The question of is Christian McCaffrey playing has been a somewhat ever-present one so far in the 2022 NFL season. There has seemingly been some sort of niggle for McCaffrey every week this year, and Week 4 is no different. Let’s take a look at the latest news regarding McCaffrey’s Week 4 status and what it means for fantasy football managers this week.
Is Christian McCaffrey playing today?
It is not unusual for McCaffrey to be absent from practice on a Wednesday. That has been his designated rest day this season. However, this time it was a thigh injury, as opposed to resting, that caused McCaffrey to miss practice.
There were mixed reports on Wednesday about the severity, with some beat reporters viewing it as precautionary, while other reports were a little more pessimistic.
After McCaffrey was once again absent from practice on Thursday, the concern grew. However, on Friday morning, PFN’s NFL Insider Aaron Wilson reported that McCaffrey was expected to play in Week 4, despite missing the first two days of practice.
He was then able to practice in a limited fashion Friday and entered the weekend questionable. Late on Saturday evening, ESPN’s Adam Schefter echoed the positivity from Wilson’s report that McCaffrey is expected to play in Week 4.
What should fantasy managers do with McCaffrey in Week 4?
This news regarding McCaffrey’s availability is somewhat tough for fantasy managers. There is a lot of positivity that he will play, but it would be highly surprising if he is not limited in a significant way.
Additionally, the afternoon kickoff aspect adds some jeopardy for fantasy managers. If McCaffrey pulls up in pregame warmups, there are limited options at that point to replace him with.
The reason this is a major issue with McCaffrey is that you really have to play him if he is active. He is simply too dynamic and explosive not to be in your fantasy lineup if he is on the field.
Additionally, Arizona is the 12th-best matchup for opposing RBs, allowing 20.97 fantasy points per game to the position in half-PPR. There are too many positive signs for managers to consider benching McCaffrey in Week 4 if he is active.
Despite potentially being limited, McCaffrey still sits as the third RB in our Week 4 RB fantasy rankings. Additionally, he is the 14th player overall in our half-PPR fantasy rankings.
Could you trust either D’Onta Foreman or Chuba Hubbard in Week 4?
If McCaffrey plays, then we are unlikely to see any real value for either D’Onta Foreman or Chuba Hubbard. Even if McCaffrey loses 25 percent of his workload, that is only five or so touches that would be open. If his workload reduces by 50 percent, then we are talking about 10 touches. However, those could very well be split between the other two backs.
Through the first three weeks, there is no clear idea of which backup would dominate touches if McCaffrey were out. Foreman and Hubbard have each seen four rushing attempts through the first three weeks, and neither has seen a single target.
Therefore, it is tough to predict who would be the lead RB option if McCaffrey were to be inactive. That makes it tough to handcuff McCaffrey in case he is a late inactive, and it means there is no clear fantasy value to be found if that does happen.
Both Hubbard and Foreman carry deep league flex potential if McCaffrey is ruled out. However, both would be extremely risky with no idea what workload each may see in Week 4.