SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 28: Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates … [+]
Fantasy football just hasn’t quite been the same this year without star running back Christian McCaffrey in lineups across the nation. The San Francisco 49ers starter has missed the team’s first eight games with Achilles tendinitis in both legs. The good news is that he’s expected back for Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and if he can stay on the field down the stretch he’ll be a boon to fantasy football general managers angling for a playoff push.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter, appearing on The Pat McAfee Show Monday morning, gave a report that bodes well for McCaffrey’s status. Schefter said, “I haven’t heard that there’s been any issues for Christian McCaffrey.” He also noted that “As long as there are no setbacks I think that he’ll be playing on Sunday against the Buccaneers.”
Here’s a full clip of the interview in which McAfee and Schefter discus McCaffrey’s health and availability:
Shortly afterward, the 49ers opened up the practice window for McCaffrey to return, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
Christian McCaffrey Is A Fantasy Football Demigod When Healthy
There are few players who can consistently rack up mountains of points every week in fantasy football. McCaffrey is one of them, and he’s coming off an incredible season for the 49ers.
During the 2023 NFL campaign, McCaffrey totaled 2,023 yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage. Thanks to his consistent work in the 49ers passing game, McCaffrey led all NFL players with an average of 24.5 points per game in PPR leagues, per ESPN Fantasy Football.
He’s an integral cog in the Kyle Shanahan scheme, and clearly the 49ers have missed McCaffrey’s presence in the lineup so far in 2024. Assuming he can stay healthy and doesn’t have another setback with his Achilles tendinitis, McCaffrey is going to save some fantasy football teams, and he’ll send others to the title.
Here is a look at a few other players who are set to have a strong second half of the 2024 season and carry you to the fantasy football playoffs.
Isaiah Pacheco Is Targeting A Late-November Return
The Kansas City Chiefs just continue to win, despite not having running back Isaiah Pacheco, who has been out since fracturing his fibula in Week 2. It’s only going to get better for the repeat champs, because the latest reporting, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, indicates Pacheco will return to the starting lineup in late-November.
Though not in the same league as McCaffrey in terms of fantasy football production, Pacheco is going to likely be leaned on heavily once he returns to the lineup for the Chiefs. His replacement, Kareem Hunt, is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry, and the team’s running game overall is under 4 yards per carry this season.
Combined with Patrick Mahomes’ rough experiences as a passer, it sets up a big final couple of months for Pacheco to become the team’s workhorse.
Nico Collins Will Be WR1 For The Houston Texans
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 06: Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) runs down the field to the … [+]
The Houston Texans have suffered some big hits on the injury front lately. They lost Stefon Diggs for the season, and Nico Collins has been on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Without his top-two star receivers, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled to get anything going in his last game against the swarming New York Jets.
The good news is that Collins is reportedly “ready to go” for his return to action in Week 10 when the Texans take on the Detroit Lions. It’s going to likely be a high-paced, high-scoring affair if the Texans can keep up with the red-hot Lions.
That means a lot of work is in store for Collins, who will come in as the undisputed No. 1 wide receiver for the Texans down the stretch. Before getting injured, the former Michigan star was having a phenomenal campaign, catching 32 passes for 567 yards and 3 touchdowns in five games.
Ladd McConkey Is Coming On Strong For The Los Angeles Chargers
Don’t look now, but Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey are starting to develop some extremely good-looking chemistry. In the process, Herbert is throwing the ball more often for the Los Angeles Chargers than he did in the first handful of weeks this season.
On Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, McConkey led the Chargers in both target share (25.9 percent) and routes run. He finished the game with a team-leading five catches for 64 yards, playing a position-high 48 snaps in Los Angeles’ 27-10 victory over Cleveland.
It wasn’t quite as dramatic as the fantasy football production we saw from McConkey in Week 8 when he racked up 6 catches, 111 yards, and 2 touchdowns. But it was proof that McConkey is going to be the focus of the Chargers’ passing attack going forward. That’s great news for his development, and for the fantasy football general managers smart enough to have him in their lineups.
