San Francisco 49ers

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, San Francisco 49ers running back Patrick Taylor Jr. was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster. Taylor will likely slot in as the No.2/No.3 option alongside Israel Abanikanda, while rookie Isaac Guerendo operates as the lead option. This move occurred as Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) were both placed on the injured reserve on Monday following their loss to the Buffalo Bills. Taylor spent his first three seasons with the Green Bay Packers serving as a depth option, averaging a solid 4.0 yards per carry. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should monitor who operates as the No.2 option behind Guerendo, as they could be a viable stash option during the fantasy playoffs.

The San Francisco 49ers claimed running back Israel Abanikanda off waivers from the New York Jets on Tuesday and also signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn to their practice squad, according to a source. In corresponding moves, the Niners officially placed both Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) on Injured Reserve, meaning they'll be out for at least the next four games. CMC has a PCL sprain and will need six weeks to recover, so his season is essentially over unless the Niners make a run to get into the playoffs. Abanikanda didn't play in a single game for the Jets this year but could serve as the team's No. 3 down the stretch behind rookie Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor. Vaughn also hasn't seen the field in 2024 after averaging 3.7 yards a carry in four previous seasons with Tampa. They can both stay on the waiver wire in most fantasy leagues.

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.

With both San Francisco 49ers running backs Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle) landing on Injured Reserve on Monday, rookie Isaac Guerendo is now in line for lead-back duties heading into a Week 14 matchup against the visiting Chicago Bears this Sunday. McCaffrey and Mason won't be eligible to return until the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals, so they are effectively off the fantasy radar for the rest of the way in single-year leagues with championship matchups typically coming in Week 17. The 24-year-old Guerendo has a healthy 5.9 yards per carry on his 42 rushing attempts in his first year in the NFL while adding five receptions for 19 yards. Fantasy managers may not want to expect him to be that efficient moving forward in a lead-back role, but he should at least have weekly RB2 upside with a huge volume increase.

The San Francisco 49ers placed running back Jordan Mason (ankle) on Injured Reserve on Monday after he suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Sunday night loss to the Buffalo Bills. It means that Mason will miss at least the next four games and won't be eligible to return until the Week 18 regular-season finale on the road against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals. With fantasy championships typically coming in Week 17, managers now won't have a reason to hold onto Mason in single-year leagues. Christian McCaffrey (knee) also suffered a PCL injury in the snow on Sunday night and is facing a six-week recovery, so his season is likely over. It all means that fantasy managers in need at RB should make rookie Isaac Guerendo their top waiver-wire priority heading into Week 14. Guerendo should now lead San Fran's backfield, with Patrick Taylor also getting involved.