49ers WR Deebo Samuel (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. the Rams. He leaves behind 7.7 targets per game, which should mostly be absorbed by WR Brandon Aiyuk, TE George Kittle and RB Christian McCaffrey. San Francisco could also lean on the running game more with Samuel out. WR Jauan Jennings (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.

The 49ers stayed with their stated plan for RB Christian McCaffrey in his 1st game with the team Sunday. He played 22 total snaps -- 28% of the team total -- logging 8 carries for 38 yards and 2 catches for 24 yards (on 2 targets). Jeff Wilson Jr. led the backfield in playing time and ran for 54 yards on 7 carries. He matched McCaffrey in routes but went without a catch on just 1 target. Rookie Tyrion Davis-Price mixed in for 2 carries (4 yards) and 2 targets (0 catches). We'd bet on a big shift toward McCaffrey for the Week 8 visit to the Rams. Don't plan on using Wilson in your fantasy football lineups.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reports that the 49ers' initial plan is to get RB Christian McCaffrey "about 20 snaps" vs. the Chiefs today. Glazer adds that that could change based on the flow of the game. 20 snaps is about one-third of the game. Of course, what matters for fantasy is how many touches McCaffrey gets on those snaps. He remains a risk/reward Week 7 fantasy play. See where McCaffrey sits in the Week 7 RB rankings.

New 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey is expected to play Sunday against the Chiefs. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the team has a “package of plays” for him after McCaffrey dove into learning the offense. We’ll all be guessing at just how much McCaffrey gets the ball. Check Sunday morning for our most up-to-date projections

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan isn't yet sure whether RB Christian McCaffrey will play vs. the Chiefs on Sunday. "I'm still up in the air whether we're going to be able to get him here for Sunday or not," Shanahan said in a Friday radio appearance. "I know for sure he'll be here the following Sunday. But that's kind of why I'm in a wait-and-see approach right now ... This happened so fast, and we've just got to see where he's at." We'll continue to look for further updates on McCaffrey's Week 7 role (or lack thereof) leading up to Sunday's kickoff.

The Panthers are trading RB Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. It's obviously a big upgrade in terms of supporting cast for McCaffrey. The 49ers rank 19th in points per game and 18th in yards per game, while the Panthers sit 27th in points per game and dead last in yards per game. San Francisco is also a balanced to run-leaning offense, so McCaffrey should see plenty of rushing volume. We do worry a bit about his target volume, though, in an offense that also features Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. Overall, we'd consider this about a wash for the fantasy value of McCaffrey, who currently sits 4th among RBs in PPR points per game. We'll see if he'll play vs. the Chiefs this weekend. Carolina, meanwhile, is left with a backfield committee of D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard in a bad offense. We'll see exactly what that workload split looks like, but neither guy is an exciting fantasy option.

Update: Carolina will receive 2nd-, 3rd- and 4th-round picks in 2023, plus a 5th-rounder in 2024, according to Schefter.

Update: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport calls McCaffrey "likely" to play vs. the Chiefs on Sunday and adds, "expect a red-zone package." We'll see what else we hear about McCaffrey's projected Week 7 role.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey rushed 13 times for 69 yards and caught 7 of 8 targets for 89 more in Sunday's loss to the Rams. His 158 total yards constituted 77.8% of Carolina's total net yards for the game. No one else on the team collected more than 22 yards. Starting QB P.J. Walker managed just 60 passing yards for the game, with Jacob Eason coming on for 59 more (primarily thanks to a 49-yard completion to McCaffrey). We'll see about Carolina's QB situation for Week 7. D.J. Moore was the only other Panther to see more than 2 targets. He caught 3 of 7 for just 7 yards.

The Panthers are listening to trade offers for RB Christian McCaffrey, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. But "a deal might not be easy to complete" because the Panthers are prepared to keep McCaffrey for 2023 "if they don't receiver a suitable offer," Schefter adds. Carolina has reportedly already declined 2 offers for McCaffrey. We'd consider a trade unlikely to happen but will track the situation through the November 1 trade deadline. If McCaffrey was dealt, the Panthers would be left with RBs D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard.

The Panthers fired HC Matt Rhule. His former team is sitting at 1-4 after going 10-23 over his first 2 seasons. Carolina's ranks in total yards: 21st, 30th and 32nd. Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Secondary Coach Steve Wilks will take over as interim HC, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He was HC for the Cardinals' 3-13 2018 season. It sounds like OC Ben McAdoo will be sticking around. We're not expecting the change to help Carolina's floundering offense (although it can't hurt).