X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Christian McCaffrey Remains a Top-Five Pick in Fantasy Football

Christian McCaffrey - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

There is no more polarizing player in fantasy football this season than Christian McCaffrey. If you have listened to RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM you know what I am talking about. If you haven’t, you can go back to the June 25th episode on demand to hear myself and Scott Engel get into it over CMC. 

He is a fantasy football enigma because, on one hand, there is no better fantasy asset when healthy than McCaffrey. On the other, it has been frustrating for anyone who drafted him the past two seasons as he has missed a lot of time. Even after only playing 10 games in the past two seasons, McCaffrey has been going in the first round of fantasy football drafts. Not only is he a first-rounder, but he often goes inside the top five picks. While that is not nearly as big of a discount as some thought we would see with McCaffrey this season, it is still a discount from a player who has been the consensus first overall pick for the past three years. 

The question to some comes down to how risk-averse you are, but, there is also a case to be made that too much is being made of his recent injuries. 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Diving Deeper with the CMC Injuries

All you have to do is mention McCaffrey’s name on Twitter and you will quickly get people saying that he is injury prone. First, that is a term that gets thrown around way too often, especially when discussing football players. Football is an inherently violent game and players are all at a heightened risk of injury, especially when playing a demanding position such as running back. In the past two years, McCaffrey has suffered common injuries for a running back. In 2020, he missed six games with a high ankle sprain, four with an A/C joint (shoulder) sprain, and then a late thigh strain that cost him three games.

In 2021, he missed five games with a thigh strain and a late-season ankle sprain cost him another five. Not to make excuses for CMC, but after both of his late-season injuries the Panthers were out of it and shut him down, while he wanted to return. Additionally, none of these injuries would be deemed serious or major. There is such a thing as bad injury luck and McCaffrey has suffered from it over the past two years. Before the last two seasons, McCaffrey did not miss a game in the NFL. He missed one game in his college career. So we have a player that had never missed time, never suffered a severe injury, and who has never let the injuries impact his on-field performance when healthy. 

Some will continue to dismiss any argument about McCaffrey’s injuries and say that he is injury prone. The truth of the matter is that injuries are often random. Additionally, if a player is injury prone until they aren’t, then the term is purely reactionary and not predictive. You do not have to take my word for it. Here it is from Edwin Porras, a fantasy writer and physical therapist who works for the Minnesota Twins minor league teams.


The other area I have taken some backlash from on Twitter (doesn’t sound like Twitter, right?) is for having McCaffrey ranked ahead of Derrick Henry. First, I will address why McCaffrey is the ultimate fantasy asset when healthy (not that you don’t already know that) in the next section. We are also dealing with two players in two very different situations. Henry suffered a pretty major injury last year, needing surgery to repair a fractured foot. That is scarier for future performance than any of the injuries McCaffrey suffered, which are all more minor. Additionally, Henry is two years older and has 500 more touches in his NFL career (he’s been carrying teams, sometimes literally, since high school). 

 

What CMC Provides When Healthy

When McCaffrey is healthy, there is no safer bet in the NFL to score 25 fantasy points on a given night. In the 10 games that McCaffrey has played the past two years, he finished as a Top-12 RB in seven of those weeks. He scored less than 20 fantasy points in three of them, and over 25 in four of those. That’s right, even in the two injury-plagued seasons he was more likely to top 25 fantasy points than he was to score fewer than 20. There is just no other asset like McCaffrey as he gives you both RB1 and WR1 production when he is on the field.

He is one of just two players (Patrick Mahomes) to average over 18 fantasy PPG in each of the last four seasons. He has averaged over six catches per game since 2017. In the past four years, he has ranked third, first, first, and fifth among RBs in fantasy PPG. This is more so hyping up how safe his floor is when he is on the field, but his ceiling is also unmatched by anyone in the NFL. Two years ago when CMC stayed healthy and won a bunch of people championships, he scored 471.2 fantasy points – the second most in the history of the NFL. He also has destroyed every receiving record among running backs. McCaffrey brings not only the highest floor but the highest ceiling, when healthy, of any player in fantasy football. All running backs come with the risk of injury, it's just the nature of the position. So if you are taking a running back in the first round, why would you not take the running back with the highest floor and ceiling in the game in the top five?

 

Concerns

I do want to provide every element of an argument for and against a player. If you now think McCaffrey’s injuries have been more random rather than he is just unable to stay healthy, then you may be back to thinking McCaffrey is a top pick. Are there any other concerns other than the health ones which all RBs come with? The first concern would be the Panthers dialing back his workload. That may not actually be a bad thing though. McCaffrey would routinely play over 90 percent of the snaps. Coming off the field at times should only make you feel more comfortable about him staying healthy. Even if his touches are dialed back a bit, again it lowers the risk of him getting injured if he is taking fewer hits.

The Panthers are not going to stop using McCaffrey in passing down situations, but if he loses a couple of carries in between the 20s, those are the low-value touches. He will continue to see high-volume targets and put up receiver numbers in the passing game. It will not make much of a dent in his fantasy output, but it only increases his chances of staying healthy, as he has been asked to shoulder the largest workload in the NFL. 

The other concern is the Panthers electing to use the giant D’Onta Foreman for goal line carries. That would actually hurt McCaffrey’s fantasy value. Goal line carries are the most valuable touches in fantasy football and if McCaffrey loses out on even some of those opportunities it reduces his chances of scoring touchdowns. The Panthers could decide that these touches, which often come against stacked boxes and tend to lead to the back taking more hits, are better suited going to Foreman to protect their franchise player. McCaffrey being on the field makes the offense so difficult to predict as you never know if he will get a carry or run a route out of the backfield. Even in the red zone, it is a mismatch nightmare. Austin Ekeler has a similar effect and we just saw him score 20 touchdowns last year. Due to that, there is reason to believe McCaffrey will still be utilized near the end zone, but there is reason to worry some of those straight handoffs go to Foreman. 

 

Where to Draft Christian McCaffrey 

The big question then becomes where to draft McCaffrey. The answer is as a top-three running back off the board. McCaffrey belongs in the elite group with Jonathan Taylor, who seems as safe as any running back can be, and Ekeler, because he provides similar production to McCaffrey. He should also be going inside the first six picks. The way the board is shaping up this year is making the elite receivers look very appealing in the first round. If you opt to go that route, taking one of Cooper Kupp, Justin Jefferson or Ja’Marr Chase over CMC is fine.

There is a strong chance that at the end of the season McCaffrey has once again retaken his throne as the best player in the fantasy game. That is a player worth drafting in the top five picks.

Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Ronny Mauricio20 mins ago

Won't Play In Spring Training Games
Nathan Eovaldi26 mins ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Framber Valdez32 mins ago

Will Start For Astros On Opening Day
Spencer Strider38 mins ago

To Make Spring Debut On Monday
Gleyber Torres43 mins ago

Scratched With Quad Contusion
Caleb Martin59 mins ago

Ruled Out On Sunday
De'Andre Hunter1 hour ago

Starting On Sunday Afternoon
Daulton Varsho1 hour ago

Could Begin Season On Injured List
Evan Mobley1 hour ago

Won't Face Orlando On Sunday
New York Jets1 hour ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Donovan Mitchell1 hour ago

Returning Versus Orlando
Cole Anthony1 hour ago

Back On Sunday
Max Scherzer1 hour ago

Set To Throw In Minor-League Game
Washington Commanders1 hour ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Christian Walker1 hour ago

Should Be "Fine" For Opening Day
Cooper Rush1 hour ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Sonny Gray2 hours ago

Starting On Opening Day
Yainer Diaz2 hours ago

Returning On Sunday
Connor Wong2 hours ago

Returns To Lineup On Sunday
Baltimore Ravens4 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks4 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.4 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Colby Thomas5 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Colby Thomas
Christopher Bell5 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Brock Stewart5 hours ago

Exits With Knee Injury
Kyle Larson5 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney5 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain6 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Evan Sisk6 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Will Benson6 hours ago

Sent To Triple-A
Chris Buescher6 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Bryan Shaw6 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Mookie Betts6 hours ago

Could Miss Tokyo Series
Quinton Byfield6 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott6 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin6 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov6 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron6 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick7 hours ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli7 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin7 hours ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin7 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar7 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR7 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski7 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones7 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez7 hours ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar7 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece8 hours ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano8 hours ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Michael McDowell9 hours ago

Wins Spire Motorsports' First Pole At Las Vegas
Austin Cindric9 hours ago

Qualifies Third But Is Almost Guaranteed To Lose Spots
Chase Briscoe9 hours ago

Las Vegas Performance Hard To Predict
Ty Gibbs9 hours ago

A Solid DFS Option In Theory
Shane Van Gisbergen9 hours ago

Too Inexperienced At Las Vegas For DFS Consideration
Mitch Garver15 hours ago

Goes Hitless In Return To Cactus League Action
Austin Riley15 hours ago

Doubles In Return To Lineup On Saturday
Jordan Mason15 hours ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
RJ Barrett16 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Sunday
Immanuel Quickley17 hours ago

Won't Play On Sunday
Jerami Grant17 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Sunday
Marcus Smart17 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Anfernee Simons17 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Sunday
Christian Braun17 hours ago

Available On Saturday
Aaron Gordon17 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Jamal Murray17 hours ago

Will Play On Saturday Night
Nikola Jokić17 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Cleared To Suit Up Versus The Wizards
Colby Thomas18 hours ago

Sustains Injury On Saturday
Dee Eskridge18 hours ago

Sticking With Dolphins
Josh Giddey18 hours ago

Officially Out On Saturday Night
Ja Morant18 hours ago

Ruled Out On Saturday Night
JuJu Smith-Schuster18 hours ago

Returning To Chiefs
Josh Rojas18 hours ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Tennessee Titans18 hours ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Damian Lillard19 hours ago

Available Versus Indiana
Parris Campbell19 hours ago

Headed To Dallas
Giannis Antetokounmpo19 hours ago

Good To Go On Saturday
Jamal Murray19 hours ago

Added To Saturday's Injury Report
Jiri Kulich19 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers19 hours ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov19 hours ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov19 hours ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Cole Anthony19 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Joel Armia19 hours ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk19 hours ago

Available Saturday
Donovan Mitchell20 hours ago

Questionable Against Orlando
Adam Fox20 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Philadelphia Eagles23 hours ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams23 hours ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Kirk Cousins23 hours ago

Set To Receive Roster Bonus
Aaron Rodgers23 hours ago

Wants To Play In Minnesota
Washington Commanders1 day ago

Clelin Ferrell Returning To Washington
New York Jets1 day ago

Kris Boyd Signs With The Jets
Los Angeles Chargers1 day ago

Mekhi Becton Inks Deal With Chargers
Tyler Johnson1 day ago

Links Up With Jets
Kyle Juszczyk1 day ago

Returns To 49ers
Eeli Tolvanen1 day ago

Scores Twice In Victory
WPG1 day ago

Kyle Connor Strikes Twice On Friday
Jack Roslovic1 day ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Friday's Victory
Leon Draisaitl1 day ago

Leads Edmonton To Victory
Liam O'Brien1 day ago

Exits With Undisclosed Injury
Josh Manson1 day ago

Exits On Friday
Atlanta Falcons2 days ago

Falcons Agree To Terms With Morgan Fox
Karel Vejmelka2 days ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Dustin Wolf2 days ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Roman Dolidze2 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori2 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani2 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos2 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez2 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson2 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear2 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay2 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA2 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos2 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman4 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard4 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips4 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith4 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala4 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick4 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler4 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter4 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim4 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy4 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Florio's Free Agency Fantasy Football Winners and Losers!

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Free Agency Fantasy Football Analysis: Fallers On New Teams (2025)

With the first wave of NFL free agency coming to an end, several fantasy-relevant players have signed on to new teams. The quarterback carousel still has several dominoes to fall, but Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, and Kenny Pickett have found new homes within the first few days of the new league year. The running back […]