Christian McCaffrey doesn’t follow most aging patterns seen among mere mortals throughout NFL history. San Francisco’s bell cow is coming off a huge fantasy football season and projects to again be featured in a major way.
There’s obvious risk involved in banking on CMC, but those who rolled the dice a year ago were rewarded, and exceptions to historic rules are always dangerous to dismiss.
Should You Draft Christian McCaffrey in Fantasy Football?
Drafting McCaffrey requires trust in yourself as much as it does him. That’s nothing new: those who thrive in taking this chance require you to build a roster in a responsible way to cover your bases.
McCaffrey is landing in the middle of round one, after the true elites at running back and wide receiver come off the board. That’s a fair price for a 30-year-old coming off 413 touches who carries risk, but also is fresh off swinging plenty of leagues in 2025. Three times in the past four seasons, he’s cleared 320 touches, and three times in his career, he’s missed 10 or more games, making for a risk/reward equation that is uniquely difficult to handle.
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The efficiency trend adds to the caution. McCaffrey played only four games in 2024 and averaged only 4.0 yards per carry. Last season, he played all 17 games, and that number dipped to 3.9, well off his career mark of 4.6.
Some of that is owed to the offense around him, though San Francisco has still posted a top-13 PFN Offensive Line Impact grade for seven straight seasons and ranked sixth best in the league last year. There is certainly some physical decline to consider, but as long as the volume is historically good, the counting fantasy numbers are going to pile up.
There’s still a burst underneath the raw average. McCaffrey turned 71.5% of his carries into an above-average gain after contact last season, the best mark of that specific kind in his career. But the explosive plays that used to define him have thinned out.
Including the playoffs, he didn’t have a single touch go for more than 20 yards in eight of his past 10 games. You’re not drafting the ceiling version of McCaffrey anymore, not on a per-touch basis anyway. You’re drafting the volume version and betting the volume stays healthy enough to rank among the best in the sport.
Preseason Fantasy RB Rankings
- Bijan Robinson | ATL
- Jahmyr Gibbs | DET
- James Cook III | BUF
- Jonathan Taylor | IND
- Ashton Jeanty | LV
- Christian McCaffrey | SF
- Saquon Barkley | PHI
- Chase Brown | CIN
- De’Von Achane | MIA
- Derrick Henry | BAL
- Kenneth Walker III | KC
- Jeremiyah Love | ARI
- Omarion Hampton | LAC
- Javonte Williams | DAL
- Breece Hall | NYJ
- Kyren Williams | LAR
- D’Andre Swift | CHI
- Travis Etienne Jr. | NO
- Josh Jacobs | GB
- Cam Skattebo | NYG
- David Montgomery | HOU
- Bhayshul Tuten | JAX
- TreVeyon Henderson | NE
- Quinshon Judkins | CLE
- Jaylen Warren | PIT
- Bucky Irving | TB
- Jadarian Price | SEA
- Rhamondre Stevenson | NE
- Chuba Hubbard | CAR
- Kenny Gainwell | TB
- Tony Pollard | TEN
- Jordan Mason | MIN
- Rico Dowdle | PIT
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS
- Blake Corum | LAR
- RJ Harvey | DEN
- Kyle Monangai | CHI
- Rachaad White | WAS
- Chris Rodriguez Jr. | JAX
- Zach Charbonnet | SEA
- Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN
- Jonathon Brooks | CAR
- J.K. Dobbins | DEN
- Tyler Allgeier | ARI
- Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG
- Isiah Pacheco | DET
- Woody Marks | HOU
- Tyjae Spears | TEN
- Nick Singleton | TEN
- Brian Robinson Jr. | ATL
