Christian McCaffrey Injury Update: Is He Still the Top Pick in Fantasy Football?

Jennifer Piacenti | Aug 6, 2024

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs with the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during overtime of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

After a healthy season in 2023, Christian McCaffrey finished as the RB1 in fantasy football- and not by a small margin.  McCaffrey totaled 123 more PPR points than the 2023 RB2 Raheem Mostert. Not only that, but McCaffrey’s 391 PPR points also outpaced the league’s number-one wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, who totaled 336 PPR points. 

Fantasy managers who drafted him in 2023 were rewarded for their faith after CMC started to earn the reputation of being “injury-prone” among fantasy football enthusiasts.

However, that injury-prone reputation is coming back into focus today with the announcement that McCaffrey is dealing with a calf strain and isn’t likely to play in preseason according to ESPN's 49ers beat writer Nick Wagoner.

How Does McCaffrey's Injury Affect His 2024 Fantasy Outlook?

Calf strains are notoriously slow-healing and re-injure easily. One simply has to look at Joe Burrow from last season to see how it can affect a player. 

McCaffrey also dealt with calf strains in January 2023 and December 2024. That could be enough to give drafters pause at taking McCaffrey number one overall after the same issue has already popped back up.

Rest may heal this strain, and CMC will return to business as usual for the first game of the year. He is expected to remain a focal point of this San Francisco offense. But with the value at running back in later rounds this season, it could be worth exploring a different route. 

A pivot to CeeDee Lamb may be the solution for those drafting first overall in their leagues. Dak Prescott has yet to throw an interception in camp, and he passed for a league-leading 36 touchdowns last season. We should expect this passing offense to remain explosive with a limited run game in Dallas.   With his elite skill set,  Lamb will again be a target-hog after leading the league with 181 in 2023. 

It’s worth mentioning that Lamb has his complications, too. Lamb is in contract talks with Dallas and has yet to show up to camp. However, I’d rather bet on Jerry Jones finally opening up his wallet than CMC being 100% healthy all season.

I’ll be taking CeeDee Lamb first overall in most of my drafts, but if McCaffrey falls as far as the fourth or fifth pick, I’ll be rostering the San Francisco runner. I won’t be moving him behind Breece Hall yet, but I’ll be looking at receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyreek Hill ahead of him. 

Those bullish on McCaffrey could be rewarded for their faith, but these latest health concerns are enough to make Lamb my preferred target.