Christian McCaffrey DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) said he's "definitely close" to fully recovered from the knee injury that ended his 2024 season early. McCaffrey told ESPN's Nick Wagoner he would have been able to return had the team made the postseason, but instead, he'll continue to rehab and expects to be ready for organized team activities in the spring. The 28-year-old was specifically dealing with a PCL injury in his right knee that caused him to miss the last five games of the year, but a calf strain and bilateral Achilles tendinitis led to CMC not making his 2024 debut until Week 10. The All-Pro RB was the biggest fantasy bust of the year without question, so his health will be closely watched heading into training camp in the summer. While McCaffrey's lengthy injury history will keep him from being a top pick in the first round in 2025, he's still deserving of first-round consideration.

The San Francisco 49ers officially placed running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, which means he'll be forced to miss at least the next four games. However, McCaffrey suffered a PCL sprain in his right knee in the Sunday night loss to the Buffalo Bills and is expected to need at least six weeks of recovery time. It means that unless the 49ers pick things up and make a run to the postseason, CMC's injury-plagued 2024 campaign will come to an end. Jordan Mason (ankle) is also on IR with a high-ankle sprain, which will force rookie Isaac Guerendo into the team's lead-back role for at least the next four weeks. With CMC officially on IR, fantasy managers can drop him in redraft leagues. The 28-year-old was a huge bust for fantasy managers this year. He didn't make his season debut until Week 10 due to bilateral Achilles tendonitis and ended up playing in just four games in 2024.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) is dealing with a PCL injury after getting hurt in the Sunday night loss to the Buffalo Bills and is facing a six-week recovery, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. McCaffrey was officially placed on Injured Reserve on Monday, and he will miss at least the rest of the regular season. The Niners have work to do just to get into the postseason, so we've most likely seen the last of CMC in 2024. In addition to McCaffrey, Jordan Mason (ankle) suffered a high-ankle sprain on Sunday night and will miss at least the next four games. It means that rookie Isaac Guerendo should become San Fran's top back moving forward, making him a priority waiver-wire addition this week. It was a disastrous 2024 campaign for the 28-year-old McCaffrey after winning Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. He finishes with 50 carries for 202 yards and no TDs in four games.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a knee injury in the Week 13 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. The superstar running back left in the first half and didn't return. While fantasy players worried he suffered an Achilles injury, the team quickly called it a knee injury. Unfortunately, head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that the 49ers fear McCaffrey might have suffered a season-ending PCL injury. Fantasy players who spend the top pick in their fantasy drafts might only get four games from the superstar running back this year. Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo will likely split the backfield work with McCaffrey out of the lineup. Mason had 13 rushing attempts compared to four for Guerendo after McCaffrey left the matchup against the Bills.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) will not return to his team's outing against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football, per head coach Kyle Shanahan. The veteran RB was off to a hot start, averaging 7.4 yards per touch across his first seven handles for 53 rushing yards. He also caught two passes for 14 yards. However, he started awkwardly on a sweep and went down immediately and will not re-enter the game. Jordan Mason projects to handle most of the backfield touches for the remainder of the contest, with rookie running back Isaac Guerendo potentially mixing in as a change of pace. If Mason is available on your league's waiver wire, he'll be a priority addition going into Week 14. Given CMC's injury-riddled season, it would not be a surprise to see him miss the rest of the year, depending on the nature of his knee injury.