Christian McCaffrey's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) is expected to make his 2024 season debut on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers are coming off their bye and McCaffrey has been pain-free after two straight limited practices on Wednesday and Thursday. Achilles tendonitis in both of his legs has kept CMC out all year to this point, so fantasy managers that likely drafted him first overall will finally be able to deploy him this weekend, albeit as a more volatile RB1 than usual with the Niners likely to be mindful of his workload in his debut. Jordan Mason (shoulder), who was a must-start RB1 in fantasy with McCaffrey sidelined the first eight weeks, will take a huge hit in value with last year's leading rusher returning to the fold for the 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) was limited in practice on Thursday for the second straight day this week as he tries to make his 2024 debut in Week 10 this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was reported on Wednesday that McCaffrey was pain-free while putting in a limited session. CMC hasn't officially been activated from Injured Reserve, but that's expected to come later this week in order to debut this weekend. Because there's a chance the Niners ease the All-Pro RB into the fold on Sunday versus Tampa Bay, he'll be a more volatile low-end RB1 for fantasy managers that have been stashing the talented back all year. Jordan Mason (shoulder) has been practicing in full this week, so he looks more than ready to help shoulder the load for CMC if he makes his return in Week 10.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, calf) did not experience any pain issues or setbacks in his return to practice this week in a limited session on Wednesday. The 49ers opened McCaffrey's 21-day practice window this week. It appears that the star running back is on track to make his season debut after suffering his injury during training camp. With McCaffrey likely back in Week 10, fantasy managers will be ecstatic to have the consensus No. 1 overall pick back in their lineups. The 49ers backup running backs stepped up admirably in McCaffrey's absence. However, neither Jordan Mason nor Isaac Guerendo has delivered much in the way of fantasy value since week four with the exception of Guerendo's 19.2-point Week 8. With McCaffrey likely to return in Week 10 in Tampa Bay, both players should be relegated to benches. However, McCaffrey is unlikely to play a full allotment of snaps in his first week back and is at risk of reinjury. As such, hold on to Mason and Guerendo for the time being.

The NFL's Adam Schefter reports that the San Francisco 49ers have opened the 21-day practice window for star running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles). Finally, some good news. McCaffrey has yet to appear in a game this season, but, per Schefter, he is tracking to play this Sunday when the team lines up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Stanford alum would not likely handle a full workload if he suits up. Still, it's excellent news for the 49ers and fantasy managers, as he'll be a boon on the field and in fantasy lineups. Keep an eye on his status over the next few days, but things are looking up for the 28-year-old heading into Week 10. If he plays, he'll get one of the better matchups of the weekend against a Buccaneers squad that's allowed the most yards per carry to their opponents in 2024 (5.2).

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) is expected to hit it hard in practice this week, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. The team plans to open his 21-day return window this week, but is hopeful that McCaffrey only needs one week of practice before returning to the field. The target date is for McCaffrey to return after the bye week to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10. Although, the 49ers could hold out McCaffrey through Week 12 if they decided to do that. The first step is getting McCaffrey back on the practice field which should happen this week.