49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (knee) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. “I feel great,” he said afterward. There's still a chance that the 'Niners need to scale back McCaffrey's snaps and/or touches due to that knee tendinitis vs. Miami this weekend, but he remains a must-start in fantasy lineups.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (knee) won't practice on Wednesday, HC Kyle Shanahan said. Shanny added that McCaffrey "just felt something" in that left knee during last week's game and that they're "hopeful" he'll be able to play vs. the Dolphins on Sunday. That's not quite as reassuring as the reports on CMC's status over the previous couple of days. We're still tentatively expecting him to play this weekend, but we'll continue to keep a close eye on that knee.
The Athletic's Matt Barrows suggests that 49ers RB Tevin Coleman could help replace RB Elijah Mitchell going forward. Coleman carried 12 times across Weeks 5 and 6 but has been on the practice squad since. We'll see if he's elevated ahead of Week 13 -- and then who's active behind RB Christian McCaffrey for Sunday's game vs. the Dolphins. Coleman, Jordan Mason and Ty Davis-Price are all worth stashing in deeper fantasy leagues.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan on Monday labeled RB Christian McCaffrey "day to day" with "knee irritation" and said that CMC will be managed during the week. It's unclear if McCaffrey's snaps and touches will need to be "managed" on game day. His 63% snap rate in Sunday's win over the Saints was his lowest since his 49ers debut in Week 7. And after tallying 27 and 20 opportunities (carries + targets) in Weeks 8 and 10, McCaffrey has gone for 14 and 17 the past 2 games. We'll keep a close eye on this knee situation going forward.
Niners HC Kyle Shanahan confirmed Monday that RB Elijah Mitchell did suffer an MCL sprain Sunday against the Saints. He's expected to miss 6-8 weeks. When Mitchell suffered the same injury to his other knee back in Week 1, he remained out until Week 10. Expect this injury to knock Mitchell out for at least the rest of the regular season. We'll see about the playoffs (for him and the 49ers).
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey was dealing with "knee irritation" during Sunday's game vs. the Saints, HC Kyle Shanahan said afterward. McCaffrey ended up tallying 11 carries and 6 targets on a 63% snap rate. He was shown on the sidelines with a strap below his left knee, which is often used to help deal with tendinitis. That's not likely to force McCaffrey to miss games, but it could impact his workload. We'll continue to keep a close eye on the situation.
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said after Sunday night's win over the Chargers that he was “hoping that the carries could come out about even" between RBs Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell. Mitchell ended up out-carrying McCaffrey 18 to 14, receiving 5 of the final 6 carries because, as Shanahan said, "we were just feeling him." This obviously isn't what McCaffrey owners want to hear, but don't panic. Even if he's truly going to split carries 50/50 with Mitchell, there's enough to go around for McCaffrey to still settle in somewhere around 12-15 carries per game. And, of course, he'll dominate passing-game work. He's racked up 15 targets on a massive 28% share over San Francisco's last 2 games. It's a similar role to Austin Ekeler's -- and he currently leads all RBs in PPR points per game.
RB Elijah Mitchell led the 49ers in carries Sunday night in his 1st action since a Week 1 knee injury. He carried 18 times for 89 yards, beating Christian McCaffrey by 4 attempts and 51 yards. McCaffrey claimed the lone TD between them and caught 4 of 6 targets to add 39 yards. Mitchell drew 2 targets and caught 1 for a loss of a yard. We'll see about this backfield plan going forward. But the even split in Mitchell's return sets McCaffrey up as a "sell-high" candidate in redraft leagues.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) will be activated from IR and play vs. the Chargers on Sunday night, HC Kyle Shanahan said. Mitchell has been out since going down with a sprained MCL in the season opener. He figures to return as the #2 RB behind Christian McCaffrey. Mitchell is unlikely to hold standalone fantasy value but is worth rostering as the CMC handcuff.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) has been designated to return from IR. He's now eligible to practice and be placed on the active roster whenever ready. Mitchell has been sidelined since going down with a sprained MCL in the season opener. While he was out, of course, San Francisco traded for RB Christian McCaffrey. So Mitchell will return as the #2 RB -- and just a handcuff in fantasy football. We'll see if he's ready to play vs. the Chargers on Sunday night.
Niners RB Christian McCaffrey accounted for TDs running, receiving and even passing in Sunday's win over the Rams. He posed an 18-94-1 rushing line, claiming 81.8% of San Francisco's RB carries. He also led the 49ers in targets (9) and receptions (8), ranked 2nd in receiving yards (55) and snagged 1 of QB Jimmy Garoppolo's 2 TD throws. McCaffrey also hit WR Brandon Aiyuk for a score from 34 yards out early in the 2nd quarter. McCaffrey dominated backfield work in his 2nd appearance with the team. San Francisco gets a Week 9 bye and then plays at home 4 of the next 5 games.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. the Rams. He leaves behind 7.7 targets per game, which should mostly be absorbed by WR Brandon Aiyuk, TE George Kittle and RB Christian McCaffrey. San Francisco could also lean on the running game more with Samuel out. WR Jauan Jennings (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.
The 49ers stayed with their stated plan for RB Christian McCaffrey in his 1st game with the team Sunday. He played 22 total snaps -- 28% of the team total -- logging 8 carries for 38 yards and 2 catches for 24 yards (on 2 targets). Jeff Wilson Jr. led the backfield in playing time and ran for 54 yards on 7 carries. He matched McCaffrey in routes but went without a catch on just 1 target. Rookie Tyrion Davis-Price mixed in for 2 carries (4 yards) and 2 targets (0 catches). We'd bet on a big shift toward McCaffrey for the Week 8 visit to the Rams. Don't plan on using Wilson in your fantasy football lineups.
Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reports that the 49ers' initial plan is to get RB Christian McCaffrey "about 20 snaps" vs. the Chiefs today. Glazer adds that that could change based on the flow of the game. 20 snaps is about one-third of the game. Of course, what matters for fantasy is how many touches McCaffrey gets on those snaps. He remains a risk/reward Week 7 fantasy play. See where McCaffrey sits in the Week 7 RB rankings.
New 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey is expected to play Sunday against the Chiefs. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the team has a “package of plays” for him after McCaffrey dove into learning the offense. We’ll all be guessing at just how much McCaffrey gets the ball. Check Sunday morning for our most up-to-date projections
49ers HC Kyle Shanahan isn't yet sure whether RB Christian McCaffrey will play vs. the Chiefs on Sunday. "I'm still up in the air whether we're going to be able to get him here for Sunday or not," Shanahan said in a Friday radio appearance. "I know for sure he'll be here the following Sunday. But that's kind of why I'm in a wait-and-see approach right now ... This happened so fast, and we've just got to see where he's at." We'll continue to look for further updates on McCaffrey's Week 7 role (or lack thereof) leading up to Sunday's kickoff.
The Panthers are trading RB Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. It's obviously a big upgrade in terms of supporting cast for McCaffrey. The 49ers rank 19th in points per game and 18th in yards per game, while the Panthers sit 27th in points per game and dead last in yards per game. San Francisco is also a balanced to run-leaning offense, so McCaffrey should see plenty of rushing volume. We do worry a bit about his target volume, though, in an offense that also features Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. Overall, we'd consider this about a wash for the fantasy value of McCaffrey, who currently sits 4th among RBs in PPR points per game. We'll see if he'll play vs. the Chiefs this weekend. Carolina, meanwhile, is left with a backfield committee of D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard in a bad offense. We'll see exactly what that workload split looks like, but neither guy is an exciting fantasy option.
Update: Carolina will receive 2nd-, 3rd- and 4th-round picks in 2023, plus a 5th-rounder in 2024, according to Schefter.
Update: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport calls McCaffrey "likely" to play vs. the Chiefs on Sunday and adds, "expect a red-zone package." We'll see what else we hear about McCaffrey's projected Week 7 role.
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