At his best, Christian McCaffrey is the sort of running back who can help both the San Francisco 49ers and fantasy football owners win championships. The problem with the versatile running back is that his availability is frequently a major question mark for everyone depending on him for success.
The good news for fantasy owners heavily invested in McCaffrey is that he is expected to play in the Niners' Week 1 matchup against the Seahawks. That was far from a certainty after he suffered a calf injury significant enough to land him on the team's injury report on Thursday. McCaffrey still carried a questionable designation all the way up until Friday, when he didn't participate in San Francisco's final full practice of the week.
But Fantasy owners should be forgiven if they aren't overjoyed with the news that McCaffrey will play against Seattle. There is a large difference between participation and being his offense's feature back on Sunday. The team's recent decision to bring in Brian Robinson via trade only adds to the uncertainty. It's easy to envision a scenario where McCaffrey only gets a handful of touches before giving way to a healthier option at running back.
From @NFLGameDay Morning: #Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy suffered a dislocated shoulder in Brazil and he’s still undergoing tests. But the hope is he can return with a brace; Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey was a big part of walk-through on Saturday, a sign he’s trending to go. pic.twitter.com/kVRG9wxI0U
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2025
Fantasy football owners just have to hope for the best with Christian McCaffrey in Week 1
McCaffrey owners should be prepared to deal with this sort of uncertainty all season long. His availability has always been his biggest weakness as a player. That applies to fantasy football and actual competitive games on the field.
The 49ers would be wise to treat their star running back with caution. They will be much more concerned with making sure McCaffrey is ready for the playoffs than putting his health at risk in the first game of the regular season. The only way he will receive a hefty workload against Seattle is if the team's medical staff is 100% sure he can't do further damage to his calf by playing.
McCaffrey will do his best to talk his way into a meaningful workload this week, but discretion will be the right path for everyone invested in his success on Sunday. All of which creates a bind for fantasy owners: If McCaffrey is in fact active and starting at 4:05 p.m. ET, there's simply no way you can sit the guy who is potentially the most valuable player in the entire league. But that probably won't be the McCaffrey you actually get, at least not this week. He will struggle to live up to those lofty expectations given his questionable health status; it's not hard to imagine Robinson and others sharing the load a bit more heavily, putting his actual value in doubt. Then again, if you sit your first- or second-round pick and he rips off a 55-yard score on the first drive of the season, that's not exactly a great feeling either.