Christian McCaffrey fantasy outlook: Should you draft 49ers RB in 2023?

Christian McCaffrey has been one of the top fantasy football running backs in each of his full seasons since entering the NFL. He has proven that he can perform at an elite level irrespective of which team he's playing for, his coaching staff or the offensive supporting cast around him.

As long as he's healthy, Christian McCaffrey is one of the best NFL players, regardless of position. He will enter the 2023-24 NFL season in a similar situation as last year, which resulted in him once again putting up RB1 quality numbers in fantasy football, despite switching teams midseason.

Christian McCaffrey's 2023 fantasy outlook

Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey unfortunately appeared in just 10 combined games across the 2020 and 2021 NFL seasons due to major injuries. This understandably made him an extremely risky fantasy football pick in 2022. But selecting him eventually paid off in a big way for those willing to take the gamble.

The superstar running back went off for a massive stat line, including 1,880 total yards, 85 receptions and 14 touchdowns. Making his production even more impressive is the fact that his output significantly improved after the Carolina Panthers traded him to the San Francisco 49ers.

The trade became official in Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season, and by Week 8, Christian McCaffrey already eclipsed 50 fantasy points. For the second half of last season, he averaged more than 20 fantasy points per game. His incredible production resulted in him being the highest-scoring flex player in all of fantasy football during a 10-game stretch between weeks 8 and 17.

Now entering his second year, and his first full season, in the 49ers' running back-friendly system, there's little reason to believe that McCaffrey will take a step backward, as long as he remains healthy. In fact, it's reasonable to expect that he takes another step forward, given his favorable situation.

Is Christian McCaffrey a good pick in fantasy football this year?

Christian McCaffrey

Selecting Christian McCaffrey in upcoming fantasy football drafts for the 2023 NFL season doesn't get much better in terms of both floors and ceilings. If he can stay healthy this season, as he did last year, his floor is probably the absolute safest of any non-quarterback in the entire NFL. He also carries the elite upside to legitimately finish as the highest-scoring fantasy football player at the end of the year, as well as in each specific week.

If last year was any indication of how Kyle Shanahan will deploy McCaffrey in his dynamic offense, his 2023 projections are potentially record-breaking. It's important to remember that the San Francisco 49ers acquired him via trade midseason. This means they had to incorporate his skillset on the fly. With a full offseason working together for the first time this year, the possibilities are endless between Shanahan and McCaffrey.

The superstar running back was already used as their featured running back exclusively, as well as one of the 49ers' top targets in their passing game. That could realistically increase even further this year. One of the main concerns over the years with Shanahan's running backs is that he usually prefers a true committee approach. That worry should have been resolved last year, as Elijah Mitchell took a clear back seat to McCaffrey in every game.

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All things considered, there's little to no reason to avoid targeting McCaffrey on draft day. He should be utilized dynamically with a massive workload and virtually unlimited upside.

Where should you draft Christian McCaffrey this year?

Christian McCaffrey

Patience need not be exercised when debating when the proper time is to pull the trigger on Christian McCaffrey during fantasy football drafts. It's perfectly reasonable to select him with the first overall pick. He will almost definitely be a first-round pick in just about every fantasy draft this year, regardless of league format and scoring settings.

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With each pick that passes, McCaffrey's value significantly increases until he's off the board. Any manager on the clock needs to have him toward the top of their draft board for as long as he's still available. He's currently ranked as the consensus RB1 in just about every fantasy ranking system available. He's also currently the second-ranked overall player in most formats, according to his recent ADP.

McCaffrey trails only Justin Jefferson in the overall ADP during the 2023 fantasy football draft season. The two of them join Travis Kelce as the clear top picks at their respective positions.

Considering McCaffrey plays in the most premium of positions, especially in a year where elite running backs are more volatile than ever, taking him in any spot of the draft will never be considered a reach. If he makes it past the first few picks, he instantly becomes a steal.