Koerner had been stashing Guerendo as Christian McCaffrey’s direct backup, but the 49ers’ acquisition of Brian Robinson Jr. pushes Guerendo to third on the depth chart. Given Kyle Shanahan’s history of giving the next man up a full workload, Koerner now views Robinson—not Guerendo—as the back to roster behind McCaffrey. Guerendo is a cut candidate in leagues without deep benches.

Ben Gretch called Isaac Guerendo a "really strong handcuff" behind Christian McCaffrey after charting his 2024 efficiency: yards per route run 0.32 above Jordan Mason and a targets-per-route rate that ranked first among San Francisco backs in preseason action. The former Louisville sprinter posted 4.32 forty speed at 221 lbs, giving him one-play upside McCaffrey’s other backups lack. Durability remains a concern—Guerendo has already missed time with a quad—but in Gretch’s view the combination of true home-run speed and demonstrated receiving chops justifies a mid-teen best-ball pick.

Shawn Siegele argued that Isaac Guerendo is a prototypical late-round dart who can win best-ball weeks even behind Christian McCaffrey. Guerendo’s 4.3-speed at 220 pounds produced several long TD runs last season despite mediocre evasion metrics, and San Francisco’s Shanahan scheme is tailor-made to manufacture clear lanes. Siegele predicted Guerendo will post three of the 20 fastest recorded ball-carrier speeds in the entire 2025 season, a proxy for multiple explosive plays that matter far more than touch volume in best-ball scoring. Drafted in Round 12, Guerendo offers home-run weeks if McCaffrey ever misses time and still supplies occasional spike scores when the 49ers spring him on change-of-pace carries.

Shawn Siegele urged drafters to scoop Isaac Guerendo in the late rounds as a pure upside handcuff. If Christian McCaffrey misses time—and with Jordan Mason already nicked up—Guerendo would "score a ton of points," unlocking a second-year breakout in Kyle Shanahan’s fantasy-friendly backfield. The pick perfectly complements early rookie RB swings by layering in massive contingent value without sacrificing roster construction.

Freedman closed his skill-position picks by pairing Isaac Guerendo with McCaffrey. The 221-pound back clocked a 4.33 forty and posted a 6.94 three-cone, then flashed production (404 yards, 3 TDs on 54 carries + 14 targets) in four games above 50% snaps last year. Freedman believes Guerendo would ‘crush’ in Shanahan’s system if McCaffrey missed time, making him a priority late-round stash.

Michael Florio said Isaac Guerendo is going far too late at an Underdog best-ball ADP of Round 13 (RB46) given the way Kyle Shanahan backs explode whenever the starter sits. In the four 2024 games where Christian McCaffrey’s injuries pushed Guerendo over the 50 percent snap threshold, the speedster (4.33-second 40) averaged 17.9 fantasy points and never dipped below 11. Florio noted that McCaffrey, now 29 with a long injury history, missed 12 contests last season, so even a limited absence would vault Guerendo into an every-week RB2 with legitimate RB1 ceiling in the NFL’s most efficient rushing scheme.

Michael Florio said Isaac Guerendo is a Round-13 lottery ticket who becomes an every-week RB2 with RB1 upside whenever Christian McCaffrey is out. In the four 2024 games where McCaffrey’s injury pushed Guerendo over the 50-percent snap threshold, the 4.33-speed back averaged 17.9 fantasy points and never dipped below 11. He reminded readers that Kyle Shanahan backups have repeatedly turned league-winning cuando CMC misses time, and that McCaffrey is now 29 with a lengthy injury log. Florio framed Guerendo’s RB46 ADP as a no-brainer way to access the NFL’s most efficient rushing attack at basement cost.

Hayden Winks said Isaac Guerendo is a must-draft in Round 13 for managers skeptical of Christian McCaffrey’s health. With Jordan Mason missing practice and eventually traded, Guerendo is locked in as the RB2. Winks reminded listeners Guerendo produced RB2, RB11 and RB12 finishes in starts last year even without Trent Williams in the lineup. The 49ers ranked 4th in yards before contact, have the league’s easiest schedule and project top-three in scoring – classic Kyle Shanahan ingredients for explosive running-back production. Winks emphasized you cannot be out on both McCaffrey and Guerendo: if you fade CMC’s first-round price you must scoop Guerendo because the role would instantly carry weekly RB1 upside once McCaffrey misses any time.

Tom Strachan took a late stab at Isaac Guerendo purely for upside. Christian McCaffrey has logged just one fully healthy season in the past four years, and Strachan noted that any absence would thrust Guerendo into the league’s most running-back-friendly system. Even without standalone touches, Guerendo offers league-winning potential for the cost of a 12th-round pick, which fits perfectly with the aggressive waiver-wire, high-volatility ethos of a zero-RB roster.

Pat Kerrane noted that rookie Isaac Guerendo is getting consistent No. 2 reps behind Christian McCaffrey and moved him up his board. With Elijah Mitchell dealing with the usual nicks and Jordan Mason relegated to special-teams work, Guerendo’s 4.33 speed and 220-pound frame give the 49ers the explosive big-back profile Kyle Shanahan likes for spot starts. Kerrane views Guerendo as one injury away from weekly RB2 usage in the league’s most efficient rushing attack, making him a must-draft final-round stash.

Davis Mattek explained that Isaac Guerendo is the exact type of asymmetric bet you want in the back half of Best Ball Mania drafts. With Christian McCaffrey already an "extinction-event" workhorse, Guerendo either never cracks your starting lineup or instantly projects for 16-plus fantasy points the very week McCaffrey misses time. Mattek said he does not need another 11-point floor back—he already has Tyjae Spears, Jalen Warren, and Brian Robinson Jr.—so he passed on safer options like Dylan Samson for Guerendo’s nuclear upside in Kyle Shanahan’s plug-and-play rushing scheme. In his view, Guerendo is the cheapest way to buy into the NFL’s most efficient running game while still swinging for a tournament-winning spike week.

Sean Koerner pegged Isaac Guerendo as the backup to stash in San Francisco, calling him the most logical "next man up" if Christian McCaffrey’s notorious soft-tissue issues resurface. Guerendo finished 2025 with the eighth-most Best-Ball Points Added per game during the stretch he replaced McCaffrey, then tested out with the second-best athletic score at the Combine in the past 37 years. Koerner reminded listeners that Kyle Shanahan historically hands the full workload to whichever runner tops the depth chart—think Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason in previous seasons—making the No. 2 slot extremely valuable. The 49ers already shipped Mason elsewhere and let Elijah Mitchell walk, leaving only fifth-round rookie Jordan James and long-shot Israel Abanikanda as true competition. Koerner is monitoring camp reports, but right now he is sprinkling late-round Guerendo shares into tournament builds, betting that even 8-10 starts behind San Francisco’s zone-blocking scheme would produce league-winning spike weeks.

Sean Koerner warned best-ball drafters not to pair Isaac Guerendo with Christian McCaffrey. The rookie can only score if McCaffrey misses time, which raises the roster’s floor but destroys its ceiling by tying two roster spots to one injury-dependent outcome. Koerner wants every late-round pick to have standalone 20-point potential rather than contingent value, especially in tournament formats where first place demands spike-week production. For him, spending that pick on a back who could crack lineups alongside a healthy McCaffrey is far more profitable than locking up the 49ers’ backfield.

Best Ball Guy flagged rookie Isaac Guerendo as a priority flier any time he slips past ADP. He explained that he takes at least one 49ers backup every summer because Kyle Shanahan backfields routinely produce spike-week RB2s whenever injuries hit. Guerendo fits that annual thesis and, in Best Ball Guy’s words, is a "good catch-up" pick when a build needs one more running back late. Earlier in the show he pumped Jordan Mason for similar reasons, but tonight he said grabbing either Mason or Guerendo ensures exposure to whatever understudy lands the 15-touch role if Christian McCaffrey misses time.

Best Ball Guy said managers in 20-round Superflex contests should leave every draft with one of Christian McCaffrey’s backups—he specifically name-dropped rookie Isaac Guerendo and fellow depth runner Jordan James. Citing ‘injury experts,’ he noted that McCaffrey’s history of double-Achilles tendinitis boosts his re-injury probability by roughly 30 percent. Because San Francisco’s zone scheme routinely turns replacement backs into league winners, BBG sees Guerendo and James as the cheapest paths to bell-cow workloads you can find after Round 15. His approach: keep hammering elite WR and QB pockets early, then grab a 49ers insurance back as a free high-leverage chip that could deliver 20-touch weeks if CMC misses time.

Best Ball Guy said Isaac Guerendo is one of the most exciting late-round darts because he sits directly behind first-round fantasy pick Christian McCaffrey. The host stressed that when a first-round bell-cow like CMC goes down, every roster that invested early capital in him is suddenly crippled, giving Guerendo teams enormous relative leverage. Guerendo’s 4.33 forty and 220-pound frame make him a clean fit for Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone scheme, and the rookie is already drawing praise for his pass-pro reps in OTAs—meaning he could inherit three-down usage rather than a committee. BBG likes pairing him with other contingent bets such as Braylon Allen, arguing that scooping multiple high-leverage handcuffs is the easiest way to manufacture true tournament-winning upside in Best Ball Mania rooms.

Andy Holloway said that if you roster Christian McCaffrey you should make Isaac Guerendo a priority late-round pick. Holloway pointed out that McCaffrey is already dealing with Achilles tendinitis in both legs and has a long track record of in-season nicks. Kyle Shanahan historically rides one running back when his starter is sidelined, so the McCaffrey injury scenario would almost certainly funnel every meaningful touch to Guerendo. Given McCaffrey’s first-round ADP, Andy wants the insurance locked up rather than chasing someone else’s backup on draft day.

Mattek touted rookie Isaac Guerendo as the purest contingent bet in the pool. The starter ahead of him is battling an Achilles issue; if that injury lingers, Guerendo’s speed and three-down skill set could make him the waiver-wire league-winner people chased last year with De’Von Achane.

Davis Mattek called rookie Isaac Guerendo a "huge win" any time he lasts into the double-digit rounds, especially on rosters that fade Christian McCaffrey. Guerendo ran a blazing 4.33 forty at 221 lbs, giving him the second-best speed score in this year’s class and the same athletic profile that turned Elijah Mitchell into an immediate RB1 under Kyle Shanahan. Mattek noted the 49ers gave him a $255k guaranteed contract—more than Day-3 backs Tyler Allgeier or Elijah Mitchell received—signaling intent to keep him on the 53. With CMC entering age-28 territory and already nursing a heavy workload, Mattek thinks San Francisco will spell him more than people expect, opening a path to 8-10 weekly touches and a full-workhorse scenario if McCaffrey misses time. He prefers Guerendo over veteran handcuffs like Tyler Allgeier because the rookie’s ADP still sits outside the top-200 despite genuine league-winning upside.

Davis Mattek planted his Round-13 flag on Isaac Guerendo, calling the second-year back an "S-tier" handcuff who may still log 8–10 weekly touches even behind Christian McCaffrey. Mattek thinks San Francisco’s decision to flip Jordan Mason for a late pick signals real confidence in Guerendo as RB2. The former Louisville track star ran a 4.33 forty at 221 pounds and posted an 87th-percentile burst score— traits that mesh perfectly with Kyle Shanahan’s wide-zone scheme that led the NFL in rushing EPA per play last season. Mattek expects McCaffrey’s snap share to fall from 79 % to the low-70s in an effort to keep him fresh, projecting roughly 125 carries and 25 targets for Guerendo even without an injury. Should McCaffrey miss time, historical usage shows the backup averages 19.4 fantasy points per game under Shanahan (see 2020 Jeff Wilson stretch). At a back-half-of-Round-13 ADP, Mattek believes Guerendo belongs in the same conversation as Zach Charbonnet and Trey Benson, making him a must-click in Best Ball builds.

Billy Jones called Isaac Guerendo the ideal late-round swing when drafters have already locked in premium backs. San Francisco spent Day-3 capital and guaranteed money on the 221-pound 4.33-forty rookie, a clear signal the staff views him as Christian McCaffrey’s direct understudy. Jones emphasized that any McCaffrey injury would thrust Guerendo into Kyle Shanahan’s league-best RB environment—2023 backs in that role averaged 23.4 half-PPR points per start—instantly giving teams an every-down hammer without burning additional roster spots. Because the early trio of Barkley, Taylor and McCaffrey already supplies weekly floor, Jones wants Guerendo’s asymmetric upside and said he is comfortable stopping at four total running backs once he lands the rookie.

Davis Mattek said he "doesn’t want to pass" on Isaac Guerendo in the final rounds because the rookie owns an eye-popping 9.98 Relative Athletic Score and, in Mattek’s words, is "literally the most athletic running back in the NFL right now." Mattek is unbothered by fourth-rounder Jordan James, calling James "not good" and predicting Kyle Shanahan will lean on Guerendo’s 4.33 speed for explosive change-of-pace snaps behind Christian McCaffrey. With the 49ers annually top-10 in rush EPA and known for turning raw speed backs like Raheem Mostert and Elijah Mitchell into fantasy difference-makers, Mattek views Guerendo as a high-leverage final-round bullet whose ADP will rise once training-camp clips of long runs circulate.