49ers RB Christian McCaffrey will officially not play again for Week 2 due to his Achilles injury. Despite getting in limited practices all week, McCaffrey will miss his second straight game to open the season with RB Jordan Mason taking over the starting role like he did against the Jets. HC Kyle Shanahan said that IR is a possibility for McCaffrey
2024 Fantasy Football Impact
Now that McCaffrey will be inactive once again, Mason becomes a solid RB2 with RB1 upside, similar to his top-10 RB performance against the Jets on Monday Night Football.
Rookie RB Isaac Guerendo would be the back-up for the game, but Mason is likely to do most of the heavy lifting.
Kyle Shanahan said that McCaffrey had his worst day healthwise on Thursday, which means putting McCaffrey on Injured Reserve is a real possibility now.
Injury Impact: Estimated Return Timeline & Performance Upon Return
Achilles Tendinitis can linger as pain on the achilles muscle and back of the heel comes and goes. It takes rest to recover, which is difficult to do in McCaffrey's position.
If the 49ers beat the Vikings, there may be less incentive to play McCaffrey early. They will want him for the stretch run and playoffs more than the early season.
Don't be surprised if the injury saga continues for the next few weeks.