There was a bit of a surprise development on Monday night. San Francisco 49ers Running back Christian McCaffrey has declared himself unavailable for the season opener. New York Jets On Monday Night Football.
McCaffrey has been plagued by Achilles and calf injuries, and while the news isn't shocking, he has been limited in practice. McCaffrey said he plans to play in Week 1.Instead, he will go to the bench and the 49ers will start Jordan Mason in the backfield against the Jets. They will also rely on Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr., but Mason will start on kickoffs.
What this means for fantasy football and the waiver wire
If you had McCaffrey as your first choice, you'll be scrambling on Monday night. Mason is listed in 39% of leagues on Yahoo!, so he's available. Gelande is listed in 1% of leagues, and Taylor is available in just about every league. On the Jets' side, Breece Hall is unavailable, and his backup, Braylon Allen, is listed in only 12% of leagues. You'd be better off betting on one of the 49ers' options.
It's unclear what this means after Week 1. McCaffrey may have needed another week, but keep an eye on Kyle Shanahan's postgame comments to get a better idea of what this means going forward. In the absence of clarity, Mason is likely to be selected via waivers. Of course, considering how Shanahan has used running backs other than McCaffrey in the past, Gelande and Taylor may be worth keeping as lottery tickets.
This article will update you on what Mason and the other 49ers running backs look like in Monday night's game against the Jets.
