Is Christian McCaffrey Playing or Injured? Should I Start Jordan Mason?

With the news of San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey's injuries, his owners are rightfully wondering if he will play against the Jets in week 1 on Monday night.

McCaffrey was the RB1 in 2023 by a wide margin, outscoring RB2 Breece Hall by over 70 PPR points. He is fantasy dynamite when healthy. McCaffrey has multiple RB1 overall seasons to his name.

Will McCaffrey play in week 1 or will he be out due to his injury? Should you start Jordan Mason? Let's dive in.

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Is Christian McCaffrey Playing In Week 1?

UPDATE: Christian McCaffrey has been ruled out for Week 1 and will not play against the New York Jets. 

McCaffrey is officially listed as questionable for Week 1, but multiple sources, including John Lynch, the General Manager of the 49ers, and McCaffrey himself, have confirmed that he will play on Monday night. Given the confidence of so many direct sources, you should assume these are not smokescreens and they are telling the truth.

Christian McCaffrey

•Lynch stated CMC should be full go
•CMC told reporters he’s playing
•He’s hypersensitive/overly aware of his body and wouldn’t play if there’s an issue

I’m anticipating CMC playing without limitations. Might have slightly lower ceiling.

Start him Wk1. https://t.co/sHq70wJbrB

— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) September 7, 2024

This is good news for McCaffrey owners. The other good news is that McCaffrey will likely play without limitations. The offseason has given McCaffrey plenty of time to recover from his injury. This is a much better time to pick up an injury than in the regular season, when recovery options are much more limited with weekly games.

McCaffrey should enjoy his usual workload. McCaffrey is the cornerstone of Shanahan's offense, and if he's even 80% healthy, Shanahan will likely use him as he normally would.

Should I Start Jordan Mason for Fantasy Football in Week 1?

The third-year back out of Georgia Tech was reportedly locked in a close training camp battle with Elijah Mitchell for the RB2 role in the Niners backfield. With Mitchell lost for the year - and Christian McCaffrey ruled out for Week 1 - Mason is the clear-cut starting running back for the Niners against the New York Jets.

Mason has not logged over 50 rushing attempts in either of his previous NFL campaigns, though he's averaged a chunky 5.59 yards per attempt for his career.

Most yards per carry in 2022-23 (min. 75 carries, lol):

1. De'Von Achane (7.9)
2. Jordan Mason (5.6) pic.twitter.com/YbU4Zw8TeQ

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) August 26, 2024

While his previous game experience is limited, the surprising late scratch of McCaffrey vaults Mason into serious fantasy consideration in 2024. He suddenly becomes not only a very valuable handcuff back but also a legitimately strong fantasy play in his own right. If you were sharp enough to draft Mason, move him into starting lineups for Week 1. If he's still available on your league's waiver wire, add him immediately.

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