49ers' Christian McCaffrey: 2025 fantasy football's top bounce-back RB?

Fantasy football managers who had San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey on their rosters in 2023 were likely thrilled by his 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns. However, last season told a very different story. McCaffrey owners were disappointed to learn—with very little notice—that he would miss Week 1 due to Achilles tendinitis.

Unfortunately, things only got worse.

McCaffrey began the season on injured reserve and didn't return to the field until Week 10. He tallied just 348 scrimmage yards with zero touchdowns over four games before landing back on injured reserve, this time with a PCL injury.

Bleacher Report's Moe Moton recently ranked the top fantasy football bounce-back candidates for 2025, placing McCaffrey at the top of the list. According to FantasyPros, the 49ers star is still considered a mid-first-round pick in most league drafts.

"When healthy, McCaffrey is arguably the best fantasy running back to roster, but he comes with significant risk because of his recent injury history," Moton wrote.

He added, "McCaffrey has missed 10 or more games in three of the last five seasons. Moreover, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan talked about protecting the star running back from himself following an injury-riddled campaign."

Second-year running back Isaac Guerendo is expected to serve as McCaffrey's primary backup. The 49ers also selected Jordan James in the fifth round, and undrafted rookie Corey Kiner has emerged as an intriguing offseason standout.

While he's healthy heading into training camp, it's unclear how cautious the 49ers will be with their star running back during the 2025 season.

"Managers should expect a lighter workload for McCaffrey compared to recent years, but he's still one of the league's best pass-catching running backs," Moton noted.

He also pointed out that in the five seasons McCaffrey hasn't missed more than one game, the versatile back—who can rack up yards both on the ground and through the air—has finished within the top 10 in scoring among running backs.

Even with a reduced workload, McCaffrey's dual-threat ability makes him a top fantasy football option—if he can stay healthy.