Yahoo Sports NFL on Christian McCaffrey

Article49ers run game finds elusive balance in dominant Week 1 display
Read the full article

From the article

McCaffrey was actually in the rare position of having fewer carries than the man behind him on the depth chart. Rookie Kaelon Black had 14 carries to McCaffrey's 10. Though that was partially due to McCaffrey dealing with cramps, Kyle Shanahan confirmed after the game that having a balanced approach was the plan.
Captured by STACKED 2 hr after posting

STACKED’s take

Positive signalUsage

McCaffrey's 6.8 yards per carry best since late 2024; workload sharing plan working

McCaffrey received 10 carries in Week 1 against the Rams, fewer than rookie Kaelon Black's 14, as part of a deliberate plan by Kyle Shanahan to balance the workload. Despite dealing with cramps, McCaffrey averaged 6.8 yards per carry (68 yards on 10 carries), his best efficiency since his final 2024 game (7.6 yards per rush vs. Buffalo before season-ending knee injury). He posted 0.27 EPA per rush, positive efficiency in a game where the 49ers averaged 5.9 yards per carry and 56.7% success rate on the ground.

Christian McCaffrey headshotChristian McCaffreyRB · SFPlayer page — value, ADP, projections, and every insight

More on Christian McCaffrey and from Yahoo Sports NFL