30 fantasy football players you should target ahead of your deadline

3. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Current Ranking: 27

The San Francisco 49ers say that Christian McCaffrey is still not ready to return from injured reserve. This was a player that went number one overall in most leagues. Nobody was under the impression his injury would take away this much of his season. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year won’t see the field until Week 10 at the earliest. 

And that’s why right now is the ripest time for the picking. CMC has been holding an IR spot for these teams for months now. He won’t be back for a few more, but fantasy owners can come with a reprieve. Nobody is saying offer Rashod Bateman for McCaffrey, but his value is so much lower than what we’d expect from him that a big move makes sense, especially in redraft leagues.

Going all in on a player of CMC’s caliber is a smart move in most instances. The risk-reward proposition is so far in the favor of the person who owns McCaffrey it’s insane. 

Last season, McCaffrey showed up in 58 percent of fantasy championships. That’s a psychotic number. He was so good in Weeks 15 and 16, and he could easily do that again. Don’t trade Justin Jefferson for McCaffrey, but if someone comes asking for Garrett Wilson, we’d have a hard time saying no.  We might even add a little more knowing how impactful this could be.