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Christian McCaffrey is the best running back in the NFL. This has been the common sentiment for the past couple of years now since the last best running back Todd Gurly fell off a cliff like Thelma and Louise. But for fantasy purposes, it may not even be true anymore.
Once a player, especially a running back, starts to get injured, his chances of coming back to the player he once was becomes limited. In the past two seasons, McCaffrey has only played in six games for the Carolina Panthers. These are not the results David Tepper and the rest of the organization were counting on when signing him to the largest contract in NFL history for a running back who, although dynamic in the run game and a massive threat in the passing game, does not seem to have the bulky frame of say Derrick Henry or Najee Harris which allows him to hold up to the punishment that comes with the position.
And with McCaffrey now on injured reserve and set to miss at least two more games, what should we do with the elite yet injured running back for fantasy? Should you hold on to him until he comes back or try to trade him for whatever you can get? This question really relies on what you think about his return.
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What to Do
While the simple thing to say is to hold him and he will be a stud when he returns, it is not as easy as this. The same things were said about Le’Veon Bell when he held out. The same thing was said about McCaffrey and Joe Mixon last season. Look what happened. Bell never played and with the season out of hand, both the Panthers and Bengals said the heck with it and never brought back their stars. If this is the path you feel the Panthers will do yet again, like I do, the best plan of action is to get something for him now. Before the move is made official, try to trade him for something of value.
Although this might be a scary proposition as we know what he could do if he returns, at this point in the season it is tremendously difficult to wait and see what is to come.
If this were a one-week injury or something new, it would be different. But this is the second season in a row with the same injury. Not to mention, he already tried coming back once and the injury re-emerged. The signs are there that it is time to get out from under McCaffrey. If you can get a quality replacement from someone, do so. Even if you think it to be a slight downgrade, it is better to downgrade than end up with nothing.
What to Look For
There is still a lot of value that comes with the name CMC. There are always going to be people who think you are asking for too much or not asking for enough. This is to be expected. But what can you realistically expect for McCaffrey in a redraft league?
Obviously, you will want a running back in return. They are extremely difficult to find on the waiver wire and as we have seen, they tend to get injured more often than other positions. You are not going to get Derrick Henry or Dalvin Cook, so get those thoughts out of your mind. But you can get a player like Corderralle Patterson who has blown up so far. It may be difficult but not everyone is going to think he has the potential to continue his early-season hot streak. If you can find someone who feels this way, Patterson could be a great acquisition here along with a wide receiver packaged in.
Other players you could look to could be Tony Pollard from Dallas or Javonte Williams from Denver. Although they are both in committees in their own back fields, they both also have stand-alone value. Williams has been taking over increasingly in Denver as Melvin Gordon gets phased out a bit. That could happen more dramatically down the stretch as Gordon prepares to hit free agency and Williams becomes the RB of the future. For Pollard, being a member of the number one offense in the NFL (34.2 ppg) has benefits. This is not just the Ezekiel Elliott show anymore. Pollard has been a great flex play in many games this season. Although he is on bye this week, Dallas still has five division games left against the Eagles, Giants, and Football Team. Those defenses are friendly to opposing offenses, to say the least.
Whether you can get Pollard, Williams, Patterson, or even someone else you may like better, the correct move, the only move, is to trade McCaffrey while you can. Your team will be better for it. And so will your playoff chances.
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