Having San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey on your fantasy football team this season has been a delight. The RB1 on the season has 1,459 yards rushing, 564 yards receiving, and 21 TDs. He had been the RB5 or better in nine weeks, and he has only one week outside the top 20.
This one week was Week 17 against Washington, and it was not because of talent, opportunity, or game script; it was because he was dealing with a right calf injury and played only 54% of the snaps. Will this calf issue hinder McCaffrey in Week 18?
Latest Injury Update on Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey exited Sunday’s game against the Commanders early because of a potential calf injury. After leaving the field, McCaffrey was seen jumping up and down and jogging on the sideline, presumably testing his calf. He continued to stretch on the sideline, holding his helmet, and he looked like he wanted to return to the field.
If the game would have been closer, McCaffrey would have returned. “I will always play if I can,” McCaffrey said after the game. “I think it was minor and just made the smart move, especially not knowing what was going to happen next week. I didn’t want to go in there and make it any worse.”
It is uncertain how the injury occurred. “I’m not sure what happened,” McCaffrey said. “It was pretty minor. I was just having a hard time for a little bit, pushing off, and just for precautionary reasons, thought it would be better just to rest it.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the issue in his post-game press conference. “[It’s a] possible calf strain. We’ll have to see tomorrow, though.” “We think he’ll be all right,” Shanahan added. “I don’t know if he would have been able to go next week or not, but we’ll have to find out more tomorrow. But he was moving around all right on the sideline, so hoping it’s not too bad, but we won’t know until tomorrow.”
Editor’s note: Kyle Shanahan says that McCaffrey has a mild calf strain and will not play in Week 18.
Will Christian McCaffrey Play This Week?
The Niners have now locked up the top seed in the NFC and, with it, the first-round bye in the playoffs.
With that situated, it seems unlikely that McCaffrey will play in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
It was not just the Niners doing, though; the Arizona Cardinals beating the Philadelphia Eagles sealed the deal for the first-round bye for San Francisco, and the importance of the rest time that brings is not lost on McCaffrey.
“That means the world,” McCaffrey said. “So shout out to the Cardinals. I appreciate you guys. That was huge. I think we all need it. I know I need it. So I’m excited to just take a breath and get everything back to normal.” It is unlikely fantasy managers will get CMC on the field in Week 18.
What Does This Mean for McCaffrey’s Fantasy Ranking?
With McCaffrey playing reduced snaps on Sunday, backup Elijah Mitchell had the chance to shine. He carried the ball 17 times for 80 yards and one TD, and with McCaffrey all but certain to miss next week, Mitchell should be the RB1 for San Francisco. He will not be as high in the rankings as McCaffrey would be, but he will dominate the backfield and be a good start.
Mitchell is currently RB67 in PFN’s Consensus Rankings, but expect that to change drastically as soon as McCaffrey, who is ranked as the RB1, is ruled out.
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