Over or Under 1,150.5 Rushing Yards for Christian McCaffrey in 2024?

Will Christian McCaffrey have another monstrous season on the ground for rushing yards as the lead star for the 49ers again?

Jan 28, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs with the ball against Detroit Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (2) during the first half of the NFC Championship football game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Christian McCaffrey was an absolute machine on the ground for the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.

He put up 1,459 rushing yards, which was the most in the entire NFL. Those yards helped him win the Offensive Player of the Year among many honors/accolades last season. McCaffrey is sure to put up incredible numbers on the ground again next season.

DraftKings sportsbook has set the over/under at 1,150.5 rushing yards for McCaffrey in 2024. It initially seems like a lock for him, but his usage as a receiver could keep him from reaching that number, which is already set at a very high number by the sportsbook.

Will McCaffrey have over or under 1,150.5 rushing yards in 2024?

I'd go with the over. Even though McCaffrey plays a vital role in the passing game (he put up 564 receiving yards and 67 catches), I still don't see it taking away too much of his rushing yard totals. It's simply because the 49ers are a running offense.

Now, I do expect the 49ers to have an uptick in their passing game. They just have way too many weapons for an efficient passing offense to neglect, especially if Brock Purdy does take another step forward. But I don't think that is enough for Kyle Shanahan to get away from his roots, which is running the ball.

With a player as elite as McCaffrey, running the football will always be their best option. It is, however, a close call for his rushing yards. I see him getting somewhere in between 1,200-to-1,300 rushing yards based solely off the presumed workload decrease. That could mean he gets a couple carries reduced in a game.

Of course, that all can be offseason fluff from Shanahan and the 49ers end up running him into the ground again. Either way, it feels like a bad move to bet on the under on one of the most electric offensive players in the game.