ChristianMcCaffrey

News: 7 hours agoMcCaffrey (undisclosed) remained sidelined during practice Saturday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Spin: The 49ers haven't yet offered much detail on McCaffrey's status aside from saying that he's dealing with "tightness." The star running back didn't play in the team's preseason opener versus Tennessee on Thursday, though San Francisco held out its other key starters as well. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said early in the week that the team is "just managing" McCaffrey through some soreness, and at this point there's no indication that he's at risk of not being ready for Week 1 of the regular season. Still, fantasy managers -- especially those who have upcoming drafts -- may be wise to keep an eye on the situation to monitor when McCaffrey is ready to return to the practice field.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: McCaffrey is back for his fifth season with the 49ers after a bounce-back 2025 campaign in which he led all running backs in snaps, routes, touches, targets, receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and fantasy points. McCaffrey's rushing efficiency wasn't great (3.86 yards per carry), and he's entering his age-30 season after handling 450 touches (including the playoffs) in 2025. The history of overworked backs suggests we should expect a step back in 2026, but CMC is a unicorn, and the combination of his skill set and hefty usage in Kyle Shanahan's offense suggests he can overcome history. There's obvious risk here, but McCaffrey will be an elite option whenever he's on the field.