Christian McCaffrey has been dominating the fantasy football world since his rookie year. The perennial RB1 candidate is indeed coming off one of the best seasons of his career and is fully healthy. He’s in the best offense he’s ever been in. There are just far too many positives not to say that he’s the RB1 for this season. McCaffrey is a cheat code that has proven to be the best running back in the NFL, just so long as he is healthy.
2022 Season Recap
McCaffrey was on pace for a great season last year with the Carolina Panthers. He was finally healthy, and through six games, he had 393 yards, two touchdowns, a 4.6 ypc, 43 targets, 33 catches, and 277 yards with a touchdown. Then, the Panthers changed the landscape of the NFL. They traded him to the San Francisco 49ers for a large draft pick haul.
From then on, CMC went on an absolute tear. From Week 7 on, even with a minor calf ailment, he had 746 yards over 159 attempts with six touchdowns on the ground. Through the air, he caught 52 of 65 targets for 464 yards and four more touchdowns.
Just imagine how lethal he would be over a full season. Well, you don’t have to. I have the stats. On a 17-game basis, CMC was on pace for 245 attempts, 1,153 yards, nine rushing touchdowns, six receiving touchdowns, 100 targets, 80 catches, and 717 receiving yards. To no one’s shock, McCaffrey was among the best players in nearly every important advanced metric. He was second in weighted opportunities, second in expected points per game, first in expected points added, and many others.
2023 Season Projections
McCaffrey is the running back you want on your dynasty team if you’re making a push to win this year. He’s elite at every facet of the game and on a dominant 49ers team that will be ahead in many games. That will enable a very positive game script and allow him to rock the tote numerous times. Plus, with the lack of Brock Purdy’s rushing ability, expect many dump-offs to CMC. That’s a ton of bonus fantasy points, especially in PPR leagues.
McCaffrey is the running back king for the 2023 season. There will be guys who come close to his production, but even then, CMC still outscores them by over a point or more per game. So long as McCaffrey stays healthy, your dynasty team will be riding high to the playoffs and beyond.
Long-Term Dynasty Outlook
Due to McCaffrey’s age, already 27, he’s best suited for contending teams. I just paid a mid-first-round pick for him to add him to my contending team. That feels like a cheap price considering that if he stays healthy, he’ll dominate the fantasy league. He does have an injury history to worry about, along with the fact that running backs are prone to injuries more often due to their workload. However, he’s a safe bet to stay healthier in the 49ers scheme. Only go acquire CMC if he’s the final piece you need, but if you need an RB1, there’s no one better to acquire than Christian McCaffrey.
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As always, May the Force be with You…
