A calf injury kept San Francisco 49ers superstar running back Christian McCaffrey out of all three of the team’s preseason games. But just what will the status of last year’s No. 1 fantasy league player be for the opening week of the regular season?
Here’s a look at McCaffrey’s latest injury situation and his outlook for Week 1.
Christian McCaffrey Injury Update
A calf strain has forced McCaffrey to miss most of training camp and, as mentioned, all of the 49ers’ preseason games.
Although still young — turned 28 last June — McCaffrey does have an injury history that has forced him out of action.
Back with the Carolina Panthers, ankle injuries caused McCaffrey to miss a combined total of 23 out of 33 games between 2020 and 2021.
However, while concerning on the surface, McCaffrey’s absence from preseason games was more of a precaution than anything.
When you have arguably the most talented offensive player in the league on your roster, you probably want to avoid the risk of a serious injury in the preseason.
For evidence, see 49ers’ backup running back Elijah Mitchell, who it was recently announced will miss the entire 2024 season with a hamstring injury so serious it will require surgery. This potentially leaves a significant hole to fill at the 49ers’ backup running back spot, which is currently projected to be third-year running back Jordan Mason out of Georgia Tech.
McCaffrey has also been participating in practices, fueling speculation that his absence in the preseason was a precautionary measure.
McCaffrey’s Fantasy Outlook for Week 1
Assuming he is in the lineup, McCaffrey’s fantasy projections vs. a tough New York Jets defense are pretty solid.
Pro Football Network’s fantasy start/sit tool projects McCaffrey to finish with 20 fantasy points against the Jets in the Monday Night Football meeting on Sept. 9.
PFN’s start/sit tool projects McCaffrey to finish with 68.6 rush yards and 39.6 passing yards.
While McCaffrey’s projected points are slightly under his fantasy points per game average last season (league-best 24.5), it remains an impressive number if he can live up to the projections.
Last season, McCaffrey topped the 20-point mark in fantasy scoring in 15 of 19 games, including the playoffs, when he scored at least 28 fantasy points in all three games.
Not only is McCaffrey expected to play, but he should also receive plenty of time on the field.
His backup (Mason) has shown the ability to be productive (5.6 yards per carry in his career), but Mason still has only 83 rush attempts in two seasons with the 49ers. While Mason can provide some relief in the backfield, with less than three rush attempts a game for his career (2.5), any relief appearance figures to be short.
While McCaffrey is worth monitoring, there doesn’t appear to be a reason for fantasy managers to consider sitting him in Week 1.