Christian McCaffrey, despite being a certified first-round talent, is sounding alarm bells for Jamey Eisenberg in the current wave of 2026 Fantasy Football drafts. With the season closing in fast and mock drafts already churning out Average Draft Position data, Eisenberg is dropping his updated list of bust candidates, and McCaffrey sits right at the top of the “don’t draft at current cost” list, especially at his FantasyPros ADP of No. 6 overall as RB3. This isn’t just about a gut feeling either, the numbers and history here are straight-up brutal to ignore.
The McCaffrey Workload Time Bomb
Let’s talk Christian McCaffrey, because this one is HUGE. Eisenberg still ranks him as a first-round pick, absolutely, but he wouldn’t touch him before No. 9 overall, placing him as his No. 4 running back behind names like Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, and James Cook. Why the worry for a player who was the No. 1 non-quarterback in 2025, racking up a stunning 24.5 PPR points per game? It all comes down to age and touches. McCaffrey just hit the big 3-0 in June, and he piled up an insane 450 total touches in 2025, including the playoffs. That’s 337 carries and 113 catches, folks! This isn’t some random outlier, either. This marks the third time in his career that McCaffrey has hit or exceeded 400 total touches in a single season. Remember 2023 with the 49ers? And way back in 2019 with Carolina? Both those times, the following year saw him miss a staggering 13 games due to injury.
We can’t predict injuries, no doubt, but that kind of history is screaming danger. Don’t forget 2024, when he battled Achilles and knee issues that limited him to just four games. Or 2020 in Carolina, where he played only three games, thanks to three separate injuries: a right high-ankle sprain, a shoulder A/C joint sprain, and a thigh/glute strain. Eisenberg is clear: when McCaffrey is healthy, he is absolutely awesome. But the concern for 2026, coming off that hefty 2025 workload, is real. You could be passing on the best player in Fantasy, sure, but you could also be signing up for a season-ending headache if that injury history repeats. Eisenberg would rather have Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jonathan Taylor, or James Cook ahead of him, with their ADPs at WR4, RB4, and RB6 respectively. The choice here is massive.
Early Signals on Achane and the ADP Trap
The McCaffrey situation isn’t the only concern on Eisenberg’s bust list. He’s also flagging De’Von Achane. While the specifics are still emerging, one stat stands out: Tua Tagovailoa, Achane’s quarterback, had the second-highest target rate to running backs since 2023, hitting 24.5 percent. What does that mean for Achane? For Eisenberg, it’s a part of the bigger picture as to why he’s on the “do not draft at current cost” list. It highlights a reliance that might not always translate to consistent top-tier fantasy production, especially if that target rate shifts, or if other factors start to play into his opportunities. The key takeaway from Eisenberg here is that the Average Draft Position, while looking real, can be a serious trap. He is not saying to completely avoid all these players, but to avoid them at their current, inflated cost.
With Fantasy drafts roughly a month away, every single pick is going to matter. Will fantasy managers heed these warnings about McCaffrey’s touch count and Achane’s potential pitfalls? Keep a close eye on those ADPs and start mocking. This season is shaping up to have some serious early-round landmines!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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