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San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has been arguably the top offensive weapon in the NFL over the past few years. The superstar has dealt with injuries in his career. However, he has been the top running back in football when healthy.
Last year, McCaffrey led the league in rushing yards (1,459), touches (339), offensive yards (2,023) and touchdowns (21). He finished third in the MVP award race and was the Offensive Player of the Year award winner.
Unfortunately, McCaffrey suffered an injury in practice today. Let’s examine the latest information and determine how fantasy players should handle the situation.
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When Is Christian McCaffrey Coming Back?
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media that the superstar running back won’t play in the preseason after suffering a calf strain in practice today. Shanahan believes McCaffrey will miss a couple of weeks with the injury but suggested that the veteran would be ready for Week 1.
Christian McCaffrey has a calf strain. Kyle Shanahan said CMC won't be taking part in the preseason.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 6, 2024
Christian McCaffrey 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
The superstar running back was outstanding in his first full year in San Francisco, totaling 272 rushing attempts for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns. He ended the 2023 season as the RB1, averaging 22.4 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, 2.5 more than any other running back.
16th straight game with a scrimmage TD for @CMC_22, an NFL record! 👏
📺: #SFvsMIN on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/riDUhbzXkK pic.twitter.com/DCOXBA2Z0e— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2023
Unfortunately, McCaffrey is an older running back, turning 28 years old in June. More importantly, the last time he led the NFL in touches (2019), the superstar missed 13 games the following year and nine contests in 2021. After leading the league in touches last season, fantasy players should be nervous about drafting McCaffrey with the 1.01 pick this year.
Hopefully, the veteran is ready for Week 1 and can put the calf injury behind him. However, fantasy players dealt with the same issue with Cooper Kupp (hamstring) and Joe Burrow (calf) last season. Both superstars struggled in 2023, missing meaningful time because of injuries.
While McCaffrey remains the RB1 and the top pick in my rankings, that could change depending on how he recovers from the calf injury. Fantasy players with drafts over the next two weeks should consider taking CeeDee Lamb or Breece Hall over McCaffrey with the 1.01 pick.
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