Fantasy Football: What to Expect if Christian McCaffrey Returns
The Carolina Panthers expect to have Christian McCaffrey back in the starting lineup this week against the Denver Broncos. McCaffrey has not played since Week 9 and has only been able to suit up for three games this season.
What to expect from McCaffrey in fantasy football:
The All-Pro running back was a fantasy football darling in 2019 and was widely expected to be the No. 1 overall player for the second season in a row this year. A high ankle sprain and a shoulder injury have disappointed many fantasy football managers who likely drafted CMC with the first pick in their drafts. If you were lucky enough to make the fantasy football playoffs with McCaffrey on your team, then you should be in good shape to secure a victory this week. This is all assuming he does indeed play.
In the three games that McCaffrey has played, he has scored multiple touchdowns in each and averaged 124 yards from scrimmage. Simply put –if he is healthy enough to play then he is a must-start in fantasy football.
When we last saw McCaffrey against the Kansas City Chiefs he looked to be in mid-season form despite missing the previous six games. I would not worry about CMC being rusty. He hauled in 10 receptions for 82 yards to add to 69 yards on the ground. In total, he put up over 36 fantasy points in standard point per reception (PPR) scoring leagues.
This week he plays the Broncos who rank 24th in the league defending against the run, so McCaffrey should have a field day raking in the fantasy points along the way. McCaffrey also might have some added motivation as he takes on the team that his father, Ed McCaffrey, used to play for. Christian grew up in Colorado likely dreaming about playing for his dad's former team. Now, he has the unique opportunity to play against them.
Something tells me McCaffrey had this game circled when the 2020 schedule was announced. Panthers' head coach Matt Rhule has been extremely cautious with his best player so I wouldn't worry about him not being 100% healthy if he gets the start. He appears to be ready to go and can be plugged into your lineup as an RB1 for the rest of the year.
The Panthers take on the Green Bay Packers, Washington Football Team, and the New Orleans Saints following the game against Denver. Most fantasy leagues end in Week 16. If this is the case in your league, then I would feel really good about having McCaffrey on your team moving forward. The Packers have allowed over 20 points to opposing running backs in all but two of their 12 games this year. Washington has a forceful defensive line but they have not been dominant against the running game by any means.
McCaffrey has great matchups in weeks 14-16. These three weeks are usually reserved for the fantasy football playoffs depending on the league. McCaffrey led a lot of managers to fantasy football championships last year and looks poised to do it again.
Latest update:
After McCaffrey was expected to practice in full on Wednesday it turns out he was a limited participant due to a thigh injury. The fact that he did not miss practice entirely is a good sign. Hopefully, he is still a go for the Week 14 matchup. Or could this be a case of the fantasy football gods giving just to taketh away?
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