Christian

McCaffrey

He was the target on Brock Purdy’s one pick, a double-tipped ball that both Boye Mafe and McCaffrey combined to bat into Drake Thomas’ arms. The 49ers surprisingly couldn’t find much easy here, needing to resort to flea flickers to even get McCaffrey shallow zone looks. McCaffrey finishes the regular season with 2,126 total yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns. The 49ers will look to get him more involved on the road in the NFC Wild Card round.

The 49ers had a walkthrough Tuesday and McCaffrey was listed as out with a back injury. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reports the 29-year-old running back’s back is “a little stiff.” Trainers tended to CMC’s back in the fourth quarter of the win over the Bears in Week 17, with McCaffrey returning to finish the game. With Lynch saying that he’s trending towards playing, fantasy managers can expect McCaffrey to be available in Week 18. Brian Robinson is the clear handcuff to roster if anything changes.

The 49ers will conduct a walkthrough today, though McCaffrey will not participate. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that McCaffrey’s back is “a little stiff.” Trainers tended to McCaffrey’s back between drives, late in the fourth quarter during the 49ers’ Week 17 win over the Bears. He returned and played effectively. We expect him to do so this week as well, though backup RB Brian Robinson must be rostered wherever he is available.

McCaffrey accomplished something he had yet to do in his illustrious career by gaining more than 100 yards on the ground in the first half alone, amassing a ridiculous 121 rushing yards and 20 receiving yards in the first 30 minutes of play. A season-high 41-yard inside run was the primary contributor to the eruption. Although unlikely, McCaffrey needs 110 yards through the air in Week 18 to become the first running back in NFL history to accumulate 1,000 yards on the ground and through the air in the same season multiple times, with only he, Marshall Faulk, and Roger Craig accomplishing that feat to date. He can do so when the 49ers host the Seahawks in a battle for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

McCaffrey was once again the primary cog of the offense, this time dismantling a top five run defense in the Colts - albeit one dealing with numerous injuries. He hit the century mark on the ground for only the third time this season while adding two receiving touchdowns to his ledger, the second of which was a gift from the fantasy Gods after backup tight end Jake Tonges appeared to get both feet down in the end zone for what would ahve been his fifth score of the season, only for the refs to miss it on the field and for head coach Kyle Shanahan to run a play instead of throwing the challenge flag. McCaffrey and the 49ers can earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC with wins against the Bears and Seahawks the next two weeks.

McCaffrey popped up on the injury report with a back injury late in the week, but was able to suit up on Sunday. It seems likely that he was operating at less than 100 percent because this was not his best effort, averaging just over three yards per rush. He did break a few tackles, but he had a long rush of just nine yards, was not a factor in the receiving game, and was stuffed twice in the red zone late in the third quarter. Hopefully, a light week of practices will allow him to bounce back to his RB1 ceiling in week 15 against the Colts.

McCaffrey popped up on the injury report with a back injury at the end of the week, which is never a great sign, but he will suit up. The 49ers are rather large favorites against the Titans, so the team could limit McCaffrey’s snaps if they get out to a big enough lead. Still, fantasy managers need to play him. The 49ers declared DL Sam Okuayinonu, LB Tatum Bethune, DL Jordan Elliott, WR Jordan Watkins, RB Jordan James, LB Nick Martin, and DL Sebastian Valdez inactive.

McCaffrey dealt with an illness that limited his practice participation this week. He was removed from the injury report Friday before being added back and listed as questionable Saturday with a bak injury. It is unclear when the new ailment surfaced. Late-week additions to the injury report are never something fantasy managers want to see, also leading to a significant decision in the first week of fantasy playoffs considering the 49ers don’t play until the afternoon Sunday. McCaffrey will remain a top tier RB1 if active against the Titans. Fantasy managers might want to hedge by grabbing Brian Robinson off of waivers, if available. ESPN’s Adam Schefter later followed up the report by saying McCaffrey will go “good to go” Sunday.

McCaffrey practiced fully on Friday after logging a limited session on Thursday. He can be treated as an elite RB1, per usual, against the Titans this week. He leads the NFL with 322 touches this season, boasting 59 missed tackles forced per PFF.

Players rarely miss games due to illness. We fully expect McCaffrey to play in Week 15 against the Titans. If the 49ers were to jump out to a healthy lead, it is possible the coaching staff gives RB Brian Robinson a little extra work in the fourth quarter, but McCaffrey should be viewed as an elite RB1, regardless.