Christian McCaffrey

Week 4 vs. Arizona Cardinals

Christian McCaffrey had another great game against the Giants last week, seemingly imposing his will on the opposing defense. He rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and he added 34 yards on five receptions. McCaffrey now has three touchdowns in three games and is averaging 23.7 touches per game.

This week, expect another heavy dose of McCaffrey against the Cardinals, who rank 22nd in aFPA to opposing running backs. It’s a nice matchup, but there’s no reason to ever sit a healthy McCaffrey, regardless of who he’s playing against. The 49ers use him regularly and his ability to find the end zone at a ridiculous rate makes him an elite fantasy option every time he steps on the field.

Week 2 at Los Angeles Rams

Christian McCaffrey had a great Week 1, rushing for 152 yards on 22 carries, including an explosive 65-yard touchdown. He also added 17 yards on three receptions and was targeted five times in a lopsided victory over the Steelers. McCaffrey seems like he hasn’t missed a beat carrying over from last year, and he now has a ridiculous 14 touchdowns in 15 games as a 49er.

This week, he faces a Rams defense that was able to play ball-control in a convincing win over the Seahawks in Week 1, limiting the Seattle rushers to 85 yards. However, Kenneth Walker still averaged 5.3 yards per carry, so there should be plenty of opportunity for McCaffrey to thrive. Regardless of matchup, McCaffrey is so good, he should be considered an elite fantasy running back whenever he’s active. Start him.

Fantasy Upside
This just in: Christian McCaffrey is really good. Let's review... Six weeks into the 2022 season, the Panthers traded McCaffrey to the 49ers. At the time of the deal, San Francisco was 3-3 and struggling to find offensive consistency. The team won 12 straight after McCaffrey became the starter before losing in the NFC Championship Game against the Eagles -- which came with Brock Purdy suffering an elbow injury that essentially incapacitated the offense. QB aside, before McCaffrey came on board, the Niners ranked 19th in the NFL in points scored per game (20.3), 18th in yards per game (340.2) and expected points added (minus-0.05). After McCaffrey's arrival, the 49ers ranked second (with 29.8 points), fourth (with 379.6 yards) and second (with and EPA of 7.4) in those same categories. Over the final six weeks of the season, McCaffrey ran 101 times for 505 yards and four touchdowns while also catching 27 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns. There's your upside.

Fantasy Downside
McCaffrey's injury history is something people talk about. He's missed of 23 of 97 career games. All of those absences came in 2020 and 2021. So it's been an issue. But he's been healthy and available far more often than not. Another issue, one that should be more worrisome than the injury history, is the 49ers' loaded offense. There are a lot of mouths to feed here. It could lead to weeks of less robust usage.

2023 Bottom Line
When you're drafting early, you should be looking for leverage over the field. McCaffrey averaged 22.2 PPR points per game in his final 10 games in San Francisco, including five outings with at least 25 PPR points. That's the leverage I'm talking about. McCaffrey's three-down skill-set in this running back friendly offense give him a strong claim to RB1 status and the No. 1 overall spot for 2023.