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Christian McCaffrey, many fantasy managers’ favorite player, did not play in the San Francisco 49ers' Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets. As he was supposedly scheduled to play, many people had him in their starting fantasy lineups and had their matchups influenced by his absence.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said after Monday night's game in a news conference that McCaffrey is dealing with Achilles tendonitis, which is not too serious. He also said that if this were a playoff game (meaning a high-stakes, must-play situation), McCaffrey would’ve played.
This means that McCaffrey’s injury is not long-term. However, due to his long-term importance to this team, it may be possible that he sits out another week or two, as the worst thing to do would be to rush him back into action.
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Will Christian McCaffrey Play In Week 2?
UPDATE: McCaffrey (Achilles/calf) has been placed on Injured Reserve. He will miss at least the next four games.
There has been no indication from the 49ers of McCaffrey’s status heading into Week 2; however, given his injury and how close he seemed to playing in Week 1, it really could go either way.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan says RB Christian McCaffrey has Achilles tendinitis, per @grantcohn pic.twitter.com/3jHfk3U3cm
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) September 10, 2024
It is worth noting that there was some confusion as to CMC’s status heading into Monday night. Last Friday, 49ers GM John Lynch said that McCaffrey was “ready to roll” come Monday, but in the postgame news conference, running back Jordan Mason said to the media that he knew he was going to start since Friday.
When asked about what was true, Shanahan said that he made no indication to Mason on Friday that McCaffrey would not play. This little mishap shouldn’t mean too much for McCaffrey’s fantasy value going forward. However, if you are a CMC fantasy manager, you must take everything the 49ers management says right now with some sort of caution.
Christian McCaffrey Week 2 Fantasy Football Outlook
If McCaffrey plays in Week 2 vs. the Minnesota Vikings, he will likely have a large fantasy impact (as he always does when he plays). The superstar running back was the consensus first overall pick in most fantasy leagues for a good reason.
Christian McCaffrey with the incredible TD run! pic.twitter.com/uzF3bmZXK3
— Coach Yac (@Coach_Yac) November 24, 2023
If he does not play, though, or is limited for any reason, expect Jordan Mason to have a prominent role in the team’s run game, as he was so good for it against the Jets on Monday. Having a solid backup in Mason may take some carries away from McCaffrey if he plays but is not 100%.
Either way, when it comes to a player like McCaffrey, fantasy managers want to ensure he will be healthy and at full strength for the critical weeks down the stretch of the NFL season. Keep an eye out for any more news regarding his health, as updates will likely come daily for the remainder of the week.
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