Rich Hribar said there is a very real path for Christian McCaffrey to pace San Francisco in targets this season, not just catches out of the backfield. Hribar pointed out that Jauan Jennings is tentatively penciled in as the opening-week WR1, Brandon Aiyuk’s return date is still cloudy, Ricky Pearsall is an unproven rookie, and George Kittle has missed chunks of multiple seasons. With Deebo Samuel gone, the passing-game pecking order is wide-open, making McCaffrey’s receiver-level workload a live outcome. Hribar drafted McCaffrey with the expectation he will function as both RB1 and de-facto slot option, turning him into a best-ball cheat code in full-PPR formats.

Ray Summerlin pointed to Jeff Mueller’s medical notes that McCaffrey ditched last year’s sprint-heavy offseason—which triggered tendonitis— for a new program, and every training-camp report has been unanimously positive. Summerlin framed McCaffrey as a true binary asset: if he is active, the role and Kyle Shanahan’s usage make it almost impossible for him to fail. The 49ers’ schedule features multiple high-total matchups, further boosting ceiling outcomes. Summerlin concluded that at pick 8 you really only have to get one question right—"Is he on the field?"—and if the answer is yes, McCaffrey’s workload and touchdown equity deliver week-winning best-ball production.

Rich Hribar reminded listeners that Jeff Mueller’s medical breakdown labeled McCaffrey’s past Achilles issue as tendonitis—not the chronic tendonosis many drafters fear. Because tendonitis typically resolves without long-term damage, Hribar believes the re-injury probability is far lower than the market assumes. With the medical red flag softened, he is comfortable scooping McCaffrey anywhere in the back half of Round 1, knowing the running back’s league-winning upside remains intact.

Ray Summerlin said he is happily selecting Christian McCaffrey whenever the 49ers back slips to pick 7 or later in DraftKings’ $15 million best-ball contest. Summerlin acknowledged the obvious durability concerns but argued that McCaffrey’s week-tilting ceiling is unmatched and worth the gamble in a 150-entry portfolio. His logic: some rosters will inevitably bust, so using late-first draft capital on the one player who can single-handedly win an overall prize creates a payoff no other running back offers at that spot.

Freedman argued that Christian McCaffrey’s ADP jump to 10.5 overall (RB5) still isn’t steep enough. With Deebo Samuel gone, Brandon Aiyuk on PUP, rookie Ricky Pearsall unproven, and Jauan Jennings nursing a calf, he expects the 49ers offense to funnel through a fully healthy McCaffrey. He reminded readers that—even without a full camp in 2024—McCaffrey racked up 281 rushing yards on 43 carries plus 16 targets in his first three games while posting an 88 Utilization Score. McCaffrey sits as RB1 in Freedman’s projections and RB3 in his rankings, so he views the perennial workhorse as a bargain whenever he slides past the first half-dozen picks.

Best Ball Guy explained that he has been light on Christian McCaffrey in most new Underdog tournaments because the star back battled double Achilles tendonitis last season and carries typical workhorse injury risk. However, he is hammering CMC in the Eliminator contest, where you simply have to avoid weekly cuts and the playoffs conclude before McCaffrey’s Week-14 bye kicks in. With the bye no longer a penalty and McCaffrey’s weekly 25-point ceiling still intact, Best Ball Guy believes CMC is a slate-breaker in that specific format and is worth his top-three overall price tag there.

Pat Kerrane explained why he is holding only 3–8 % Christian McCaffrey across platforms. The 29-year-old is coming off an Achilles tear that erased nearly all of 2024 yet now costs a mid-first-round pick after opening the offseason at the 1-2 turn. Paying that premium means passing on Puka Nacua, Malik Nabers, or Nico Collins—young receivers Kerrane believes match McCaffrey’s weekly ceiling without the age or re-injury risk. While he will still click CMC when the room lets him fall, Kerrane views the veteran back as the easiest first-round leverage fade in Best Ball tournaments that reward unique WR-heavy builds.

Referencing Ben Gretch’s projections, Shawn Siegele highlighted that Christian McCaffrey remains a slam-dunk first-rounder even if San Francisco scales back touches. Gretch notes McCaffrey already posted a 400-point fantasy season and still profiles for the league’s highest weekly ceiling thanks to red-zone usage, reception volume and scheme efficiency. Even a modest dip in snaps leaves his point-per-snap output lapping the RB field, making him a safe and high-upside cornerstone for FFPC Best Ball rosters.

For drafters chasing ceiling, Coventry urged taking Christian McCaffrey at 1.05 despite the perceived injury risk. Two of the last three years CMC played every game, and the 2024 absence was a non-football Achilles issue that is fully healed. In each of his four healthy seasons he has finished as the overall RB1 or RB2, a resume no other back can touch. Coventry labeled him the high-risk, high-reward option compared to more ‘stable’ choices like Gibbs or Barkley.

Tom Strachan said he is happy to draft Christian McCaffrey as the RB4 overall because the upside is still league-winning. McCaffrey averaged 2.5 fantasy points per game more than Saquon Barkley’s ‘phenomenal’ 2024 season, and Kyle Shanahan refuses to take him off the field when games matter. Strachan acknowledged injury concerns—McCaffrey has topped 11 games only once in the past four seasons and posted the single-lowest advance rate in Best Ball Mania last year—but argued that in a 12-team league you only have an 8 percent chance to win anyway, so betting on McCaffrey’s unmatched ceiling is worth the risk at his current cost. Strachan would not draft him ahead of Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, or Jameer Gibbs, but believes RB4 pricing bakes in most of the downside while leaving room for a top-three finish.

Mike Wright doubled-down even harder than his earlier discount RB1 take, saying he would actually draft Christian McCaffrey first overall if he lands the 1.01. Wright admitted McCaffrey is “the single hardest player to predict” after three injury-wrecked seasons and two title-winning ones in his last five, but his projections still spit out the top overall score. San Francisco owns the league’s third-highest implied point total and just lost Brandon Aiyuk (hold-out/trade rumors) and Deebo Samuel (dealt to Washington), vacating a large chunk of targets that historically funnel to the running back in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. With Vegas installing the Niners as favorites in 15 of 17 games and no other San Francisco skill player being drafted in the first round, Wright believes the path to 350 touches is wide open. He is willing to pass on safer names like Bijan Robinson or Saquon Barkley because McCaffrey’s win-rate ceiling is unmatched when he stays upright.

Mike Wright doubled-down on his preseason call that Christian McCaffrey should be the first running back off the board, arguing the market is overreacting to last year’s injury and forgetting the perfect storm in San Francisco. The 49ers own the league’s softest 2025 schedule and are favored in 15 of 17 games while fielding the third-highest implied point total. Wright highlighted 16% of the targets vacated by Deebo Samuel plus a rash of current receiver injuries, noting historical research shows those looks often flow to running backs when a team has turnover at wideout. With Shanehans backfield historically funneling red-zone work to its lead back and the defense losing multiple starters—potentially juicing play volume—Wright expects a repeat of McCaffrey’s 350-plus-touch seasons and sees an easy path to overall RB1 if the 29-year-old simply stays on the field. Because his ADP sits at RB7/2.06, Wright is auto-selecting McCaffrey in the second round and daring anyone drafting safer names like Josh Jacobs to match his weekly ceiling.

Jeff Mueller said drafters should treat Christian McCaffrey as fully healthy heading into 2025. Mueller explained that last year’s Achilles tendonitis was an inflammatory condition brought on by excessive sprinter-style rehab work after McCaffrey’s Super Bowl calf strain, and inflammatory tendonitis can resolve completely with rest. McCaffrey received stem-cell therapy and overhauled his offseason routine to emphasize patience, recovery, and load management. Mueller also noted that the PCL sprain was a Grade-2 injury that fully healed; McCaffrey wore a brace only to minimize shear forces while it knitted. By March he had resumed his full training program and has avoided the PUP list in OTAs. Because the 49ers publicly plan to “give him the ball as much as we can,” Mueller believes McCaffrey remains the league’s lone back capable of 24-plus fantasy points per game if he stays upright. The advice: draft aggressively— even in the top five— while simply monitoring camp reports for any new flare-ups.

Meg Shoup reaffirmed Christian McCaffrey as the undisputed 1.01 in Eliminator formats, highlighting a cakewalk start: Seahawks, Saints and Cardinals, all bottom-10 run defenses by EPA per rush last season. She expects San Francisco to be favored by a touchdown or more in each contest, projecting positive scripts that keep McCaffrey locked into 20-plus touches and multiple red-zone looks. Shoup noted the early schedule security is crucial in single-elimination brackets—survive September and you can worry about correlation later—so pairing CMC with Brock Purdy later on is her preferred ‘cover all bases’ mini-stack.

Whalen kept Christian McCaffrey in Tier 1 because the payoff is a potential overall RB1 season, even if the injury history is well documented. He admitted managers could reasonably drop McCaffrey to Tier 2 given the durability risk but stressed that when healthy CMC still offers the league’s best combination of rushing efficiency, target share, and touchdown upside, making the risk/reward profile worth a late first-round trigger pull.

JSU said he has "zero" Christian McCaffrey shares and will keep it that way until the 49ers star slides into Round 2. He thinks spending a first-round Best Ball pick on a running back with multiple past breakdowns is asking for a roster-crippling injury. McCaffrey certainly has RB1 overall upside, but JSU pointed out that drafters are paying for that perfect season while ignoring the very real downside that comes with his heavy mileage and recurring soft-tissue issues. Instead, JSU prefers Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, or even De'Von Achane—players he believes offer similar ceilings with less catastrophic floor risk at cheaper prices.

Acknowledging the injury chatter, Shawn Siegele noted that Christian McCaffrey actually played a higher snap rate last season than in 2023, even coming off an injury. Kyle Shanahan showed zero inclination to limit him, and rookie Isaac Guerendo is unlikely to be more than a breather option. As long as McCaffrey is healthy, Siegele expects him to continue logging near-every-snap usage and endorses drafting him confidently in the mid-first round of best-ball and redraft formats.

Chris Raybon ranked Christian McCaffrey RB8, arguing the injury downside outweighs the upside at his current ADP. McCaffrey has missed 32 of 67 possible games since 2020 with recurring calf and lower-leg issues—"calf strains are usually the canary in the coal mine," Raybon said. He prefers younger, cleaner-profile backs like rookie Ashton Jeanty and even 30-year-old Derrick Henry, whose durability has actually been better. Raybon also expects Shanahan to spot-rest McCaffrey on early downs now that Isaac Guerendo is in town, projecting CMC for a still strong but safer 260-touch season rather than the 320-plus workload needed to pay off a top-3 pick. He advised fading McCaffrey in the first round and grabbing pass-game monsters such as Alvin Kamara or Devon Achane two rounds later instead.

Sean Koerner said Christian McCaffrey remains worth a late-first-round pick because his ceiling in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme is the undisputed RB1 overall. McCaffrey averaged 24.5 DraftKings points in his 14 fully healthy games last season and led all backs in targets per route (0.32). Koerner acknowledged the age-29 and Achilles concerns but emphasized that early camp reports show no limitations. His strategy is to draft McCaffrey only if he can also secure Isaac Guerendo 8-10 rounds later. With Jordan Mason gone, Koerner expects Guerendo to be the clear next-man-up after flashing 4.38 speed and 2.9 yards after contact last year. He framed the combo as an "upside-with-insurance" approach that still skirts first-round disaster risk.

Jeff Erickson placed Christian McCaffrey seventh overall, labeling him a "1.1 when he’s healthy" but acknowledging serious trust issues with the 49ers’ injury reporting. Erickson recalled San Francisco assuring the public all preseason that McCaffrey’s knee was fine only to rule him out hours before Week 1, burning early drafters. He still chases the upside because Kyle Shanahan’s scheme funnels both goal-line touches and high-value targets to the lead back, and Trent Williams anchoring a refurbished O-line could recreate McCaffrey’s 2023 pace of 22.5 PPR points per game. Erickson advises drafters picking 7-8 overall to weigh McCaffrey’s unrivaled ceiling against the very real risk of another multi-week absence.

Pete Overzet snapped up Christian McCaffrey at 1.02 and said the veteran back owns the single-biggest ceiling in Best Ball Mania because San Francisco’s receiver room is suddenly shaky. With Brandon Aiyuk locked in a contract squabble and Jauan Jennings hinting at a hold-out, Overzet believes Kyle Shanahan will lean even harder on McCaffrey as both a runner and de-facto slot option. McCaffrey already commanded 21 percent of 49ers targets last year; Pete expects that number to rise if Jennings misses any time and Aiyuk’s reps are limited in camp. He framed CMC as the rare first-round pick who can lead his own position in rushing TDs while also flirting with 100 catches—an outcome that would recreate his legendary 29-PPG season and justify passing on elite WRs at the top of drafts.

Best Ball Guy revealed he has 22 percent Christian McCaffrey exposure in Underdog’s Eliminator contest and plans to push that even higher. The Week 14 bye aligns perfectly with Eliminator strategy—survive the regular season, then unleash McCaffrey for playoff rounds while many opponents cope with bye-week absences earlier in the year. Because the All-Pro back is reportedly healthy, the tout views Eliminator as the one format where paying McCaffrey’s premium actually creates leverage. He is fading CMC in BBM and other tournaments but wants "as much as I can" in Eliminator drafts to capitalize on the structural edge.

Best Ball Guy said he is jamming Christian McCaffrey at 1.01 in roughly 50 Eliminator drafts because the contest’s week-by-week cutline removes rosters before the fantasy playoffs. McCaffrey’s Week 14 bye therefore lands after most of the dangerous elimination checkpoints, letting drafters bank his monster early-season spike weeks without the usual playoff-bye penalty that exists in Best Ball Mania. BBG refuses to touch CMC in BBM for that exact reason but believes scooping him in Eliminator creates a clean way to access the NFL’s highest-floor, highest-ceiling back while the field overreacts to the bye in every format.

Jason Moore argued that Christian McCaffrey is the quintessential swing-for-the-fences selection despite last year’s frustrating injury spell. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk just told reporters McCaffrey looks “so explosive” at camp, and Moore noted the 49ers project to be heavy favorites with a soft defensive schedule, setting up ideal run-heavy scripts. He stressed that "no running back is safe" health-wise, so managers should chase ceilings. McCaffrey’s best seasons far outstrip peers like Josh Jacobs, making him the kind of pick that wins large-field tournaments such as the Scott Fish Bowl. If you draft CMC, you are playing to finish first, not third, and the potential reward outweighs the universal injury risk at the position.

Best Ball Guy said he is almost entirely passing on Christian McCaffrey in Best Ball Mania drafts because he is worried the 28-year-old back will not hold up over a full best-ball season at his current first-overall price tag. Instead, he is grabbing his exposure in Eliminator contests where the payout structure rewards early-season spike weeks and the risk of a late-year injury is less punitive. In his words, he still wants access to the McCaffrey profile "in case it does last and work," but the potential durability land-mine makes him an avoid in a tournament that pays out most of its prize pool in Weeks 15-17.

Terrell Furman said a fully-healthy Christian McCaffrey is a three-to-four game swing for San Francisco. Pairing the league’s easiest strength-of-schedule with McCaffrey’s all-around usage should push the 49ers to "at least" double-digit wins despite massive roster turnover and questions at several positions. Furman argued that even if Brock Purdy remains more system manager than difference-maker, McCaffrey’s efficiency as both runner (5.4 YPC last year) and receiver plus the favorable opponent slate raises the floor enough to feel comfortable betting the season win total Over, while acknowledging the Under risk if McCaffrey misses time.

Jake Ciely still projects Christian McCaffrey for the most fantasy points among running backs—even after slicing last year’s workload by 10%—but he refuses to take him inside the first half of Round 1. Ciely’s concern is risk, not talent: McCaffrey turns 29, has a lengthy injury log, and Kyle Shanahan may finally tap the brakes after two seasons of 320-plus touches. He also noted Brock Purdy’s tendency to push the ball downfield could siphon a few high-percentage targets to Ricky Pearsall and George Kittle. Despite ranking CMC RB4, Ciely would only hit the draft button around picks 9–12, preferring elite wideouts earlier to balance the downside of a potential usage dip.

Jakob Sanderson said he is essentially done drafting Christian McCaffrey in Best Ball Mania now that the 49er back has flipped Puka Nacua in ADP. While McCaffrey would project for the most Week-17 points if he is active, Sanderson stressed that the format only requires beating him ONCE— in the final— and his injury volatility makes that entirely feasible. McCaffrey has appeared in just one Week-17 game over the past five seasons and carries the highest single-hit IR risk of any first-rounder. Wide receivers in the same range, by contrast, offer similar weekly ceilings with far less fragility and are almost impossible to replace later in drafts once the position "dries up." Sanderson still likes CMC in standard redraft and high-stakes main-event leagues, but sees him as a poor risk-reward bet in top-heavy, week-weighted Best Ball tournaments where a single late-season absence torpedoes expected value.

Mathology admitted his proprietary WAG model now gives Christian McCaffrey an extra bump because the 49ers bell-cow just became a first-time father. He swears by the "new-dad smell" narrative, pointing out that Patrick Mahomes’ best statistical seasons arrived right after his own kid was born. The suggestion is that fatherhood tightens focus and adds motivation, which for McCaffrey means we should comfortably project another 20-plus touch workload with league-leading touchdown equity. Mathology is therefore drafting CMC at 1.01 without hesitation in both season-long and Best Ball formats, believing the parental bump outweighs any minor injury-prone concerns.

Liz Loza said taking Christian McCaffrey at the very top of Best Ball Mania drafts still makes sense because she expects a full bounce-back season. McCaffrey is one of the few backs who can casually average 20-plus fantasy points every week, and Kyle Shanahan has shown no hesitation feeding him a true workhorse role despite any perceived durability issues. Loza noted that last year’s late-season shutdown plus the surrounding secrecy has created an unfair discount, yet the back enters camp completely healthy and unrestricted. Given Shanahan’s history of funneling touches to his feature backs and McCaffrey’s dual-threat skill set, she is happy to bet on league-winning volume and ceiling in half-point PPR best-ball tournaments.

Chris Liss called Christian McCaffrey the "Jacob deGrom of football"— volatile health but league-winning dominance when right— and loves scooping him around overall pick 15. Although McCaffrey carries Henry’s age (29) and mileage concerns, Liss argued he also possesses Achane’s nuclear ceiling, especially with Deebo Samuel gone and 80-90 receptions back on the table. Liss is comfortable banking on just 14 healthy games, noting that even a Week 3-7 absence would be survivable given his per-game edge. After a year in which managers had to spend the 1.01, nabbing McCaffrey at the 1/2 turn is “an easy pick” and pairs beautifully with an early-round WR like Brian Thomas.

Erik Beimfohr warned drafters not to follow a first-round Christian McCaffrey selection with Isaac Guerendo or Jordan James. Taking CMC already assumes a healthy, bell-cow season; if that bet is right, the rookie backups will be "truly useless, standing on the sideline the whole season." He argued that wasting an 18-man roster slot on a contingency play you hope never starts is bad process in best ball. The chance McCaffrey misses exactly the weeks you need is too small, and the opportunity cost of passing on receivers or high-upside darts elsewhere is far greater. Beimfohr would rather embrace variance by drafting Saquon Barkley plus Will Shipley or A.J. Dillon on separate teams than try to insure a superstar.

Peter Overzet could not believe Underdog hung Christian McCaffrey’s rushing-TD line at just 6.5—five whole scores BELOW Kyren Williams’ 11.5 mark. McCaffrey handled the league’s highest red-zone touch share among running backs last season and has scored at least seven rushing TDs in every healthy year of his career. With San Francisco returning the same Shanahan scheme and O-line while Aiyuk’s status remains murky, Pete views 6.5 as the floor, not the median. He plans to smash the higher in Pick'Em cards and treat it as a free square that correlates nicely with any 49ers passing overs or playoff-advance Best Ball structures.

Mike Wright said drafters should keep hammering Christian McCaffrey in the mid-first round of full-PPR drafts, even at pick 1.08, because the ceiling remains overall RB1. Wright reminded listeners that McCaffrey is the rare back who can pile up 60+ receptions while still logging 200+ rushing attempts and goal-line work. He pushed back against the "McCaffrey bullying" narrative— managers burned by past injuries are letting him slide despite no new red flags. Wright argued that fading CMC is pure risk-aversion: the workload, pass-game role and touchdown equity in Kyle Shanahan’s offense give McCaffrey the highest weekly floor/ceiling combination in fantasy, and nothing in 2023 suggested a decline.

Jim Coventry said Christian McCaffrey should be drafted no later than RB3 because he expects him to finish as the overall RB1 again. Coventry cited that in all four seasons McCaffrey has stayed healthy he has finished as RB1 or RB2, an unmatched resume. Despite turning 29 he averages only 168 carries per year, leaving plenty of tread. Kyle Shanahan has already told reporters McCaffrey will be featured heavily as both runner and receiver, especially in the red-zone. Coventry added that the 49ers defense keeps losing pieces, which should force more pedal-to-the-metal game scripts and expand McCaffrey’s weekly touchdown chances and 100-yard scrimmage games. He views the workload, age profile, and offensive fit as a perfect recipe to lead the position in 2025 scoring.

Steve Palazzolo said Christian McCaffrey remains his No. 1 running back for 2024 redraft despite last year’s injury-marred finish. Palazzolo highlighted McCaffrey’s unmatched run-pass versatility, noting that he consistently functions as a true slot-caliber receiver, owns a proven knack for tight-red-zone scoring, and is the only back Kyle Shanahan has ever had who actually elevated San Francisco’s per-play efficiency rather than merely fitting the system. He acknowledged durability concerns but compared his faith in McCaffrey to giving Patrick Mahomes "one more year" before downgrading. Fantasy takeaway: if McCaffrey reports healthy in August you draft him as a tier-of-his-own RB1 because his target share, touchdown equity, and weekly floor/ceiling combo remain unrivaled.

Davis Mattek said he has Christian McCaffrey ranked higher than the current Underdog ADP and is grabbing as many early shares as possible in the 6,600-entry Greyhound single-entry contest. Mattek expects McCaffrey’s price to rise throughout the summer, so locking him in now secures closing-line value. He emphasized that McCaffrey just finished as the overall RB1 last season and provides "projectable points" that are even more valuable in a smaller‐field tournament where screenshot-worthy rookie picks are less important than bankable weekly production.

JSU revealed that in 500-plus drafts last season he had zero shares of Christian McCaffrey, opting instead for Bijan Robinson whenever he wanted an early running back. The rationale remains the same for 2025: McCaffrey has logged massive dual-threat workloads for years, and the pattern of one dominant season followed by a banged-up campaign is tough to ignore. JSU expects eventual decline or missed games to catch up with CMC, making it too risky to invest a top-two pick in Best Ball where you cannot replace injured studs. He prefers to spend that capital on younger backs or elite wide receivers and live with the consequences.

Andy Holloway pushed back on McCaffrey’s lofty ADP, telling Jason Moore he "really doesn’t think it’s going to work out" for the veteran back in 2025. Holloway framed McCaffrey as one of the biggest gambles in fantasy drafts after last year’s Achilles and knee issues cost him the bulk of 2024. Even though beat-writer reports say McCaffrey looks fully recovered this spring, Holloway emphasized the possibility of re-injury and the mounting age-plus-workload concerns, concluding that using a top-five pick on him is more risk than he is willing to assume.

Mike Wright declared that he is comfortable drafting Christian McCaffrey as early as 1.01 and called landing him in the second round of a 10-team, three-wide mock a moral obligation. Wright acknowledged the "absolutely a gamble" element—McCaffrey missed most of 2024 with Achilles and knee injuries—but argued that a recent 32 Beat Writers report described him looking like his 2023 self with "extra pep" in San Francisco’s running game. If that health holds, Wright believes McCaffrey is a near-lock for another top-three RB finish and very possibly the runaway RB1, making the risk well worth the potential league-winning reward.

Greg Brainos pushed back on the idea that Christian McCaffrey’s price will keep climbing. He doesn’t see drafters letting McCaffrey leapfrog Malik Nabers, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Nico Collins or Puka Nacua, and doubts the consensus will ever rank him above Jahmyr Gibbs. Brainos expects the veteran to settle in the 1.06–1.08 range all summer, meaning there’s minimal closing-line value left at today’s cost.

Davis Mattek said he is hammering Christian McCaffrey at his current late-first ADP because he believes the market is about to push him up to the Jahmyr Gibbs/Puka Nacua range once drafters digest the steady stream of good news on the running back’s "German-engineered" Achilles. Mattek pointed to multiple glowing reports from 49ers coaches and independent injury analysts that McCaffrey is already moving without restriction. Given McCaffrey’s unrivaled per-game ceiling and bell-cow usage in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, Mattek thinks drafters will soon realize he should be the 1.01 whenever he’s healthy. He is loading up before that price correction hits and recommends best-ball players do the same.

Conner Allen said Christian McCaffrey is mispriced at 22-1 for Offensive Player of the Year and called it a classic buy-low opportunity. Allen argued that when healthy McCaffrey virtually guarantees top-three scrimmage yards thanks to an every-down role, heavy red-zone usage and Kyle Shanahan’s screen/angle-route obsession. He reminded listeners the award has become “best non-QB on a winning team,” and San Francisco projects for 12-plus wins because of the league’s softest unique-opponent trio (Giants, Browns, Bears) on top of the NFC and AFC South draw. Allen added that four of the last five OPOY winners came from top-two seeds, the exact script a healthy McCaffrey is likely to follow in a 17-game slate. Locking in 22-1 now banks closing-line value before camp reports confirm he’s 100 %.

Hartitz admitted he briefly toyed with ranking rookie Zamir White (“Gentie” in the transcription) as RB3 overall but has moved Christian McCaffrey back ahead of every challenger. He cited three main points: (1) McCaffrey’s role as the unquestioned focal point—new OC Klint Kubiak already said the offense ‘runs through CMC,’ and with Deebo Samuel banged up the running back could see a career-high target share; (2) San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan attack averaged 2.64 points per drive last season, while the Raiders offense ranking 31st in EPA per play gives White far less touchdown equity; (3) proven weekly ceiling—McCaffrey led all RBs in 30-plus point fantasy outings in both 2022 and 2023, whereas White is still a projection in a bottom-tier offense. Hartitz concluded he is no longer passing CMC at the 1.06-1.08 range regardless of format.

Tyler Sullivan expressed "lowercase concern" about betting Christian McCaffrey at +370 (third-shortest) for Comeback Player of the Year. Entering his age-29 season, McCaffrey led the NFL in touches during his last fully healthy campaign (2023) and subsequently dealt with Achilles and PCL injuries—mirroring the post-2019 drop-off he experienced in Carolina after a 403-touch year. Sullivan added that San Francisco’s offseason talent exodus, headlined by Debo Samuel, could funnel even more gadget and backfield touches to McCaffrey, compounding injury risk. High volume, advancing age, and a lengthy injury log make CMC a shaky futures bet and a fragile first-round pick in early fantasy drafts.

Jason Moore said he is fully back in on Christian McCaffrey despite three injury-marred seasons in the last five years. McCaffrey is reportedly 100 percent healthy this spring, and Moore expects Kyle Shanahan to keep him in a true bell-cow role. He brushed off the age-29 narrative, pointing out that elite backs such as Adrian Peterson and LaDainian Tomlinson maintained RB1 production at the same age. Vegas lists San Francisco’s win total at 10.5, and over the last four seasons every top-five fantasy RB has played on a team that averaged at least 10 wins—another box McCaffrey checks. Early ADP sits at RB8 on Sleeper and RB5 on Underdog, giving McCaffrey room to smash cost if he stays upright. Moore conceded the Draft Kit will tag him with a high injury-risk rating, but he still views the combination of volume, efficiency and touchdown equity in Shanahan’s offense as well worth the gamble in season-long drafts.

Buck cautioned that Christian McCaffrey’s touch count could be purposefully managed in 2025. With the 49ers eyeing another deep playoff run and McCaffrey approaching the age cliff for running backs, Buck suggested Kyle Shanahan may scale the veteran back from the 339-touch workload he logged last season. He pointed to San Francisco spending Day-2 money on speedster Isaac Guerendo and retaining Elijah Mitchell as signs that Shanahan wants to keep CMC fresh. Buck expects a clean bill of health in training camp to push McCaffrey’s Underdog ADP even higher—possibly ahead of Ashton Jeanty and into the top six overall—creating a sell opportunity for drafters worried about snap throttling and TD variance. He prefers backs like De’Von Achane, who carry similar ceilings without the looming workload cap.

Tyler Knaeble cautioned drafters against loading up on Christian McCaffrey at the 1-2 turn in best-ball rooms. Knaeble stated he is capping his own exposure around 8 percent because the 28-year-old back now carries a lengthy lower-body injury history and has logged 1,015 regular-season touches since joining San Francisco. While acknowledging that a fully healthy CMC still owns overall-RB1 upside, Knaeble believes the combination of age, cumulative workload, and San Francisco’s willingness to mix in Elijah Mitchell and rookie Isaac Guerendo raises the probability McCaffrey misses games or sees a snap-share dip late in the year. At current pricing he prefers pivoting to Jahmyr Gibbs or drafting early-second receivers, arguing their median outcomes are similar without the same durability risk.

Rob Coakley announced he will be completely fading Christian McCaffrey in 2025 best-ball drafts. He argued that tournament players chasing a top-1 percent outcome must make binary decisions on early-round studs: either draft them 20-plus percent when you think they are undervalued or go to zero when you view them as a potential landmine. At McCaffrey’s early-first ADP, Coakley sees more downside than upside—calling him a possible "falling knife" coming off another massive workload—and prefers leveraging the field by allocating that capital to other elites. In a cumulative-scoring format, he notes, rosters simply cannot recover if a first-round pick underperforms or misses time, so he is choosing the full fade and building structures that bet against McCaffrey’s ability to pay off his price tag.

Rob Coakley advised taking an extreme stance on Christian McCaffrey at his current first-round price, stating drafters should either lock in 20-plus-percent exposure or fade him entirely. Coakley is choosing a full fade, calling McCaffrey a potential "falling knife" and a draft landmine due to age, mileage, and the high opportunity cost of a top-five pick if his efficiency slips or injuries strike. By going to zero percent, he hopes to leverage the field and open room to overweight other early-round backs and receivers who offer comparable ceilings with fewer durability concerns in 2025 Best Ball tournaments.

Jason Moore said he is back in on Christian McCaffrey as a top‑5 overall pick so long as the 49ers wait until Round 4 or later to draft another runner. Moore does not expect San Francisco to spend Day‑2 capital, noting they already have cheap depth in Jordan Mason and third‑rounder Isaac Garando. Under Kyle Shanahan, late‑round backs historically cap at 3‑5 touches per game unless an injury strikes, so McCaffrey would still dominate high‑value work. Moore reminded listeners that in the 50 games McCaffrey has finished over the past five seasons he has averaged 23.8 half‑PPR points—RB1 level every year. The injury yo‑yo is real, but Moore argued the payoff outweighs the risk when the field overreacts to draft‑day headlines. He advised monitoring the draft closely; if the first 100 picks pass without a running back, McCaffrey immediately re‑enters no‑questions‑asked bell‑cow status in season‑long and best‑ball formats.