X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Can Christian McCaffrey Improve on 2017?

You had to wonder what Christian McCaffrey was going to bring to the Carolina Panthers offense last season when they selected him eighth overall in the 2017 draft. Even though McCaffrey was a star at Stanford, there were concerns regarding his ability to perform at the NFL level as a true between-the-tackles running back. Would he be able to produce on the ground or would his impact be limited to his ability to catch the ball?

In PPR leagues, McCaffrey was able to produce a very good season in 2017, finishing as the RB10 thanks to his 80 receptions. When you look at only standard scoring, McCaffrey fell some, finishing as the RB15. For McCaffrey to truly take the next step in his career, he will need to grow in the running game. McCaffrey only finished with 435 rushing yards on 117 attempts, good for 3.7 yards per carry, which ranked 37th among running backs with at least 100 rushing attempts.

If McCaffrey is truly destined for stardom, he will need to turn into an all-around running back that will carries a workload on the ground and through the air, but can he sustain last year’s performance now that the team has added C.J. Anderson?

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!

The Missing Link - Greg Olsen

One of the biggest losses in football last season was Greg Olsen. He wasn’t the biggest name to hit the shelf, but he meant just as much to his team as others who missed significant time. The Panthers were only 5-4 in games Olsen missed last season. He is very underrated, not just from a fantasy football standpoint, but an actual football standpoint and what he means to his team.

While missing Olsen last year may have negatively affected the Panthers as a whole, it was beneficial to McCaffrey’s stat line. While Olsen was out, McCaffrey became a safety blanket for Cam Newton, becoming that go to receiver. With Olsen back and healthy though, will Newton look to him once again or will McCaffrey still be able to grab some of those targets? The numbers say McCaffrey would be much more successful without Olsen on the field.

Targets Receptions Yards
with Olsen (7 Games) 5.7 3.8 36.7
w/o Olsen (9 Games) 8.1 5.8 43.7
*Avg per game

The differences may not seem like a lot, but a lot of little differences make one large one when the season is over. McCaffrey is a freak athlete that can make almost anyone miss once he has the ball in his hands. Seeing almost three less targets a game could really add up. Just one less target is one less time McCaffrey doesn’t have the ball and doesn’t have the chance to carve out a huge play.

The receptions are a large one in PPR leagues. That is where McCaffrey was a huge asset last year. The drop from RB10 to RB15, which I mentioned above, doesn’t seem like much. However, McCaffrey scored 80 more points in PPR leagues last year, or 5 points per game. We have all had that week, where we barely scratched out a victory. A point either way would have meant landing in the loss column instead of win column. Two less receptions a game over the course of a 16-game schedule in PPR leagues, is a 32-point difference, which would have dropped him from RB10 to RB14. Even the stone handed Jordan Howard would have finished above McCaffrey last season.  What else could affect this though?

 

The Receivers Receive Backup

The receivers in Carolina last season did not look great on paper and they did not produce much either. Injuries to Olsen and Curtis Samuel were an issue, then the Panthers decided to trade Kelvin Benjamin as well. McCaffrey didn’t need to fight for targets with anyone but Devin Funchess, and while he had a breakout season, McCaffrey still had more receptions and targets than him.

McCaffrey led all running backs in targets last season and was one of only three running backs in the NFL to lead his team in targets. LeSean McCoy and Duke Johnson also took advantage of underwhelming receivers to load up on targets. McCoy is the only one of the three I could see doing this again. Johnson and McCaffrey both have much improved receivers around them.

The Panthers biggest addition is D.J. Moore, who they selected in the first round of the draft this year. He was the most talented receiver in this draft, and even though I am hesitant to say he makes an immediate impact, he will still find himself with more targets than the WR2 from last season, who was Benjamin with 51. Funchess and Moore alone would be a huge improvement, but they will also have a full season from Samuel and they signed veteran free agent Torrey Smith to come in and stretch the field. The Panthers made a concentrated effort to ensure Newton has more weapons in 2018.

Carolina receivers who were not named Funchess combined for 155 receptions last season. Of the 492 attempts Newton had in 2017, McCaffrey accounted for just over 22% of those targets. So, while it is hard to expect anyone to repeat those kind of numbers as a running back, the most important part for McCaffrey to take the next step isn’t through the air, it’s on the ground. It looks like Carolina may not have been that confident in McCaffrey either.

 

Welcome CJ Anderson

We waited all off-season for the Panthers to make a move at running back and it didn’t look like they would. Finally, the Denver Broncos decided to walk away from C.J. Anderson and the Panthers decided this was their guy. Anderson took a lot of grief in Denver the past two years, but he was a lot better than advertised and still has something left. Last season, Jonathan Stewart lead the Panthers backfield with 198 attempts, but was not very effective and only averaged 3.4 yards per carry, which was worse than McCaffrey. Anderson, who has averaged at least four yards per carry since entering the NFL, will likely replace Stewart in that role and will bring more production with it.

Anderson has a good chance to sneak into that back-half RB2 status this season. If he can get at least 200 carries this season at his career average of 4.4 YPC, he’ll have 880 yards rushing. If the run game is productive with Anderson and Newton, will the Panthers try to get McCaffrey more than his 117 attempts from last season? Well, that brings me to my next point.

 

The Newton Effect

Any running back that lands in Carolina must deal with the Newton effect. This is when running backs lose carries and goal-line touches because his quarterback is a better weapon than him. Newton has 754 yards on 139 attempts last season. The next two closest quarterbacks in rushing attempts were Russell Wilson with 95 and Tyrod Taylor with 91. Those extra attempts Newton has every game will always limit his running backs. At some point, Newton will need to realize this, but he has already dealt with enough injuries in his career that it’s apparent he doesn’t care about that on game day. I’m not knocking Newton for it, because it’s part of the reason he is such a good quarterback, but I don’t see an end to Newton’s days of running the football and taking goal-line carries away.

 

Where Will McCaffrey Finish?

While I sit around and listen to everyone debate second year running backs on Twitter, I am always amazed that McCaffrey doesn’t come up with more concerns. I hear all the concerns about Kareem Hunt’s workload, Joe Mixon’s ineffectiveness and head coach, Dalvin Cook’s knee injury or Alvin Kamara and his inability to replicate last year’s highly efficient performance. I hardly ever see anyone raise a concern about McCaffrey. What is the concern though?

The concern is that McCaffrey has nowhere to go but down. The workload he received last year was ridiculous by most standards. It would take another set of unfortunate circumstances to put McCaffrey in a position to get that many targets again. Evan Engram is being devalued because fantasy owners know all the injuries from last year led to increased targets. Why not the same for McCaffrey? Add to that, it doesn’t appear much room for growth in the running game is coming for McCaffrey either.

McCaffrey is a RB10 again in PPR leagues and that is best case scenario. When I draft players or trade for them, it’s because I believe at worst, they will be consistent producers at a level of years past. For McCaffrey, it would take another season of injuries and trades plus ineffective play from other running backs to allow him to even stay at his current level. Even in PPR leagues, I see McCaffrey falling outside the top 10 and becoming a RB2 instead. If you buy, do so with expectations that his production just can’t be matched again in 2018.

 

More 2018 Fantasy Football & ADP Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Al Horford7 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Derrick White7 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
TJ Friedl8 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Aaron Gordon8 hours ago

Cleared To Face Phoenix
Michael Porter8 hours ago

Jr. Good To Go Wednesday
Nikola Jokic8 hours ago

Playing Against Phoenix
Jackson Chourio8 hours ago

Will Start In Right Field Friday
Jrue Holiday8 hours ago

Might Return On Thursday
Khris Middleton8 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday Night
Joel Embiid9 hours ago

To Return Soon?
Jamal Murray9 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Rudy Gobert10 hours ago

Ready To Rock Against Pistons
LeBron James10 hours ago

Officially Active Against Memphis
Eduardo Rodriguez10 hours ago

Starts Throwing Program
Anthony Davis10 hours ago

Won't Play Against Grizzlies
Victor Wembanyama10 hours ago

Playing On Wednesday
Anthony Edwards10 hours ago

Will Play Against Detroit
Garrett Mitchell10 hours ago

Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Aaron Nesmith10 hours ago

Back For Pacers Wednesday
Alec Burks10 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Chad Green10 hours ago

To Lead Closer Committee In Toronto?
Mitchell Robinson10 hours ago

Returns For Knicks Wednesday
Erik Swanson10 hours ago

Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson Officially Heading To Injured List
Kevin Gausman10 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Sunday Or Monday
Dejounte Murray11 hours ago

Upgraded To Available
John Konchar11 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Vince Williams11 hours ago

Jr. Misses Another Game On Wednesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo11 hours ago

Expected To Face The Pelicans
Gleyber Torres12 hours ago

Will Bat Leadoff On Opening Day
Mark Hubbard12 hours ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson12 hours ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Max Scherzer12 hours ago

Making Solid Progress
Akshay Bhatia12 hours ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen12 hours ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers12 hours ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers13 hours ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers13 hours ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Jordan Lawlar14 hours ago

To Have Thumb Surgery, Out A Couple Months
Wyndham Clark14 hours ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers15 hours ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
MLB15 hours ago

Braves And Phillies Rained Out On Thursday
Jayden Daniels15 hours ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
MLB15 hours ago

Mets And Brewers To Be Postponed Thursday
Tank Bigsby15 hours ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Will Smith15 hours ago

Inks 10-Year Extension With Dodgers
Josh Reynolds15 hours ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Jon Berti16 hours ago

Yankees Acquire Jon Berti From Marlins
Kodai Senga17 hours ago

Throws Wednesday
Matt McLain17 hours ago

Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Doug Ghim17 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA17 hours ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry17 hours ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox17 hours ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak17 hours ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan18 hours ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg19 hours ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn19 hours ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby19 hours ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin19 hours ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord19 hours ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala20 hours ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark20 hours ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler20 hours ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Colton Cowser20 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Sam Ryder21 hours ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen21 hours ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama21 hours ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin21 hours ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Yariel Rodriguez1 day ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Taylor Moore1 day ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson1 day ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Jordan Montgomery1 day ago

Diamondbacks Agree On One-Year Deal
Amon-Ra St. Brown1 day ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff1 day ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins1 day ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams1 day ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
Jon Gray1 day ago

Dealing With Stiff Neck
PIT1 day ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn1 day ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield2 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
Justin Verlander2 days ago

Throws Successful Live BP Session
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Shea Theodore2 days ago

Maintains Good Scoring Form With An Assist
Brock Boeser2 days ago

Hits Goal No. 37
Cam Talbot2 days ago

Collects Fourth Consecutive Win
Anze Kopitar2 days ago

Records Fourth Straight Multi-Point Game
Oskar Sundqvist2 days ago

Suffers Knee Injury
Elias Lindholm2 days ago

Sits Out Monday
Jonathan Marchessault2 days ago

Bags Overtime Winner Monday
Pittsburgh Steelers2 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson2 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Jarrett Stidham2 days ago

To Compete For Starting Job
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley3 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr3 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR3 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen3 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
Rose Namajunas6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Amanda Ribas6 days ago

Set For Main-Event Matchup
Edmen Shahbazyan6 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Dobson6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla6 days ago

Seeking Victory In Third UFC Appearance
Luis Pajuelo6 days ago

Makes His UFC Debut
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More


Xavier Worthy 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Texas WR Be Selected?

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been one of the top pass-catchers in college football over the past few years. The explosive receiver was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 62 receptions for 981 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slipped in 2022. Worthy had 60 receptions for 760 receiving yards and nine touchdowns... Read More


Blake Corum - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, RB, NFL Draft Sleepers

Blake Corum 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update - When Will the Michigan RB Be Selected?

Former Michigan running back Blake Corum is one of the most popular prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 23-year-old is fresh off a College Football National Championship victory and a 2023 campaign consisting of over 1,300 yards from scrimmage. However, given the devaluation of the running back position and Corum not being an... Read More


Brandon Aiyuk - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News

Will The 49ers Trade Brandon Aiyuk?

Brandon Aiyuk had a career year last season, finishing seventh in the league in receiving yards (1342), second in yards per catch (17.9), and catching seven touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the Second-team All-Pro. However, despite many expecting them to do so, the 49ers failed to win Super Bowl LVIII and now... Read More


Players to Avoid Drafting in 2024 Best Ball

In my first article of the offseason, I highlighted four players to target in 2024 Best Ball leagues. In this article, I'll turn my attention to players you should avoid drafting in Best Ball leagues this season. There are lots of reasons to avoid a player in Best Ball, whether it's a new role, a... Read More


2024 NFL Mock Draft Round 1 Predictions (Post-Free Agency Update) - Picks from All 32 Teams

We've now reached the point in the year where the disappointment of there not being any live football until the fall has subsided and hope has begun to renew for each fanbase heading into draft season. The first wave of NFL Free Agency has also passed and the rosters of all 32 teams have begun... Read More


Drake London - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 Top-200 Fantasy Football Rankings - Post Free Agency Edition

Fantasy football drafts are still five months away, but rankings and how fantasy managers value all of the players are constantly changing. With the better part of free agency in the rearview mirror and the best players on their new teams, we can re-evaluate our rankings to see which players have moved up and down.... Read More


Deshaun Watson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Deshaun Watson- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook

The NFL offseason has been scorching hot. It's been fun to watch. While redraft fantasy football players have been able to put their feet up and relax, dynasty players know their work never stops. With major signings and big names on the move, the start of the offseason is one of the busiest times of... Read More


NFL DRAFT - Bold Predictions Round 2 2024

2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 2

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire in this year's edition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the second round of the draft. Don't forget to check out... Read More


UFL SCHEDULE - Fantasy Football, 2024

2024 UFL Schedule (United Football League): Full 10-Game Schedule For Each Team

Check out the full 2024 UFL schedule for each team in the United Football League. The inaugural season of the UFL begins on March 30, and the first year of the XFL-USFL merger should be a fun one to keep tabs on. Each team will play ten regular season games before a four-team playoff consisting... Read More