Christian McCaffrey

Christian McCaffrey

27-Year-Old Running BackRB
San Francisco 49ers
2023 Fantasy Outlook
After consecutive injury-shortened seasons, McCaffrey's value was trending downward entering 2022, and to make matters worse he was stranded in the dysfunctional Carolina offense. By the end of the season, McCaffrey's durability and team concerns turned for the better, as he ended up playing 20 games (three in the playoffs) between Carolina and San Francisco. As great as McCaffrey's production was in his Carolina career, the Panthers offense would often work against him. With Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers it's the exact opposite -- for the first time in his career McCaffrey is playing on Easy Mode. His numbers were fine in the six games before the trade, but he was predictably more explosive with the 49ers, producing 984 yards and eight touchdowns rushing with 64 receptions for 525 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games. Even a calf injury in the playoffs couldn't slow McCaffrey down; he had 299 total yards and three TDs in three weeks and missed only one snap in the NFC Championship Game loss. He turns 27 in June, still has the injury history looming somewhat and figures to cede a portion of the carries to Elijah Mitchell, but if McCaffrey's health cooperates he'll have enough catches and TDs to challenge for overall RB1 status again. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a four-year, $64.06 million contract with the Panthers in April of 2020. Traded to the 49ers in October of 2022.
Stellar 160-yard effort not enough
RBSan Francisco 49ers
February 11, 2024
McCaffrey rushed 22 times for 80 yards while corralling all eight of his targets for 80 yards and a touchdown in a 25-22 overtime loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.
ANALYSIS
McCaffrey's day got off to an ominous start when he fumbled away his fourth touch of the 49ers' opening drive in Kansas City territory. The NFL's Offensive Player of the Year responded by scoring the game's first touchdown on a trick play in the second quarter, finishing with game highs in yards (160) and touches (30) despite coming up short in overtime. McCaffrey wraps up his first full season in San Francisco with 2,443 combined yards and 26 total touchdowns across 19 regular-season and playoff contests. Under contract through 2025, he'll head a retooled 49ers offense next year while likely being one of the first options taken off the boards in fantasy drafts.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Christian McCaffrey's 2023 advanced stats compare to other running backs?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Broken Tackle %
    The number of broken tackles divided by rush attempts.
  • Positive Run %
    The percentage of run plays where he was able to gain positive yardage.
  • % Yds After Contact
    The percentage of his rushing yards that came after contact.
  • Avg Yds After Contact
    The average rushing yards he gains after contact.
  • Rushing TD %
    Rushing touchdowns divided by rushing attempts. In other words, how often is he scoring when running the ball.
  • Touches Per Game
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) he is averaging per game
  • % Snaps w/Touch
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) divided by offensive snaps played.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Broken Tackle %
17.6%
 
Positive Run %
84.9%
 
% Yds After Contact
57.6%
 
Avg Yds After Contact
3.1
 
Rushing TD %
5.1%
 
Touches Per Game
21.2
 
% Snaps w/Touch
43.7%
 
Air Yards Per Game
9.5
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.20
 
% Team Air Yards
4.0%
 
% Team Targets
17.7%
 
Avg Depth of Target
1.8 Yds
 
Catch Rate
80.7%
 
Drop Rate
0.0%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
7.0
 
% Targeted On Route
20.7%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.41
 
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2023
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2017
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
San Francisco 49ers49ers 2023 RB Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

89873%
16513%
988%
71%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Christian McCaffrey lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2023 Christian McCaffrey Split Stats
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Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Christian McCaffrey's measurables compare to other running backs?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
5' 11"
 
Weight
205 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.48 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.22 sec
 
Cone Drill
6.75 sec
 
Vertical Jump
37.5 in
 
Broad Jump
121 in
 
Bench Press
10 reps
 
Hand Length
9.00 in
 
Arm Length
30.00 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Christian McCaffrey See More
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28 days ago
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32 days ago
It was a banner debut for RotoWire's Joke Strap league, and the action wrapped up with a generous $3,000 donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital from champion Greg Wilson.
ADP Analysis: Undervalued & Overvalued in 2024
36 days ago
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Fantasy Football Rankings: Thoughts on RotoWire's Initial Projections for 2024
36 days ago
Try as he might, RotoWire's Jerry Donabedian couldn't find a way to bump Josh Allen from the QB1 spot. Teammate Stefon Diggs was a tougher projection, as were some other aging WRs.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
For the second straight year, injuries derailed what might have been a tremendous season for McCaffrey. The 25-year-old played seven games in 2021 and only saw more than 40 snaps in four of them, but in those four contests he averaged 4.8 yards per carry and over 150 scrimmage yards per game. McCaffrey remains the premier pass-catching back in the league while still being dangerous on the ground, and those skills were still in evidence last year. His 2.3 yards per carry after contact was comparable to the likes of Javonte Williams and Aaron Jones, and McCaffrey broke a tackle every 8.3 carries on average, a better rate than Nick Chubb or Najee Harris, albeit with much less volume. None of the injuries McCaffrey has sustained appear to be chronic, so it's possible his luck will turn for the better in 2022. The Panthers added D'Onta Foreman in the offseason to give them another depth option aside from Chuba Hubbard, who didn't impress as a rookie, but if McCaffrey is on the field he'll still dominate the backfield touches and snaps. Apart from health, his biggest concern at this point is the overall quality of the Carolina offense with either Baker Mayfield at quarterback.
After not missing a game through his first three NFL seasons and seeing heavy workloads in the last two, McCaffrey signed a big contract extension last summer and promptly broke down. Ankle, shoulder and thigh injuries limited him to only three weeks of action in 2020, and while he scored six touchdowns in those three contests and was still his usual electric self when he was on the field, it was not what Carolina expected when it made him the highest-paid running back in the league. When he's in top form, McCaffrey is an elite pass-catching option out of the backfield who is tough for defenders to get their hands on in the open field, and new head coach Matt Rhule showed no hesitation in using his superstar at the goal line, as all six of McCaffrey's TDs came from inside the 10-yard line. His per-game workload was essentially the same as his usage under the previous regime, and none of last year's injuries appear to be long-term concerns. The Panthers also did little to add backfield depth apart from fourth-round pick Chuba Hubbard, a strong indication McCaffrey will once again handle the type of role that could lead to 400-plus touches if he plays 15 or 16 games.
McCaffrey had a season for the ages in 2019, posting the third-most scrimmage yards in league history (2,392) and falling only 118 shy of the NFL record. With Cam Newton out most of the year, CMac became the unquestioned focal point of the Panthers' attack, racking up a dizzying 403 touches and topping 100 receptions for the second consecutive campaign. He wasn't just an open-field weapon, though. McCaffrey saw 20 carries inside the 5-yard line, good for second in the NFL, and that goal-line usage led to a career-high 15 rushing TDs. The question heading into 2020 is how much that workload will affect his efficiency. McCaffrey's elite elusiveness and speed have allowed him to avoid a lot of big hits, and he has yet to miss a game in his career, but the history of running backs coming off massive workloads is checkered at best. Even within the context of last year he showed a possible weakness, as he managed just 1.8 YPC after contact, ninth fewest among qualified rushers and a drop from the 2.1 he posted in 2018. That said, Carolina's new-look offense with Teddy Bridgewater under center and former Saints assistant Joe Brady as coordinator should be just as committed to getting McCaffrey the ball in optimal situations, and the front office didn't make him the highest-paid running back in the NFL without expecting plenty of production in return.
When a coach or GM makes a preseason promise to get a specific player more touches, it's often forgotten by about Week 3 as the reasons the player wasn't more involved to begin with become apparent. That wasn't the case with McCaffrey in 2018. Coach Ron Rivera anointed him his bell cow in training camp, and the second-year back thrived with the increased workload, playing 16 games for the second consecutive season while seeing his YPC jump by more than a full yard and his touches increase by 65.5 percent. CMac showed no fear as a runner, attacking holes rather than dancing around (his efficiency rating, which measures how much east-west running a player does for each north-south yard gained, was fifth among qualified RBs) and his elusiveness and speed allowed him to chew up real estate. He fell just short of 2,000 scrimmage yards despite playing behind an offensive line that lost both its starting tackles to injuries in August. The bad news for McCaffrey is that Rivera now says he gave him too many snaps and plans to scale back a bit this season. If he keeps producing when he gets the ball, though, it will be tough to take him off the field when it matters most.
The eighth overall pick in last year's draft, McCaffrey had an uneven but generally productive rookie season. As many of his critics predicted, the 5-11, 205-pound back had trouble making his mark on the ground, posting 3.7 YPC and rushing for less than 10 yards in three games as he ceded carries to Jonathan Stewart. McCaffrey was also as advertised catching passes out of the backfield, showing great hands and an aptitude for finding open space. He caught multiple passes in every game while finishing third among running backs in receptions, trailing only Le'Veon Bell and Alvin Kamara. As a runner, McCaffrey possesses tremendous elusiveness and can set up defenders to take bad angles or get caught up in traffic while he scampers toward freedom. While Stewart is now a Giant, the Panthers replaced him in free agency with Broncos castoff C.J. Anderson, sending a clear signal that they are unwilling to commit to McCaffrey as a three-down workhorse. That limits his upside, but his role in the passing game should only grow with more experience, and he could take on a larger role on early downs if new offensive coordinator Norv Turner tailors the scheme to McCaffrey's strengths.
The versatile McCaffrey was taken eighth overall in this year's draft and found a nearly perfect landing spot with a Panthers offense in desperate need of playmakers. At 6-0, 200, the Stanford product lacks ideal size for an every-down NFL back, but he proved himself as a threat in the open field in his sophomore season when he set an NCAA record for all-purpose yards with 2,019 rushing yards, 645 receiving yards and 1,200 return yards. McCaffrey's soft hands, elusiveness and crisp route-running should make him one of the top receiving options in the pros out of the backfield as soon as Week 1, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him split out wide or lined up in the slot in certain formations, but he can also produce on the ground thanks to his exceptional vision and patience. As the lightning to Jonathan Stewart's thunder, McCaffrey should quickly work his way into a significant role in Carolina and could supplant the veteran as the starter well before the team's Week 11 bye. He might not see many goal-line touches in a backfield that contains Stewart and Cam Newton, but otherwise the sky would seem to be the limit for the second-generation NFL player.
More Fantasy News
Honored before Super Bowl
RBSan Francisco 49ers
February 8, 2024
McCaffrey was named the Offensive Player of the Year on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
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Carries offense with two more TDs
RBSan Francisco 49ers
January 28, 2024
McCaffrey rushed 20 times for 90 yards and two touchdowns while catching four of five targets for 42 yards in Sunday's 34-31 NFC Championship Game win over the Lions.
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Two TDs in divisional-round win
RBSan Francisco 49ers
January 20, 2024
McCaffrey rushed 17 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns and brought in seven of 12 targets for 30 yards in the 49ers' 24-21 divisional-round win over the Packers on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
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Good to go for divisional round
RBSan Francisco 49ers
January 16, 2024
McCaffrey (calf) will be a full practice participant Tuesday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
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Expected back at practice next week
RBSan Francisco 49ers
Calf
January 9, 2024
McCaffrey (calf) won't practice this week but is expected to return to the field next week ahead of the 49ers' divisional-round playoff game, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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