondary running backs that could hold standalone value — the 49ers’ backup duo isn’t that, but they remain roster-worthy given their proximity to a valuable role.