Christian McCaffrey, Justin Herbert NFL Injury Statuses & Fantasy Impact for Week 1 | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors

The top pick in most fantasy football drafts will be closely watched in the coming days.

Christian McCaffrey was officially added to the San Francisco 49ers’ injured list this week with a calf/Achilles injury.

McCaffrey was unable to attend most of training camp due to a calf injury, but he did participate in practice this week ahead of Monday night’s game against the New York Jets.

Justin Herbert was the other major concern for fantasy football players after the pre-season.

The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback is ready for Jim Harbaugh’s first game as the team’s head coach on Sunday.

Below you’ll find the most important injury news that impacts fantasy football games in Week 1.

• Christian McCaffrey, RB, SF: Limited participation in practice Thursday (calf/Achilles tendon), per the team’s injury report.
• Justin Herbert, QB, LAC: Full participation in practice Thursday (foot), per the team’s injury report.
• Ja’Marr Chase, WR, CIN: Questionable (no rest due to injury), per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
• Tee Higgins, WR, CIN: Questionable (hamstring), per Pelissero.
• DeAndre Hopkins, WR, TEN: Questionable (knee), per Turron Davenport of ESPN.com.
• Keenan Allen, WR, CHI: Questionable (heel), per Pelissero.
• Kyle Pitts, TE, ATL: Full participant in training (hamstring), according to Pelissero.
• Russell Wilson, QB, PIT: Questionable (calf), per Pelissero.
• Jaylen Warren, RB, PIT: Full participant in practice (hamstring), per the team’s injury report.
• Jordan Addison, WR, MIN: Injury report (ankle), per Pelissero.
• Antonio Gibson, RB, NE: Questionable (hip), according to Pelissero.

Christian McCaffrey on track to play Monday night

McCaffrey was able to practice only partially on Thursday, but there do not appear to be many concerns about his status for Monday night despite dealing with calf and Achilles injuries.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Thursday that McCaffrey would not take 100 percent of the snaps during practice, according to Pro Football Talk, leading to the designation of a limited number of participants.

San Francisco will likely keep McCaffrey off the full training load so he can be at full strength for the game against the Jets.

There is no indication from San Francisco that the star player will not be present on Monday night, which has a major impact on fantasy football players.

McCaffrey may not be the highest-scoring running back in Week 1 due to the tough matchup against the Jets, but he’s still a player you should start every time he steps on the field.

Jordan Mason is listed as the 49ers’ backup running back. He will be a slight asset on the waiver wire.

If you’re concerned about McCaffrey’s impact on fantasy players, it’s best to start the other running backs on your roster on Sunday.

Justin Herbert starts on Sunday

Justin Herbert was listed as a full participant on the Chargers’ injury report after suffering a pre-season foot injury.

Herbert’s injury isn’t the biggest concern you should have about the Chargers quarterback and his fantasy viability in 2024.

The Chargers have a lot of question marks at wide receiver after the departures of Keenan Allen to Chicago and Mike Williams to the New York Jets.

Joshua Palmer, DJ Chark Jr., rookie Ladd McConkey and second-year player Quentin Johnston comprise the Chargers’ wide receiver corps.

Palmer is the only member of the quartet with promising fantasy appeal, at least at the start of the campaign.

It will be worth keeping an eye on McConkey and Johnston over the first few weeks to see how they are deployed in attack.