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    CMC scores TD, surpasses 100 total yards in win

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    Christian McCaffrey rushed 15 times for 75 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers’ Week 3 win over the Cardinals, adding four receptions for 41 yards

    McCaffrey continued to run as the engine of the 49ers’ offense, turning 19 touches into 116 yards. He carried the ball frequently after the 49ers went up big in the first half and was a key receiver when the Cardinals attempted to stage a late-game comeback. McCaffrey scored his touchdown by jumping over a pile for a fourth-quarter goal-line score. He followed that up with a one-handed catch to keep a key drive alive late in the game. Though LT Trent Williams left with injury, McCaffrey is a big enough part of the receiving game to overcome any rushing inefficiency. He continues to be a fantasy RB1 for Week 4 against the Broncos.
Warm takes: 2026 is the year of the backup QB
Paul Pabst and Andrew Perloff deliver their warm sports takes on Not So Fast, including highlighting the NFL's backup quarterback boom after standout performances from Case Keenum, Marcus Mariota and more.

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  • SF Running Back #23
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    It was not an efficient day for the 49ers’ running backs, but Brock Purdy dissected the Dolphins enough that McCaffrey was set up for a couple of easy touchdown runs. His longest rush of the day was just five yards, so the team will be looking to get that sorted out ahead of Week 3’s game against the Cardinals. The positive news is that McCaffrey didn’t really split time with Kaelon Black as much before the end of the game. He remains a locked-in RB1.
  • SF Running Back #23
    McCaffrey and Williams were listed as DNP simply for rest, while Bosa had a rest/knee designation and Greenlaw had a rest/Achilles designation. This is notable as the 49ers have several key veterans who have dealt with injuries throughout their career and practice reps will be managed for these players, especially coming off a Week 1 in Australia. McCaffrey reportedly dealt with cramps in the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Rams; though he is not injured, his experiences with Achilles tendinitis will certainly lend to rest days throughout the season. We expect the 49ers to continue to rest veterans in practice throughout the season in an effort to remain healthy.
  • SF Running Back #23
    McCaffrey’s usage was a bit underwhelming in the first half of Thursday’s win. The 30-year-old running back played on 20 offensive snaps to Kaelon Black’s, while Black’s seven rush attempts more than doubled the three carries we saw from CMC, who also saw six first-half targets. McCaffrey’s second-half usage saw a slight uptick, but it’s possible some of what we saw as it pertains to last night’s split was related to this cramping issue. McCaffrey was undoubtedly the more efficient of the two Niners backs in last night’s win, but Black was solid in his debut, rushing 14 times for 65 yards. McCaffrey should be positioned for a big Week 2 game next week against the Dolphins.
  • SF Running Back #23
    The man they call CMC was not a big part of the first-half attack, but saw plenty more touches over the final two quarters to turn what was looking like an ugly fantasy debut into a decent — although far from spectacular — outing for the 30-year-old veteran. It’s worth noting that Kaelon Black received 14 carries in the contest for 68 yards, and it’s likely that Black is going to be involved going forward in at least a somewhat similar capacity. McCaffrey should still get plenty of touches going forward, and should have a good day against the Dolphins in Week 2.
  • SF Running Back #23
    While most of us were asleep on Sunday night, the 49ers were already conducting a Monday afternoon practice in Australia. According to NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco, McCaffrey was not seen taking part in drills during the early portion of practice. It’s possible this is by design as the Niners prepare for their season opener on Thursday against the Rams, so we won’t read too much into this just yet. McCaffrey missed some time during training camp due to “tightness,” but seemingly downplayed any idea of an injury when he later said the time off during camp was “the plan from the jump.” This is something to keep an eye on in the coming days, but for now, we’ll assume McCaffrey will be good to go for the season opener. According to Maiocco, DE Nick Bosa was also not spotted during the early portion of practice on Monday.
  • SF Running Back #23
    The most important takeaway is that McCaffrey has resumed practicing. Whether the planned aspect is true or not is secondary. That said, one wonders why the team chose to say their star running back was sidelined by “tightness,” rather than simply telling reporters he was taking veteran rest days, which is quite common for a 30-year-old player. McCaffrey said the team wanted him to “ramp up pretty big” early on, before taking time off, and later initiating another ramp-up period, “so we’re fresh for the duration.” McCaffrey says he feels “fresh” after taking nearly two weeks off. We would hope so. He’s a locked-in RB1 at this time.
  • SF Running Back #23
    On the same day the Niners saw George Kittle return from his Achilles injury, the team also got back McCaffrey, who had been sidelined since August 10 due to his “tightness.” Assuming he doesn’t miss any more time and we don’t hear anything else about this injury or a new one, McCaffrey appears to be in good shape to be ready in time for the Niners’ Week 1 opener when they take on the Rams in Australia 18 days from now.
  • SF Running Back #23
    There had been previous speculation, most notably from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and 49ers beat guy Grant Cohn, that McCaffrey’s tightness that cropped up just days after Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs reset the running back market was him holding in for a new contract of his own. Rapoport shot that down in a report Monday night, calling the timing of the injury a coincidence. Rapoport noted that it sounds like McCaffrey was angling for a new contract over the offseason, though those talks went nowhere. In positive news for fantasy managers, he also added that it’s his understanding the injury isn’t anything to worry about, which implies McCaffrey will be ready for the start of the regular season.
  • SF Running Back #23
    The 49ers do not have to disclose any details here, so we just have to wait until McCaffrey either tells us himself or retakes the practice field. The veteran running back has plenty of time to get right for Week 1. We are not overly concerned. He remains a high-end RB1 for the 2026 season, but we will provide an update whenever we get one.
  • SF Running Back #23
    We’ll assume the vague categorization means there’s not much to worry about. It was reported in May that the 49ers wanted to be “cautious” with McCaffrey’s summer workload as he ramps up for the season, so it’s possible there’s a little bit of load management going on here while McCaffrey works through this “tightness.” The 49ers have seen several notable players go down due to injuries early in camp. Hopefully this is a non-issue for CMC, and we see him back on the practice field soon.

Rotoworld

  • CHI Quarterback #11
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    Bears coach Ben Johnson said “we’ll see how it plays out all week” when asked about who would start at quarterback in Week 4.

    It’s worth noting that Brad Biggs quotes Johnson as saying “We’ll have a discussion as a coaching staff and we’ll see where we need to go from here ... But I said it last week, and I’ll say it again, there was a reason why Tyson [Bagent] ended training camp as our No. 2 quarterback” in the post-game scrum. It seems wild that a backup quarterback could play as well as Case Keenum did on Monday Night and not start in Week 4 on account of another backup quarterback, but it does feel like the winds are leaning there as things stand on Tuesday.
  • TEN Quarterback #1
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    Titans coach Robert Saleh said “no” when asked if he’d consider sitting QB Cam Ward.

    Ward’s gotten off to a slow start in 2026, completing 62.5 percent of his passes for a meager 504 yards and two touchdowns in three games. He has improved his sack rate quite a bit, cutting it from 9.2 percent in 2025 to 5.38 percent so far this year. The Titans backup is Mitch Trubisky. It is probably too soon to give up on Ward, but it doesn’t bode well for his future that Saleh is already being asked the question. Ward will be one of the bottom five quarterbacks in the Week 4 fantasy rankings against the Ravens.
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    ESPN’s Adam Schefter said it “sounds like” Jayden Daniels (elbow) is going to need surgery after the season and he’s put it off so he can play with his team now.

    Schefter added that he doesn’t think Daniels will play this week but that he may play “sooner rather than later.” Dan Quinn said Daniels will practice in “some capacity this week,” but they may just be trying to understand where Daniels is at physically in these practices. This update does not augur particularly well for Daniels’ chances of staying active if the Commanders go into a tailspin or if he reaggravates the injury; it seems like he’s simply trying to play through the injury to help his team if he can.
  • HOU Quarterback #7
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    Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said he is open to leaning more into the passing game.

    “The thing for me about offensive football is you have to make sure you move the ball and try to score as many points as possible,” Ryans is quoted as saying by the Houston Chronicle. “How that looks to me, it really doesn’t matter. You can think or want to be a certain thing. But if you’re shown that that’s not the case and it’s not getting done, then you have to adjust. That’s where we are.” The Texans already abandoned the run against the Bengals in Week 2, throwing the ball 55 times. Perhaps Nico Collins’ return this week will raise all ships, but if it was as simple as the Texans needing to throw more, they probably would have scored more than six points against the Bengals. C.J. Stroud has a streamable matchup against the Cowboys this week if it all comes together.
  • FA Wide Receiver #13
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    Giants released Odell Beckham, Jr.

    Beckham’s reuniting with his former team lasted all of three games, during which Beckham was targeted once on 11 pass routes. An afterthought in the New York offense, OBJ will look to land in an offense that might use his diminished skills. NFL insider Jordan Schultz said both the Giants and Beckham “decided a mutual parting was best for everyone.” It’s hard to imagine who would want Beckham at this point in his fading NFL career. He has nine catches since the start of the 2024 regular season.
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    NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports Panthers G Damien Lewis (elbow) will be out “a few weeks.”

    It’s yet another significant loss for the Panthers, who saw Jaycee Horn and Jalen Coker go down with injury in Week 3 against the Browns. Carolina will be without their starting guard for a little while, including this week against the Lions. Through three weeks the Panthers rank 25th in ESPN’s pass blocking win rate and 11th in run block win rate.
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    SNY’s Connor Hughes believes the Giants could start JJ McCarthy in “the near future.”

    New York acquired McCarthy from the Vikings on Monday in exchange for a 2027 fifth round draft pick. Hughes spoke with NFL sources who said “the Giants do not give up a fifth-round pick unless they plan to play McCarthy in the near future.” Head coach John Harbaugh and the team’s coaching staff, per Hughes, see McCarthy as a starting-caliber quarterback despite his immense struggles in Minnesota last season. “The Giants welcomed the chance to add a player they view as a competitor, gritty, mobile, and who has all the tools to be a plus passer in the NFL,” Hughes said. With Jameis Winston playing worse than any QB in recent memory, McCarthy could be just a couple weeks away from taking over as New York’s starter. He would be a mild upgrade for Malik Nabers and the rest of the Giants pass catchers.
  • PIT Running Back #30
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    The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo believes Jaylen Warren will continue as a workhorse back in Week 4.

    Warren operated as an every-down back in Week 3 against the Bengals, running for 127 yards on 17 carries and catching three passes for 49 yards in a victory. DeFabo suggested Warren had established himself as the team’s clear lead back option against the Bengals with Rico Dowdle (toe) sidelined. “I’ve always had respect for him, playing against him, and then being his teammate now for a little more than a season,” Aaron Rodgers said of Warren. “He is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever played with, and I just can’t say enough about his energy and the way he runs the football and the way he cares about his teammates.” Warren’s pass game involvement spiked in Week 3, as he ran a route on 70 percent of Pittsburgh’s drop backs. Dowdle, meanwhile, did not practice Monday ahead of the Steelers’ Thursday game against the Browns. Warren should remain in all lineups this week.
  • Loveland_Colston_800_1080-9a141e0b04eaf38a.jpg

    Colston Loveland

    CHI Tight End #84
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    Colston Loveland caught all four targets for 31 yards in the Bears’ Week 3 win over the Eagles.

    Loveland matched his to-date season total of one reception on the second play from scrimmage and narrowly missed his first touchdown of the young season after replay assist ruled him down inside the one at the start of the second quarter. The offense would turn the ball over on downs four plays later after failing to punch it in, allowing the Eagles to remain in the game for longer than they otherwise should have been. Either way, it’s a step in the right direction for the talented youngster, although the absence of Caleb Williams could further dent his fantasy upside in the immediate future. Loveland continues to be a TE1 in fantasy circles despite the slow start, which holds for when the Bears play host to the Jets in Week 4.
  • CHI Wide Receiver #15
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    Rome Odunze caught 3-of-6 targets for 44 yards in the Bears’ Week 3 win over the Eagles.

    Odunze continues to function as the deep threat in Ben Johnson’s offense, which spells trouble for his fantasy value in the immediate future considering the absence of Caleb Williams. Case Keenum got the start under center against the Eagles, and while he kept the offense on track through veteran savvy, his general lack of arm strength limited the offense to hefty rates of attacking the short-to-intermediate areas of the field. It is unclear whether Keenum or Tyson Bagent will draw the start in Week 4, but the decision could dictate whether Odunze can be inserted into fantasy rosters against the Jets.