Fantasy Football Hot Plays for Week 1
By Jon Dove
Christian McCaffrey vs. the San Francisco 49ers
It figures to be a long season for the San Francisco 49ers who are in the early stages of a rebuild. This is a team that lacks depth and overall talent. They will be a ground that provides juicy fantast football matchups all season long.
San Francisco not only has defensive limitations, but also should feature an offense that struggles sustaining drives. This means plenty of action for the opposing offensive going against a weak defensive unit.
The first player who should benefit from seeing the 49ers is Carolina Panthers rookie Christian McCaffrey. Carolina selected McCaffrey at No. 9 overall to be a major part of their offensive attack. His ability to impact the game as both a runner and pass catcher should make him fantasy gold.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini recently reported that the Panthers have developed a specific group of plays for McCaffrey. His only real competition for touches out of the backfield is the aging Jonathan Stewart who will likely be on a pitch count.
McCaffrey has fantasy football value in most formats, but should be a major difference maker in PPR leagues. There just aren’t too many linebackers in the league who can match up with McCaffrey out of the backfield.