The San Francisco 49ers have fantasy football weapons all across their offense, but no one stands out more than running back Christian McCaffrey, who was the runaway RB1 across all formats in 2023.
But the backfield does look a bit different behind the superstar back due to a recent injury to the team’s clear No. 2 back, Elijah Mitchell.
So, what’s the 2024 fantasy football outlook for McCaffrey and the rest of San Francisco’s running back room?
Christian McCaffrey’s Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR fantasy Points: 439.9 (341.2 Non-PPR)
- Rushing Yards: 1509.3
- Rushing Touchdowns: 10.1
- Receptions: 98.7
- Receiving Yards: 871.7
- Receiving Touchdowns: 6.0
For those of you who wonder if this was potentially a one-year wonder in a 49ers uniform, now is a great time to remind you Christian McCaffrey averaged 21.7 fantasy points per game after joining the San Francisco backfield in Week 7 of 2022 through the rest of that season, which was good for RB1 overall during that span.
The fact that McCaffrey is competing with Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and the team’s first-round pick Ricky Pearsall for targets in an offense that ranked 30th in pass attempts per game last year is the only thing keeping it remotely close for other fantasy backs coming anywhere close to this level of production.
McCaffrey haters may be quick to point out that he still missed 23 games over his final two years with the Carolina Panthers, but he has shown no injury concerns since joining the 49ers. Injuries are a part of football.
To be fair to some of those durability concerns, McCaffrey did pick up a calf strain this training camp, but all reports suggest he should be a full go for the season opener.
If you pass on McCaffrey at No. 1 overall in your fantasy draft because you are afraid he might get hurt or are projecting Father Time to start tapping his shoulder out of nowhere this year, then you are probably only hurting your own chances of winning.
There are only so many ways to say that McCaffrey is as excellent as advertised, but one additional way is to acknowledge that his current ADP is No. 1 overall.
– Derek Tate, Fantasy Football Analyst
Jordan Mason’s Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR fantasy Points: 80.6 (74.9 Non-PPR)
- Rushing Yards: 457.7
- Rushing Touchdowns: 3.9
- Receptions: 5.7
- Receiving Yards: 59.1
- Receiving Touchdowns: 0.1
Elijah Mitchell was ruled out for the season by the 49ers, something that reflects some optimism in Mason. We’ve yet to get a good taste of what he is capable of at the NFL level (86 touches across 33 games), but the returns have been promising in this well-oiled machine of an offense.
Mason cleared 105 carries just once during his time at Georgia Tech and had a total of 25 receptions in those four seasons. Mason is the McCaffrey handcuff to the roster, but his lack of versatility makes him a low-upside option should he be thrust into the starting role.
In deeper formats, Mason is worth a roster spot, but with consecutive healthy seasons from CMC, there is no need to prioritize him.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
Isaac Guerendo’s Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR fantasy Points: 50.5 (42.2 Non-PPR)
- Rushing Yards: 243.2
- Rushing Touchdowns: 1.4
- Receptions: 8.3
- Receiving Yards: 83.4
- Receiving Touchdowns: 0.2
The fourth-round pick out of Louisville checks all of the physical boxes you could ask for, and with Mitchell out for the season, the opportunity may present itself sooner rather than later. The limited reps this preseason put him behind the eight-ball from the start, though that doesn’t rule out him making an impact when it matters most.
There are legitimate questions about his carry upside (he never reached 110 in a season at college) should McCaffrey go down, but the per-touch upside in this efficient offense would be interesting.
Mason is the handcuff to the roster now, but Guerendo is a name to highlight and keep an eye on as the season progresses.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst