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Christian McCaffrey Fantasy Football News | Shark Bites

Shark Bites are the latest fantasy football news & NFL updates. Draft Sharks has been in business since 1999. And when we started, redraft was the dominant form of fantasy football. Check out what we've learned about this most basic form of fantasy football along the way.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey's oblique/rib injury is not considered long-term, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schefter adds that McCaffrey has a "chance" to play vs. the Vikings on Monday night. "The work week will help determine" his availability, Schefter says. We'll keep you updated on McCaffrey's status throughout the week. The Monday kickoff could make it a tricky situation for fantasy owners if McCaffrey ends up as a game-time decision.

The Athletic's Matt Barrows tweets that 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan "praised Jordan Mason's play on Sunday. But it sounded that Elijah Mitchell, not Mason, would be in the lead role should Christian McCaffrey miss Monday's game." It's certainly more tea-leaf-reading by Barrows than actual reporting -- but noteworthy nonetheless. Both Mitchell and Mason should be owned in most fantasy leagues as we wait to learn more about McCaffrey.

49ers HC Kyle Shanahan said Monday afternoon that RB Christian McCaffrey is still undergoing tests on the injury he suffered in the Week 6 loss to the Browns. Shanahan said it's still unclear whether McCaffrey has an injury to his oblique, ribs, or both -- and that figuring that out will help determine whether he's able to play against the Vikings next Monday night. We'll keep you updated on McCaffrey's status.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey is questionable to return to Sunday's game vs. the Browns with an oblique injury. We'll update his status when we know more. McCaffrey's absence leaves San Francisco's backfield to Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason.

Update: McCaffrey has returned to the game.

Update: McCaffrey carried once and then left the game, jogging back to the locker room.

Update: McCaffrey has been ruled out.

49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) is active for today’s game vs. the Browns. He figures to slide back in as the No. 2 RB but would be a desperation fantasy start.

49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) is listed as questionable for this weekend’s game vs. the Browns. He got in limited practices on Thursday and Friday. We’ll see if Mitchell is ready to return as San Francisco’s No. 2 RB, but he shouldn’t be in your Week 6 fantasy plans.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey had a bit of a down game (by his absurdly high standards) with 78 total yards and a rushing TD on 22 touches vs. the Cowboys in Week 5. However, this was mostly due to the fact that he was pulled from the game by the fourth quarter once San Francisco had the victory in hand. The early shellacking that HC Kyle Shanahan and company were able to put on the Cowboys made it so CMC’s efforts weren’t needed. We’ll again have McCaffrey ranked highly in Week 6 vs. the Browns.

49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) is out for Sunday night's game vs. the Cowboys. That'll leave Jordan Mason as San Francisco's No. 2 RB -- and very likely mean another massive workload for RB Christian McCaffrey.

49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. RB Christian McCaffrey got back up to an 85% snap rate and 27 touches with Mitchell out last week. CMC is THE RB1 regardless of Mitchell's availability for Sunday night's game vs. the Cowboys, but he gets a slight boost if Mitchell is out again.

49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) is inactive for today’s game vs. the Cardinals. RBs Jordan Mason and Ty Davis-Price are active to spell workhorse RB Christian McCaffrey.

49ers RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) is not expected to play vs. the Cardinals today, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. Mitchell injured his knee in Thursday's practice and did not practice on Friday. His absence could mean an extra touch or two for RB Christian McCaffrey. Jordan Mason and Ty Davis-Price figure to be active behind CMC.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey's four-yard TD run in the second quarter of Thursday night's win over the Giants marked his 12th straight game with at least one TD. That ties WR Jerry Rice for the longest streak in franchise history. McCaffrey finished this one with 18 carries for 85 yards and the score, plus five catches on five targets for 34 yards. He gave way to RB Elijah Mitchell a bit more in this one -- but fantasy owners have nothing to complain about. McCaffrey will continue to be an elite fantasy asset as long as he stays healthy. He gets another plus matchup in Week 4 vs. the Cardinals before tougher draws against the Cowboys and Browns.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (shoulder) is officially inactive for tonight's game vs. the Giants. He seemed relatively close to playing tonight, so we're tentatively expecting him back for Week 4. Aiyuk's absence should make San Francisco's offense even more concentrated, with RB Christian McCaffrey, WR Deebo Samuel, and TE George Kittle dominating touches.

The 49ers have given RB Christian McCaffrey 2 more carries through two weeks than any other player in the NFL has received. His 42 rushes lead Derrick Henry (40) and Tony Pollard (39), with the two Monday night games of Week 2 yet to go. That's abnormal for McCaffrey, who has reached 20 carries in consecutive games just three other times in his career. He averaged 14.7 carries per game across 13 starts with the 49ers last year, including the playoffs. Summer indications had San Francisco planning to use McCaffrey in a way that would preserve him for the season. That doesn't match up with 21.0 carries per game, of course. We'd be surprised if his carry count and carry share stays that high. But it doesn't really matter as long as McCaffrey stays healthy. He's obviously an every-week starter whenever available. No other 49ers RB even played an offensive snap against the Rams.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey recorded 22 attempts for 152 rushing yards, including a 65-yard TD in Week 1’s win vs. the Steelers. He also added 3 receptions on 7 targets with 17 receiving yards through the air. The Pittsburgh front struggled to stop McCaffrey for the majority of the contest. His 25.9 PPR points are a strong contender to be the most among RBs in Week 1. Fantasy managers should expect another robust outing in Week 2 vs. the Rams.

49ers RB Elijah Mitchell is dealing with an adductor strain that’ll sideline him for about one week, per HC Kyle Shanahan. Mitchell’s extensive injury history remains a concern in Year 3. He should still fill a part-time role behind Christian McCaffrey when healthy, though. Current projections have Mitchell for about 8 touches per game.

The 49ers have a “plan” for keeping RB Christian McCaffrey healthy for Week 1, per HC Kyle Shanahan. McCaffrey sat out team drills on Wednesday, and it shouldn’t alarm you if this becomes a trend. CMC, now 27, has nearly 1,500 career touches. Our RB rankings show he remains a top-end RB1.

Christian McCaffrey led RBs in PPR points per game and ranked third in non-PPR across his nine full regular-season games with the 49ers last season. But his usage and production declined when RB Elijah Mitchell was healthy. In seven games without Mitchell (including playoffs), McCaffrey averaged 24.1 opportunities (carries + targets), 135 total yards, and 1.3 TDs. He sunk to 17.2 opportunities, 85 total yards, and 0.6 TDs in five games with Mitchell. McCaffrey’s scoring averages in those five games would have ranked seventh among RBs in PPR points per game for the season and 12th in non-PPR. It's certainly possible that McCaffrey's usage alongside Mitchell grows in 2023 after a full offseason in the offense. But the Mitchell splits are certainly worth considering as you decide whether to spend a top-5 pick on McCaffrey in fantasy drafts this summer. See our baseline, ceiling, and floor projections for McCaffrey.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey logged 15 carries for 84 yards and a TD in Sunday's NFC Championship loss vs. the Eagles. He also added 4 catches for 22 yards as a receiver in the contest. The early injury to QB Brock Purdy forced the 49ers to dramatically shift their offensive game plan to a predictable, run-heavy attack. McCaffrey and company ultimately suffered as a result, though 106 total yards and a score is no small feat for the veteran RB all things considered. The soon-to-be 27-year-old is under contract through 2025 and figures to be a major focal point of this offense in the near future. McCaffrey will once again be in the RB1 overall discussion in 2023 regardless of who's under center at QB.

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