Fantasy Football News

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (hamstring) is off the final Week 9 injury report. He progressed from no practice on Wednesday to limited Thursday to full Friday. McCaffrey remains a must-start for this weekend’s game vs. the Raiders’ 25th-ranked RB defense.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (hamstring) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. We've been expecting him to play vs. the Raiders this weekend, and this should have him on track. We'll see how CMC is listed on Friday's final injury report.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. HC Kyle Shanahan said CMC has "a chance" to practice on Thursday. "It wasn't too bad," McCaffrey said of his hamstring injury. "I think having the bye week was awesome, but I feel great." We're still tentatively expecting McCaffrey to play vs. the Raiders this weekend, but it's not a lock. RB Kaelon Black should be rostered in all fantasy leagues as a top-20 RB play if McCaffrey sits.

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said Monday that RB Christian McCaffrey was dealing with a "mild" hamstring strain during Sunday's game vs. the Falcons, rather than the previously reported quad. That makes it more surprising that McCaffrey was allowed to return to the game. Shanahan was "optimistic" that CMC will be ready to go following the Week 8 bye, per insider Cam Inman. We'll keep you updated on the situation when the Niners get back to work next week, but RB Kaelon Black should be rostered in virtually all fantasy leagues in the meantime.

Niners RB Christian McCaffrey played a season-low 51.5% of snaps in Sunday's loss to the Falcons, thanks to a first-half thigh injury that cost him a chunk before allowing a return. Rookie RB Kaelon Black took advantage, logging a team-high 12 carries for 63 yards. Black also managed 1 catch on 3 targets while running 12 routes to McCaffrey's 27. Black lost 4 yards on that reception.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey is questionable to return to Sunday's game vs. the Falcons with a quad injury. He was trying to get loose on the sidelines but eventually went into the medical tent. We'll update McCaffrey's status when we know more.

Update: McCaffrey returned for the start of the second half.

49ers WR Mike Evans (ribs, Achilles) is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Falcons. He’ll get a Week 8 bye to keep healing up. With WR Deebo Samuel (hamstring) also out, San Francisco is down to WRs Brandin Cooks, Jordan Watkins, and Jacob Cowing on the active roster, with WR Christian Kirk (calf) looking ready to come off IR. We’d try to avoid 49ers WRs in fantasy lineups, though. TE George Kittle and RB Christian McCaffrey should both be busy in the passing game against Atlanta.

Christian McCaffrey handled 16 rush attempts and 10 targets, both season-highs, producing 64 rushing yards and 2 TDs along with 53 receiving yards on 9 receptions. His season-high usage led to a season-high 29.7 PPR points for his first RB1 overall week this season. He accomplished that three times last season.

McCaffrey continues to be one of the most targeted RBs while handling a healthy rushing share but his lack of efficiency holds him back from an RB1 finish. He posted 15 rush attempts for 52 yards and a TD while hauling in three of 5 targets for another 18 yards on his way to 16.0 PPR points.

49ers GM John Lynch conceded on Thursday morning that WR Mike Evans (ribs) is iffy for this weekend's game vs. the Broncos. "He is old school in his mindset and he doesn’t want to miss," Lynch said. "Mike will make every attempt and we’ll see where that goes." We'll keep you updated on Evans' status over the next few days, but fantasy managers should be making other plans for Week 4. Evans' absence would leave the Niners down to Deebo Samuel, Jacob Cowing, and Jordan Watkins as the healthy WRs on the active roster. WR KhaDarel Hodge missed Wednesday's practice with a knee injury. WRs Brandin Cooks and Dante Pettis are on the practice squad. TE George Kittle and RB Christian McCaffrey could play even bigger roles than usual against Denver.

For the first time this season, McCaffrey was responsible for over half of the 49ers’ rush attempts. He finished Sunday’s win over the Cardinals with 15 carries for 75 yards and a TD along with 4 receptions on five targets for another 41 yards. The 49ers RB has now finished as an RB1 with at least 20 PPR points in back-to-back weeks.

49ers RB Kaelon Black (groin) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Dolphins. He was added to the injury report on Thursday and then limited again in Friday’s practice. Asked Friday how much optimism he has that Black will play this weekend, HC Kyle Shanahan said, "A questionable amount of optimism." Ok then. Black would be a shaky fantasy start at less than 100%. His absence would leave Jordan James as San Francisco’s No. 2 RB and likely mean more work for Christian McCaffrey.

49ers RB Kaelon Black was added to the injury report and limited in practice on Thursday with a groin. We don't have any other details on that injury but will get San Francisco's final injury report tomorrow afternoon. Black played a big role in the opener, out-carrying Christian McCaffrey 14 to 10. His absence would leave Jordan James as the 49ers' No. 2 RB and likely mean more work for McCaffrey.

Christian McCaffrey missed a fair amount of training camp practices with tightness issues, but he was still able to play in the 49ers' opening-week game in Australia. He handled 10 carries for 68 rushing yards while adding 5 catches on 8 targets for another 20 yards. After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that McCaffrey was dealing with cramps during the game, and made it through fine, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey returned to practice on Sunday after missing the previous two weeks. He said afterward that he'd planned to take a break during training camp before ramping back up. "I feel great," McCaffrey added. "It’s about being fresh for the duration. 17 Sundays."

Christian McCaffrey has missed several practices dating back to early last week due to “tightness.” Unsourced speculation suggested that McCaffrey was sitting out for a new extension in response to the recent lucrative deals handed out at his position to Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, and Jahmyr Gibbs. But 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan dismissed the idea, saying “I think they make a lot of assumptions, and that would be one that they’re wrong on,” per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.

Christian McCaffrey sat out practice with 'tightness,' according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic. Fantasy managers have reason to notice it, but the 49ers are not concerned.

The 49ers drafted Indiana RB Kaelon Black in Round 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Black spent his first two seasons at James Madison, emerging as a sophomore with 891 total yards and a 27-254-4 receiving line. He followed HC Curt Cignetti to Indiana and, after a quiet 2024, earned a larger role last fall. Black held the 1B role behind fellow prospect Roman Hemby, posting 186-1040-10 (5.6 yards per carry). He was a non-factor in the passing game, though, mustering only 4 receptions for 36 yards. Overall, Black presents adequate size (5’9, 208 pounds) and a low pad level that helps him fight through contact. He posted a solid 3.47 yards after contact per attempt in 2025. Still, this is a surprising selection considering Black wasn't invited to the NFL Combine. He was graded by The Athletic's Dane Brugler as a 5th-6th round value.

The 49ers might be preparing to hand a high-value job to a player with little NFL experience. According to The Athletic's Matt Barrows, second-year RB Jordan James "appears to be the frontrunner to be the top backup this season." San Francisco drafted James in the fifth round last year, but an injury-plagued summer kept him from competing for a regular-season roster spot. James didn't touch the ball until the playoff loss to Seattle (six carries and one catch at the end of a blowout).

49ers WR Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) is inactive for tonight's game vs. the Seahawks. It's a surprise after he played last week and got in three limited practices this week. Pearsall's absence leaves Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson as San Francisco's No. 2 and 3 WRs -- and should mean more targets for RB Christian McCaffrey, TE George Kittle, and WR Jauan Jennings.