Christian McCaffrey Suffering Another Minor Injury Makes Kaelon Black A Must-Add Fantasy Football Handcuff

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a thigh injury in Week 7 and was forced out of the game and back to the locker room not long before halftime. However, he was able to return in the second half.

He finished the game with just seven carries for 39 yards, but he did rush for a touchdown and caught six passes for 61 yards. It was clear that the injury limited his volume. McCaffrey was also limited to just 52% of the offensive snaps, which was tied for his lowest of the season.

When asked about the injury, McCaffrey responded, "My leg just died on me, and I was trying to get it going the whole rest of the game... I know I'll be alright."

Christian McCaffrey on the thigh injury he suffered today, per @mattblively:

"My leg just died on me and I was trying to get it going the whole rest of the game... I know I'll be alright." pic.twitter.com/0DUNSVj9kH
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) October 25, 2026

Fantasy Impact

RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

CMAC hasn't looked like the fantasy football superstar he once was, and the team has clearly scaled back his volume. After seeing a career-high in touches last season, it makes sense that they don't want to run him into the ground.

However, it could be too little too late for the 30-year-old veteran. He is clearly slowing down, and we've seen injuries sneaking up on him dating back to the preseason. We are not confident that he is going to play 17 games this season.

His name still carries a ton of weight in the fantasy community. Because of that, we would consider selling high on him and getting a haul. Not only would you be negating his injury risk, but he's not that league-winning fantasy cheat code anymore anyway. We are probably on the downside of McCaffrey's career, both this season and moving forward beyond that.

RB Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers

Black played well in Week 7 and has played well all season. The rookie has averaged 4.1 yards per carry this season and averaged 5.3 yards per carry on Sunday. In Week 7, he carried the ball 12 times for 63 yards and a touchdown.

We expect to see him continue to see enough volume to give him low-end standalone flex value. However, he's not going to overtake McCaffrey as long as he's healthy. Nevertheless, he could be one of the most important handcuffs in fantasy football this season.

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