The San Francisco 49ers will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding RB Christian McCaffrey.
Is Christian McCaffrey Playing in Week 10?
Christian McCaffrey was the consensus No. 1 overall player in fantasy football drafts this season. However, he hasn’t played in 2024 due to Achilles tendinitis. He was a surprise inactive in Week 1 and placed on IR in Week 2.
The banged-up San Francisco 49ers enjoyed a much-needed bye in Week 9 as McCaffrey continues to work toward a potential return. On Thursday, Kyle Shanahan officially delivered the word that he expected McCaffrey to make his season debut in Week 10 vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While CMC is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, he’s fully expected to suit up.
All looks good for the 49ers: Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa and Jordan Mason all moving well at practice pic.twitter.com/TuSyc5alM4
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) November 8, 2024
McCaffrey was officially limited on Wednesday and Thursday, suggesting the 49ers are ramping him back up. While it remains to be seen if CMC receives a full workload in his first game back, managers can’t risk not putting the NFL’s top fantasy player in their lineups.
We’ll continue to monitor the 49ers injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Christian McCaffrey in Week 10?
Is it time? Will the industry-wide nightmare of not having Christian McCaffrey in our lives finally end on Sunday?
All signs point that way, and I’m operating under that assumption until I have reason not to. We can agree that Jordan Mason (three RB1 finishes, 5.1 yards per catch, and 7.2 yards per target) has been great, right?
Consider this: Mason’s expected PPR fantasy points per game this season is only 66.8% of what McCaffrey posted a season ago. If you want to be conservative with CMC in his season debut, go ahead and drop him down in your weekly rankings.
Maybe all the way down to RB5.
It’s difficult to do much more than that. McCaffrey is a unique talent in an offense built around his versatility. If you’ve waited nine weeks to have your first-round pick active, I can’t imagine a world in which you’re waiting to lock him into your lineup.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 10 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Christian McCaffrey’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 10
As of Sunday, McCaffrey is projected to score 17 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 12.1 rushing attempts for 59.1 yards and 0.4 touchdowns. It also includes 3.9 receptions for 34.1 yards and 0.2 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight on the Buccaneers’ Defense
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the widest split in their offense and defense, ranking inside the top five on offense and inside the bottom 10 on defense. That defense continues to be a problem, having allowed 102 points in the last three weeks. That has seen them go 0-3 despite scoring 81 points in that stretch.
The Buccaneers’ defense has not done much well. It struggles more against the pass but also has issues against the run. Some of the deeper numbers are not an issue, but the overall picture is that they are allowing 2.44 points per drive (29th) and 5.8 yards per play (27th).
Do you want more insight on all other defensive units across the NFL? Head over to our PFN Defense+ Rankings for analysis on all 32 teams.
Christian McCaffrey’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.
Conference Championship RB PPR Rankings
1) Saquon Barkley | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) James Cook | BUF (at KC)
3) Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS (at PHI)
4) Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs. BUF)
5) Kareem Hunt | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Austin Ekeler | WAS (at PHI)
7) Ray Davis | BUF (at KC)
8) Ty Johnson | BUF (at KC)
9) Samaje Perine | KC (vs. BUF)
10) Kenneth Gainwell | PHI (vs. WAS)
11) Jeremy McNichols | WAS (at PHI)
12) Will Shipley | PHI (vs. WAS)
13) Carson Steele | KC (vs. BUF)
14) Reggie Gilliam | BUF (at KC)
15) Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS (at PHI)
San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Insights
San Francisco 49ers
Team: The 49ers won six straight games out of their bye last season, outscoring the opposition 207-94 in the process.
QB: In Weeks 1-7 last season, Brock Purdy’s quick pass rate was 74.1%. Since, that rate has been trimmed to 55.4%.
Offense: Settling. The 49ers have kicked a field goal on 26.5% of their drives this season, up from 11.7% a year ago.
Defense: In Weeks 2-6, San Francisco forced their opposition to go three-and-out on 28.8% of their drives, a rate that spiked in the two weeks before their bye (43.5%).
Fantasy: Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, and Purdy were the only QBs to finish Weeks 6-7-8 as a top-10 fantasy signal-caller.
Betting: The 49ers have covered six of their past eight games as a road favorite (those two losses came in Weeks 2-3 this season, outright losses to the Vikings and Rams).
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Team: Will their fate depend on how they can produce on the road? Following the Week 11 bye, Tampa Bay plays four of five on the road (all of which are winnable: Giants, Panthers, Chargers, and Cowboys).
QB: Baker Mayfield has the longest active streak of multi-pass games at six straight (Josh Allen is second with four straight).
Offense: Tampa Bay has allowed pressure on just 12.8% of dropbacks over the past two weeks, easily the lowest rate in the league.
Defense: The Bucs have allowed opponents to convert 60% of third downs over the past two weeks (first seven weeks: 37.2%).
Fantasy: Cade Otton is one of four pass catchers to have 15 PPR points in each of the past three weeks, joining Justin Jefferson, Terry McLaurin, and Cedric Tillman.
Betting: Overs are 7-2 in the last nine instances in which a team on short rest faces one on an extended break.
