Christian McCaffrey

Week 2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It’s hard to know what else to say about Christian McCaffrey, as the guy is just extremely dominant in every facet of the game. He opened the season with 23 carries, three receptions, 134 combined yards and a pair of touchdowns, and he looked both dynamic in the open field, and tough as nails fighting for extra yards. McCaffrey only saw four targets, which is a bit low for him, but time will tell if that’s a one-game thing, or an aspect of the new offense and Teddy Bridgewater.

This week, he’ll face a Tampa Bay defense that has been really good against the run going back to last year. However, it doesn’t matter who McCaffrey plays. He should be active every week, regardless of matchup. The Buccaneers gave up a pair of touchdowns to Alvin Kamara – although just 16 yards rushing – so expect McCaffrey to find ways to get his fantasy points. Start him, as always.

Fantasy Upside

Christian McCaffrey is so good, I’m out of superlatives to describe him. He became just the third player in NFL history to record over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in one season last year, and 1,387 rushing yards were third in the league behind Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb. McCaffrey also tied with Aaron Jones for the most touchdowns last season at 19, and he was second behind only Michael Thomas with 116 receptions. He’s a monster, and this is the second consecutive year he’s put up huge numbers, particularly in the scoring department.

Fantasy Downside

There’s really no downside to McCaffrey. I suppose the number of touches he’s had over the past two seasons – 729, including 223 receptions – could cause him to wear down. I suppose his 19 touchdowns from last season could be deemed unsustainable, as it was a jump from 13 the previous year. I suppose you could look at the new coaching staff and wonder if Matt Rhule’s offense will feature him as heavily.

2020 Bottom Line

Ultimately, the Panthers just gave McCaffrey a big contract extension and there’s little doubt he’ll remain the focal point of the offense. He is one of the best receiving options in football – not just among running backs – and has shown he can carry the load on the ground. Fantasy owners should run to the podium to select the multi-talented McCaffrey in all league formats.

Week 16 at Indianapolis Colts

There’s only so much you can say about Christian McCaffrey in the midst of a dominant fantasy season. He’s third in the league in receptions, third in rushing yards and he leads the NFL with 18 touchdowns. McCaffrey finished with 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground last week against the Seahawks, adding another 88 yards on eight receptions. He’s a monster and needs only six more catches to reach 100 receptions for the second consecutive season.

This week, McCaffrey faces a Colts defense that ranks seventh in aFPA to opposing running backs this year, but it doesn’t matter. Obviously, a better matchup would be ideal, but McCaffrey is so good and his usage is so high that he remains the best fantasy option at the position every week. Start him and be happy you drafted him.