Christian

McCaffrey

It’s not the first time we’ve heard this, and it certainly won’t be the last, but it’s understandable that Shanny would want to dial back McCaffrey’s workload this season. The star running back is entering his age-30 season and coming off a 2025 in which he saw a career-high 311 carries while rushing for 1,202 yards and 10 scores. McCaffrey also caught 102 passes for 924 yards and another seven touchdowns, turning in one of his best seasons as a pro while eclipsing 2,000 scrimmage yards for the third time in his career. It’s possible the 49ers find a way to delegate more work to second-year back Jordan James or a player not yet on the roster, but this shouldn’t change how we view McCaffrey’s fantasy stock this season. As long as he’s healthy, CMC remains one of the most dynamic weapons in the league and should see plenty of touches funneled his way, making him one of the most valuable assets in all formats.

Wagoner prefaced the statement by revealing that in the first meeting between 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Evans, “Shanahan laid out the plan for how he will be incorporated into an offense that also includes” RB Christian McCaffrey, TE George Kittle and QB Brock Purdy. McCaffrey’s 95 red zone touches in the 2025 regular season led all 49ers players by 79 and all other NFL players by 21. Knowing that Shanahan is already scheming up red zone opportunities for Evans is great to hear. McCaffrey can also lose a few red zone touches and still remain an elite RB1. There should be more than enough opportunities in scoring position for both players to feast. Evans currently projects as a WR2 with double-digit touchdown upside.

McCaffrey astonishingly handled a career-high 413 touches in his age-29 season, totaling 102 receptions, 2,126 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns. To say he deserves this award is an understatement. He notably won the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2023.

He gutted through a stinger in this one, leaving briefly at the start of the second half and (obviously) again late as the 49ers fell to pieces. This is one of the great fantasy seasons of recent memory at running back, mostly because it was actually a great wideout season for McCaffrey. He caught 102 balls for 924 yards and seven scores, starting all 17 games – it was his best receiving output since 2019’s 116/1005/4 stat line. He led the NFL with 413 regular season touches and added 21 against the Eagles and 16 here. McCaffrey actually performed pretty poorly as a runner this year, with minus-27.9 rushing EPA and a minus-0.5 rushing yards over expected per attempt that was fourth-worst among all qualified rushers. His special skill set leaves him more than capable of being a fantasy RB1 – maybe even No. 1 overall – in 2026. But the touches and the injury history will continue to make him a caveat emptor all-star.

Again middling on the ground, McCaffrey was again sensational through the air, catching touchdown passes from both Brock Purdy and Jauan Jennings. The latter was a 29-yard trick play (obviously) strike that required McCaffrey to make an acrobatic grab at the goal line. McCaffrey’s rushing efficiency is in undeniable decline, but his receiving becomes even more of a Divisional Round X-factor with George Kittle (Achilles) lost for the season. We have no doubt coach Kyle Shanahan will do everything he can to put CMC in position to make plays through the air.

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.