Players who have Christian McCaffrey in fantasy football leagues are once again ‘shaking in their boots’ over his latest injury. Last season, McCaffrey played in just three contests due to multiple injuries. This season, he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3 against the Houston Texans on Thursday night.
As a manager, do you keep him or trade him? That seems to be the most asked question regarding McCaffrey as of late. The Panthers haven’t given much insight on when he would be able to come back. They are hopeful he will return in three weeks, but that doesn’t sound too convincing. I guess one piece of good news is they haven’t placed him on the injured reserve list.
A 2020 Repeat?
Even if McCaffrey comes back in the estimated time span, is it wise to do so? Last season we saw how things could play out if he were to come back earlier than he probably should.
- September 20th, 2020, Week 2 – McCaffrey suffered a high-ankle sprain (missed six games)
- November 8th, 2020, Week 9 – McCaffrey injured his shoulder, A/C Joint Sprain (missed four games)
- December 9th, 2020, Week 14 – McCaffrey’s thigh tightened up before his Week 14 matchup (missed four games)
The chances of McCaffrey missing practically the entire season again is very slim. The Panthers are off to a hot start this season (currently 3-0), and shouldn’t have to rush McCaffrey back.
Solid Matchups
From Weeks 4-13, the Panthers and CMC managers should be very happy about their matchups. They play all four NFC East teams, the Falcons twice, Vikings, Patriots, Cardinals, and Dolphins.
This benefits the idea of keeping McCaffrey on your fantasy football roster. When he’s on the field, it’s nearly an automatic 20+ fantasy points per game.
How Has Your Fantasy Football Team Performed?
I think there’s two main factors when deciding to keep CMC, or trade him away. How do you feel about your roster currently, and how well has your team been performing?
If you’re 1-2 or 0-3 in your fantasy football league, you should consider trading McCaffrey. That said, don’t trade him away for the first offer you receive. You should get a nice package in return that should also benefit your team. After all, McCaffrey is a league winner when healthy.
If your fantasy football team is 2-1 or 3-0, I suggest holding CMC. If you’re off to a solid start in your league, keep McCaffrey on yoru bench/IR. As mentioned above, he is a league winner. If you can survive until he comes back, that will help your team out once the playoffs start.
Chuba Hubbard
Regardless of what your record is, if you have Chuba Hubbard on your roster you’ll be fine. Chuba should fill in for McCaffrey well. He won’t put up CMC type numbers, but the Panthers offense is designed around their running back. Any RB in that offense can produce at a solid rate.
If you’re planning on keeping Christian McCaffrey and don’t have Chuba Hubbard, trade for him. You might have to give up a decent amount, but he’s worth it as CMC’s handcuff.
Conclusion
All in all, if you have McCaffrey, hold him. If you’re doing well in your fantasy football league, there’s no reason to panic yet. Chuba Hubbard should fill into CMC’s role well enough for your team to be competitive each week. If you don’t have Hubbard, trade for him.
Christian McCaffrey remains a league winner. If you have confidence in your team to hold it down while McCaffrey remains out, there’s no reason to get rid of him. Come playoff time, CMC will prove his worth.
