According to multiple reports, San Francisco is placing running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve as he recovers from a calf injury and Achilles tendonitis.
McCaffrey must miss at least the next four games -- including Sunday's matchup with the Minnesota Vikings -- and is eligible to return for an Oct. 10 meeting with the Seattle Seahawks on "Thursday Night Football," though that's not a guarantee.
The other games McCaffrey will miss are Sept. 22 at the Los Angeles Rams, Sept. 29 against New England, and Oct. 6 against the Cardinals.
The team will then reassess whether he's sufficiently recovered to return.
Jordan Mason served as San Francisco's RB1 in McCaffrey's absence, exploding for 152 yards and a score on 29 touches against the Jets. It was a spectacular prime-time performance that bodes well for the 49ers withstanding a stretch without their most dangerous weapon, even if McCaffrey's more versatile pass-catching ability is hard to duplicate.
According to NFL.com's Bobby Kownack, it'll likely take Deebo Samuel contributing more time in the backfield as he did on Monday to help fill the receiving void there, plus increased usage of backups Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor (three offensive snaps combined in Week 1) to keep Mason fresh in his potentially newfound workhorse role.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nirav Pandya, Professor of UCSF Orthopedic Surgery and Director of Sports Medicine at Benioff Children's Hospital, explained via X thread how an Achilles injury is related to a calf injury, which was the first injury McCaffrey was said to be dealing with.
Quick ? re: Achilles tendonitis and Christian McCaffrey for #49ers fans. Tendonitis is inflammation of the structures that connect muscles to bones. Most commonly this occurs due to repetitive overuse or injury.
— Dr. Nirav Pandya, M.D. (@DrNiravPandya) September 11, 2024
The goal is to prevent this from progressing to tendinosis in…
According to 49ersWebzone.com's Marc Adams, it's important to note that Dr. Pandya mentioned that a decrease in workload "is key for this injury to prevent chronic changes to the tendon."
That could mean more of a split when and if McCaffrey returns.
Those who already landed Mason now have a valuable asset, perhaps beyond the four-week window McCaffrey is certain to miss. At the very least, Mason will be in RB1 territory for most fantasy managers in the short term based on anticipated volume alone.
If, at some point, Guerendo or Taylor gain traction, it's likely as secondary contributors, barring the unforeseen. Of course, the unforeseen isn't impossible. If Guerendo is available in your league, a speculative acquisition is worthwhile. The same can be said for Taylor.
As for lessons learned here?
You'll find a review of all the possibilities in this week's Fantasy Notebook, emphasizing the need to be more skeptical of news that might be comforting in the moment but that often doesn't make sense when viewed objectively.
Be proactive with questionable players heading into Sunday and Monday night games. Move them to your flex positions and set yourself up for the best possible success by adding potential pivots to your roster.
Also, consider all available options from Sunday's early- and late-afternoon games.
It might not be ideal, but avoiding a zero can be the difference between a win or a loss on any given week.