Panthers HC Matt Rhule deemed RB Christian McCaffrey (shoulder) "day to day" at his press conference on Monday. But NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reiterates that McCaffrey's availability for this weekend's game against the Bucs is "very much in doubt." We'll be tracking his status throughout this week.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey suffered a shoulder injury in Sunday's return at Kansas City. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that "his status this week is very much in doubt" pending further tests on the joint. Keep Mike Davis at the ready (and get him off waivers if he's been dropped). We'll certainly track this situation closely.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey appeared to injure his right shoulder late in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. He returned after missing just a few plays but was clearly in pain. We'll look for an update on CMC tomorrow and monitor his practice participation throughout the week. As we've been saying, RB Mike Davis should remain stashed on fantasy benches.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle) is officially active for today’s game against the Chiefs. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said this morning that he’s expected to "rotate series" with RB Mike Davis, but McCaffrey is still a must-start in season-long leagues.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey is expected to "rotate series" with RB Mike Davis against the Chiefs today, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "The plan is to have neither of these guys play too many plays in a row to make sure they're fresh," Rapoports adds, comparing the situation to how the Saints use Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray. We're still expecting McCaffrey to lead the backfield in touches today, but don't expect a monster workload. Davis is a RB3 or flex option if we can get 10+ touches out of him.

The Panthers have officially activated RB Christian McCaffrey from IR. He, of course, has been out since Week 2 with a high-ankle sprain. Fire him up, but keep Mike Davis around if you can.

Panthers HC Matt Rhule said Friday he expects to activate RB Christian McCaffrey over the weekend and have him available for Sunday's game at Kansas City, according to multiple reports. That goes along with the general feeling during the week. Expect to get McCaffrey back into starting fantasy football lineups. That means Mike Davis should no longer be in there, but we'd try not to drop him if you can help it. Davis has proved his value as a handcuff, and McCaffrey has been out since Week 2 because of a high-ankle sprain.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. It's confirmation that he's on track to return for Sunday's game against the Chiefs. It's possible that McCaffrey's volume is scaled back a bit in his 1st game back, but he'll be a must-start in season-long fantasy leagues.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle) is not expected to play against the Falcons tonight. CMC got back on the practice field this week, but it looks like we'll need to wait for Week 9 to get him back into fantasy lineups. Mike Davis remains a RB1 for Week 8.

Panthers HC Matt Rhule said Tuesday that he's "hopeful" to get RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle) back for Thursday night's game against the Falcons. "I’ll have to see how he responds to today," Rhule added. "It was great having him out there. I will say he looks good. He looks like he’s moving around great. Just we’ll let the medical people and him determine how much he can do, or when he can play in a game." The news has gotten progressively more positive on McCaffrey over the past 24 hours. We should have a good idea about his Week 8 status by tomorrow afternoon.

The Panthers activated RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle) from IR on Tuesday. That makes him eligible to play against the Falcons on Thursday night, although it's still unclear if he will. McCaffrey has practiced with a red non-contact jersey on Monday and Tuesday. We'll see how Carolina lists him on the final injury report tomorrow.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey is a "long shot" to play Thursday night against the Falcons. Rapoport adds, though, that the team hasn't ruled him out yet and that McCaffrey is "pushing to play." We'll certainly watch the situation throughout the short week, but it seems we should bet on 1 more week of Mike Davis leading the Carolina backfield.

NFL Networks' Tom Pelissero confirms that Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle) isn't expected to play against the Saints this weekend. "He’s close, but they’re staying cautious with a Thursday night game vs. Atlanta up next," Pelissero adds. We'll see if McCaffrey can make it back for Week 8, but RB Mike Davis gets another start on Sunday.

Panthers HC Matt Rhule said Monday that RB Christian McCaffrey is still "a couple of weeks away" from returning from his high-ankle sprain. So RB Mike Davis should at least start the next 2 weeks against the Bears and Saints. Those are difficult draws, but Davis' usage will keep him in the RB1 mix.

The Panthers have placed RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle) on IR. It means he'll miss at least the next 3 games. We'll see if McCaffrey can get back for Week 6. Mike Davis will operate as Carolina's lead back in the meantime.

Updating previous reports, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with his high-ankle sprain, following his Monday morning MRI. That makes Mike Davis a top waiver target this week. The veteran clearly isn't close to McCaffrey in ability, but he should control the touches in a shallow backfield. A Week 3 matchup with the Chargers looks challenging. The ensuing 5 weeks, though, include both meetings with the Falcons (weeks 5 and 8) and an upside scoring matchup with Arizona (Week 4). Davis figures to crack the top 30 in our Week 3 RB rankings on expected touch volume alone.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey is expected to miss "multiple weeks" with the ankle injury he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Bucs, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. We'll hopefully get more details on the injury and CMC's timeline for return over the next few days. Mike Davis racked up 8 receptions in McCaffrey's absence in Week 2 and figures to lead Carolina's backfield in touches in the meantime. Trenton Cannon is the only other RB on the active roster. Week 3 brings a tough matchup vs. the Chargers, but then come more favorable draws vs. Arizona and Atlanta. Davis is worth scooping up in all fantasy leagues and will be a volume-based fantasy play for however long McCaffrey is out.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey will undergo an MRI on his injured ankle on Monday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "The initial hope is it’s not too serious. But tomorrow will be telling," Rapoport adds. This doesn't have the look of a serious injury, but CMC owners might not be getting much sleep tonight. We'll pass along an update as soon as we get one.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey has left their game at Tampa Bay with an ankle injury. He is questionable to return.

Update: McCaffrey did not return.

ESPN's David Newton believes RB Mike Davis "might have the edge" for the Panthers' #2 RB job. His competition is Reggie Bonnafon and Jordan Scarlett. The battle is irrelevant as long as RB Christian McCaffrey is healthy, of course. We wouldn't bother spending a pick to "handcuff" CMC at this point.