Let’s just start with the obvious—a lot of fantasy managers are still upset about Christian McCaffrey in 2024. And honestly, who can blame them? Losing your first-round pick minutes before Monday Night Football kicked off in Week 1 is fantasy pain on an epic level. That kind of betrayal sticks with people (looking at you, Kyle Shanahan). McCaffrey’s managers were left scrambling, and many are carrying that grudge straight into the 2025 draft season.
The question now is simple: Can we trust him again?
Christian McCaffrey Fantasy Football Outlook
The Burn Is Still Fresh
Trusting the player is one thing. But trusting Kyle Shanahan? That’s a different beast. Shanahan kept the severity of McCaffrey’s Achilles issues under wraps until the very last minute. That’s tough to forget. It also doesn’t help that McCaffrey is now 29 years old, with nearly 2,000 career touches and a body that’s starting to show signs of wear.
Still…it’s Christian McCaffrey. We need to talk about what that actually means.
What McCaffrey Has Meant to Fantasy Football
Before last year’s injury-plagued letdown, McCaffrey was basically a fantasy cheat code. In 2023, he racked up over 2,000 total yards and scored 21 touchdowns. That’s QB-level fantasy production… from your RB1. More impressively, that wasn’t even a one-off. McCaffrey has three seasons in his eight-year career with similar numbers.
His receiving ability has always been his best weapon. He’s not just a guy who catches a few dump-offs; he’s consistently posted wide receiver-level volume out of the backfield. That advantage only got bigger in San Francisco, where his touchdown upside went nuclear.
For years, McCaffrey wasn’t just a good fantasy RB—he was the fantasy RB1. And for most of the 2020s, he’s been the 1.01 in drafts for good reason.
Then came the Achilles.
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A Legendary Injury
Like the Greek hero himself, McCaffrey’s Achilles may prove to be his downfall. After the injury, he managed to play in just four games in 2024, and he wasn’t himself. He averaged fewer than 12 fantasy points per game and didn’t score a single touchdown. For a player with his pedigree, that’s shocking.
So… what do we do in 2025?
The truth? No one knows for sure. McCaffrey probably isn’t as bad as he looked last year, but it’s also unlikely he returns to 350-touch dominance. A realistic range is somewhere between 200 and 250 touches, with plenty of monitoring and maintenance baked in.
The 49ers seem prepared for that. They drafted Isaac Guerendo last year, and while he was used sparingly, he showed some promise. They also just added Jordan James from Oregon in the fifth round of the 2025 draft. Neither back screams “bell cow,” but together, they could handle the dirty work, giving McCaffrey space to thrive in a more specialized role.
Fewer Touches, More Value?
Here’s the thing: even a 90% version of Christian McCaffrey, with 80% of the touches, is still a dangerous fantasy asset.
One subtle stat from 2024: when McCaffrey was out, San Francisco basically stopped throwing to their running backs. But when he’s healthy, that part of the offense comes back. And with Deebo Samuel now in Washington, those targets have to go somewhere.
McCaffrey could flirt with 90 to 100 targets in 2025, and usage in the passing game is more valuable than carries for fantasy running backs. Let the younger guys take the hits between the tackles. Let McCaffrey catch passes in space and rack up fantasy points.
McCaffrey’s New Price Tag
The best part about all of this uncertainty? You no longer have to pay 1.01 prices to get CMC.
McCaffrey’s current ADP is in the second round in many drafts. That’s uncharted territory for him, and it’s creating one of the biggest upside values in 2025 fantasy football.
Yes, there’s risk. And yes, some fantasy managers will never forgive him for last year. But if we get through the summer without any whispers of re-injury, McCaffrey could deliver one of the greatest bounce-back seasons we’ve seen in fantasy football. He’s not just a value—he’s a potential league-winner again.
Conclusion
Christian McCaffrey is no longer the locked-in 1.01, and that’s okay. He’s not the workhorse he once was, and that’s okay, too. Fantasy football is about value, and for the first time in years, McCaffrey isn’t priced like a fantasy god.
If you’re league-winning upside in the second round of your fantasy draft, there might not be a better pick on the board.
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A Look Inside the San Francisco 49ers
Editor’s Note: While this article focused on Christian McCaffrey in fantasy football, we don’t want to leave you hanging on the rest of the team. Here is a quick look at the other fantasy-relevant 49ers from Joshua Hudson.
Brock Purdy
After inking a fresh new extension, it’s pretty clear that Brock Purdy isn’t going away. And when this offense is cooking, Purdy is a top-10 fantasy QB. There’s a lot of change over with his receiving weapons, but George Kittle is healthy, and that alone should be enough to make you feel confident in drafting Purdy.
Isaac Guerendo / Jordan James
Guerendo and James are expected to help keep Christian McCaffrey fresh. Guerendo has some home-run hitting ability, while James can maintain some of CMC’s passing catching volume if Shanahan keeps the same offense intact. Both should be viewed more as handcuffs, but I’d focus the standalone value more on Guerendo for now.
Brandon Aiyuk
Aiyuk should be expected to be the WR1 on this team after inking a $30 million per year extension last offseason. The problem? Reports are mixed on when he should return from his knee injury. He’s currently going 3rd among the other 49ers WRs in fantasy drafts as a result, but could end up being the best value when it’s all said and done.
Ricky Pearsall
Pearsall was shot last season. Shot. And somehow managed to return to action in the middle of the season. For all the hype about Jennings being the WR1 on this team heading into 2025, Pearsall had the same number of top-24 finishes from Week 10 on as Jennings, and Pearsall had three weeks with zero points. Pearsall should be the priority among the 49ers WRs for early-season production.
Jauan Jennings
Jennings exploded in Week 3, leading many to lean on his production all season. And if you did, you were disappointed. His blow-up games came on your bench because he was God awful for the vast majority of the season. He’s not the value you think he is.
George Kittle
Kittle was the TE1 in fantasy points per game last season. And with the uncertainty around the 49ers’ WRs, Kittle is the lone consistent threat. He’s well worth his round 4 price tag.
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