Christian McCaffrey is missing practice, which can only mean one thing – the NFL is officially back.
The San Francisco 49ers’ star was a league-winning piece for many fantasy football rosters last year. For those brave enough to draft the 30-year-old once again, he brings similar upside, but there’s already a scare on the books since he’s been in-and-out of practice in recent days. With the team set to take on the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football in Australia, is his backup, Kaelon Black, a must-start RB in fantasy if McCaffrey misses the game?
Christian McCaffrey status update
Practically everyone knows that McCaffrey is one of the best fantasy assets of all time, bar none. When healthy, he’s delivered some of the best seasons from any player in the history of the game, including five campaigns of 24+ FPPG, two of which flirted with the 30+ mark. Just last year, he handled a massive workload with 311 carries and 102 receptions for 2,126 all-purpose yards and 17 total touchdowns. While his efficiency cratered as a rusher, the veteran made up for it with one of the most impressive receiving seasons we’ve ever seen from a halfback to still finish as an elite fantasy producer.
Of course, injury woes are an intrinsic part of McCaffrey’s profile. He’s played seven or fewer games in three seasons and appeared in just four contests two years ago. With the 2026 regular season set to begin this week, there are already concerns about whether he’ll play in the 49ers’ opener.
During training camp, McCaffrey missed multiple weeks but his absence was written off as a ramp-up period to keep him fresh for the season. However, he was not seen taking part in drills in the portion of practice that was open to the media in Australia, though he was present on the side. There is no official practice report from the 49ers organization yet, though.
Obviously, any kind of injury news is enough to cause some degree of panic among fantasy managers who roster McCaffrey. That doesn’t mean it’s warranted, even with his history. It’s quite possible this is just rep management to keep him healthy. Still, the situation remains worth keeping an eye on in the leadup to Thursday’s game.
Who to start if McCaffrey doesn’t play Week 1?
McCaffrey’s absence from practice is probably nothing to be too alarmed about, but there are things fantasy managers can do to either insulate their lineup against a potential injury or otherwise take advantage of the situation. Deciphering the backup halfback role in San Francisco isn’t always easy thanks to head coach Kyle Shanahan’s roster decisions, but if any player stands out, it’s Kaelon Black.
In something of an annual tradition under Shanahan’s direction, the 49ers selected a halfback in round three of the NFL Draft this past April. The name happened to be the Indiana product, who won a national title with the program in his final collegiate season. Black stood out with 1,040 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries as a senior. While it wasn’t superstar-level production, he was a very reliable presence in the Hoosiers’ backfield and brings elite athleticism to the table – his 9.14 RAS included a 4.45 40-yard dash, so he possesses breakaway ability if he can get into the gap.
Black is listed as the second halfback behind McCaffrey on the Niners’ depth chart and emerged as a legitimate contender for the backup job despite dealing with an adductor injury in early August. Based on that rise and the fact that he was selected far before a projected draft slot in the fifth or sixth round, it seems the staff does think highly of him.
He doesn’t bring much on passing downs like McCaffrey does, having caught just 52 balls over his four-year collegiate career and only eight over two seasons with Indiana. He proved capable of a bit of receiving work in the past at James Madison, though, logging 44 receptions in two campaigns there. Given the lack of more recent usage in that area, it’s a bit tough to project much of a receiving role for him even if McCaffrey doesn’t play. That may admittedly limit the upside a bit in fantasy football.
However, Black would likely still receive the bulk of the carries as the primary halfback in the star’s absence. He should certainly be on fantasy rosters as a high-end handcuff given McCaffrey’s injury history. If the veteran doesn’t play, Black is a player to fire up as a FLEX play with room for more. We’ve seen the RB2 in the San Francisco offense product for fantasy in the past when thrust into a starting role, so Black could certainly fit the mold as a volume-based play in a good offense with additional upside depending on whether he sees many targets in the receiving game.
For the purposes of Week 1, Black wouldn’t exactly be a must-start RB against a star-studded L.A. Rams defense that should be solid against the run once again, particularly after bringing Aaron Donald out of retirement on the interior of the defensive line. He still belongs on rosters, though, so pick him up if he’s available as an insurance policy moving forward – and put him in the lineup if you can tolerate a little bit of risk, since the total for this matchup is set at 48.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
