Is Christian McCaffrey Injured or Playing in Week 2? Should I Start Jordan Mason for Fantasy Football?

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey missed the Week 1 game against the New York Jets with a calf and Achilles injury. Backup RB Jordan Mason stepped in for McCaffrey and had a huge game.

Mason rushed 28 times for 147 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for five yards. Mason certainly had a stellar performance in McCaffrey's stead.

Though Mason played extraordinarily well, McCaffrey is still the undisputed starter. What's his injury status like? Will he play in Week 2? Let's dive in.

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Is Christian McCaffrey Playing In Week 2?

UPDATE: McCaffrey (Achilles/calf) has been placed on Injured Reserve. He will miss at least the next four games.

Though McCaffrey expressed confidence he would play in Week 1, that did not come to pass. McCaffrey fantasy managers were disappointed and a bit blindsided. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had also implied that he would be good to go, but he was held out of the game entirely. So it's natural to be a bit skeptical of McCaffrey's words.

“My mentality is I’m playing this week” — 49ers Christian McCaffrey on Sunday game at Vikings. Calf/Achilles kept him out of opener pic.twitter.com/Hagdpzm5cg

— Cam Inman (@CamInman) September 11, 2024

McCaffrey managers can be sure he's doing everything in his power to play, but that doesn't mean he will. There hasn't been official word on his status yet, and it's safe to assume we won't get it until he has an official designation on game day. McCaffrey's injury is lingering, which can be frustrating to fantasy owners.

It's unknown how healthy he has to be to play, though. Shanahan has a somewhat questionable history of injury management. Tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. played through major injuries in last season's Super Bowl. Shanahan prefers to give his star players full workloads when they play.

Should I Start Jordan Mason for Fantasy Football in Week 2?

If McCaffrey plays, you start him. If he doesn't, you start Mason. Mason proved that due to his talent and the blocking and run game schemes Shanahan employs, he can be a fantastic fantasy asset. Mason had a monster game with legitimate workhorse volume in Week 1 and made many dazzling plays.

Jordan Mason did such a good job running outside zone against the Jets.

1st clip: He feels that the cutback aka “bend” path is there. Does a good job at shuffling his feet and waiting for the blocks from 68 Colton McKivitz & 82 Eric Saubert. He then takes away his outside hip to… pic.twitter.com/9XKiWROH3z

— Charles “Chux” Maranan (@ChuxMaranan) September 10, 2024

It's not like Mason isn't a good running back in his own right. The 49ers have a gem at backup RB. That's not to say they'll hold out McCaffrey for longer because they're "in good hands," though. McCaffrey is still one of the most talented running backs to ever play, and he will likely dominate backfield work when he returns.

The good thing for McCaffrey managers who picked up Mason as a handcuff is that they can feel good about starting either player. If McCaffrey plays, start him. If Mason plays, start him instead. Both can put up RB1 numbers and should be lineup locks in each respective situation.

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