Ahead of the 49ers vs. Rams matchup on Thursday, September 10, in Australia, San Francisco RB Christian McCaffrey missed practice on Sunday. Considering his injury history, that officially set many into panic mode.
CMC missed practice in August due to “tightness.” After a full week of practice with Thursday’s game kicking off at 8:35 p.m. ET on Netflix, what’s the latest Christian McCaffrey injury update?
Below, we’ll look at if CMC is playing in Week 1 vs. the Rams, followed by his fantasy football outlook and season-long projections via PrizePicks.
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Christian McCaffrey Injury Update: Is CMC Playing in Week 1 vs. Rams?
As mentioned, most of this injury concern stems from missing multiple weeks of practice in August from general tightness. However, nothing ever seemed dire, no reports emerged around a potential long-term absence, and McCaffrey seemed on track to open the 2026 regular season fully available.
Despite missing Sunday’s open session practice, which was Monday in Australia, CMC was then available in the next few days of practice. Wednesday brought the best news yet, with McCaffrey officially off the injury report.
With that said, the superstar running back is fully expected to suit up vs. the Rams in Week 1.
Frankly, most of this offseason’s concerns were generated by his past injuries. McCaffrey missed 13 games from ankle and knee injuries in 2024 and was held out for 10 games from ankle and hamstring setbacks in 2021.
CMC has appeared in 17, 4, 16, and 17 regular-season games over the last four seasons. While 2024’s absences are a blemish, McCaffrey has been quite healthy despite a sky-high workload.
Is another busy night ahead for Thursday’s primetime battle with the Rams? Here’s how McCaffrey’s availability impacts fantasy football and Week 1 projections for PrizePicks.
Christian McCaffrey Week 1 Projections & Fantasy Football Outlook
According to PlayerProfiler, McCaffrey had an 84.2% snap share (second), 311 carries (second), and 129 targets (first) last season. He turned that into absurd numbers — including 1,202 rushing yards, 924 receiving yards, and 24.5 fantasy points per game in PPR leagues (RB1).
After eclipsing 2,000 scrimmage yards for the third time over his nine-season career, McCaffrey enters 2026 with high expectations. For example, FantasyPros’ average draft position (ADP) has CMC fifth overall and as RB3.
Users can predict season-long stats for players in the NFLSZN tab on PrizePicks. Here are some of McCaffrey’s projected stats for the 2026 regular season.
- 923.5 Rush Yards
- 549.5 Receiving Yards
- 12.5 Player TDs
- 60.5 Receptions
- 8.5 Rush TDs
Considering the lofty expectations — featuring McCaffrey with the seventh-shortest payout to win Offensive Player of the Year (14.28x) on PrizePicks — tonight’s high projected stats are far from a surprise.
PrizePicks has CMC projected for 59.5 rush yards, 39.5 receiving yards, 0.5 rush TDs, and 6 receiving targets against an elite Rams squad, which carries the shortest payout to win the Super Bowl (5x) on PrizePicks.
In two head-to-head matchups vs. L.A. last season, he struggled on the ground with 43.5 rushing yards per game and 2.6 yards per carry. However, McCaffrey flourished as a receiver by tallying 9.5 targets, 8.0 receptions, and 74.0 receiving yards per game.
After tearing his Achilles in January, TE George Kittle is active tonight. He racked up 6.3 targets, 5.2 catches, and 57.1 receiving yards per game last season, potentially taking some work from McCaffrey.
Los Angeles made significant upgrades to its defense by trading for EDGE Myles Garrett and CB Trent McDuffie. However, that may have little impact on McCaffrey’s usage in the passing game. If anything, Garrett’s presence could lead to more quick passes from QB Brocky Purdy to CMC.
Add Christian McCaffrey to your PrizePicks lineup now.
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Make 49ers vs. Rams Picks on PrizePicks
With McCaffrey and Kittle active tonight, the 49ers are only 3.5-point underdogs vs. the Rams on Thursday night, per PrizePicks. Can CMC make a big impact and fuel his team to an upset win to open the 2026 campaign?
In the 49ers vs. Rams game on Thursday, you can make picks on the winner, spread, and over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks, now available in 36 states. With PrizePicks, just pick players and predict More or Less on their stats!
Keep it locked in here with the Playbook for continued NFL picks, predictions, and news all season long.
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