Player: Christian McCaffrey
Position: Running Back
College: Stanford
Draft Review:
After early reports on Thursday that the Carolina Panthers interest in Christian McCaffrey was just a smokescreen, the Panthers pounced at the chance to select McCaffrey when they saw him available with the eighth overall pick. With Leonard Fournette off the board and the team's plan to "evolve" its offense going forward, Carolina's front office saw McCaffrey is the perfect player to modernize its offense.
McCaffrey, who skipped his team's bowl game to prepare for the 2017 NFL Draft, valuled up the draft boards in the pre-draft process from an expected second-round target into a top-10 talent. A dynamite combine where he posted some of the best athletic scores, while his main competition in Fournette and Dalvin Cook turned in less than desirable performances, McCaffrey became the hot name in this year's draft.
While some doubt McCaffrey's ability to run between the tackles or hold up to a full workload, Carolina sees a running back who can do it all for them on offense and play special teams as well. McCaffrey will be a contributor right away in this offense and provide a much needed weapon for Cam Newton.
What the Scouts Say:
"Multidimensional runner with flex appeal for teams looking for a player who can carry the ball 20 times or catch it 10 depending on the game plan. McCaffrey's size, power and speed are just average, but he is able to create yardage for himself with his vision and elusiveness. McCaffrey's ability to return punts and kicks could be the value sweetener that pushes his name into the first round."
NFL Media
McCaffrey pushed himself into the first round with his workout numbers and sold Carolina on him being a part of an innovative offense. While he isn't overwhelming as a top running back, he ran some of the best receiving drills at the combine and that paired with his skills as a returner and running back between and outside the tackles, made him the swiss army knife that Carolina wanted to come away with in this draft and landed.
Depth Chart Competition
Jonathan Stewart should remain the top dog on Carolina's depth chart, but the 30-year-old averaged just 3.8 yards per carry last season and made little impact in the passing game. He will get short yardage work and share work in the goal line with Newton, but the passing downs will got to McCaffrey and the rookie should also see 8-12 carries a game as well. Pair that with his role as a returner and he should average almost 20 touches a game.
Long-term McCaffrey could develop into a LeSean McCoy-type back who averages 20-plus touches a game because of his work out of the backfield and carrying the rock. He will be an instant contributor and gain an even larger role as time goes on.
Fantasy Outlook
In rookie dynasty drafts, McCaffrey will be one of the first running backs off the board. The fit and his role in Carolina's offense pushes him into a significant role where he will be utilized well, especially after Carolina head coach Ron Rivera's comments last night that the team planned to use him very much like McCaffrey was used at Stanford.
In PPR leagues, McCaffrey makes an excellent argument as a high-end RB2 who can contribute several points with his receptions, offers big play upside and should see a good workload. The touchdowns will be limited and since he will share touches with Stewart, McCaffrey becomes much more of an RB3 in standard scoring leagues.
But for the long-term, McCaffrey is absolutely someone you want to consider investing in. He can develop into a top-8 running back in PPR scoring in the future and even a top-12 back down the line when he becomes Carolina's main running back. Any fantasy owners with concerns over Carolina's complete lack of usage of running backs in the passing game should put that way. This offense is evolving and after years of Stewart and Mike Tolbert, Newton now has a legitimate weapon out of the backfield who can get open and make plays.