Christian McCaffrey's workload will worry many, but Kaelon Black's usage is what the 49ers and fantasy managers need

I regret to inform you that I think San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Kaelon Black seeing the exact usage that we witnessed on Thursday night is smart and ideal for everyone involved.

There is no doubt that Christian McCaffrey has been a transformative player for the 49ers since he arrived midway through the 2022 NFL season. His ability to bring every rushing concept to the table, alignment versatility as a receiver and overall gravity as a player has brought the offense to life. You can feel how much Kyle Shanahan appreciates his mere presence. You can also feel his pure addiction to just smashing the McCaffrey button over and over, with a complete inability to resist playing him on nearly every snap.

It was never more apparent than last season, when McCaffrey had an abnormal workload for a running back in the modern era. 

While McCaffrey was a fantasy monster once again thanks to his receiving profile, we can be honest that it clearly took a toll on him as a rusher. McCaffrey ranked 23rd among 33 running backs with over 150 carries in EPA per rush and 28th in yards after contact per rush. Just 8.7% of his carries went for 10-plus yards, 28th out of 33 backs. He was far from one of the most impactful or effective rushers last year, to be kind.

I will never get it out of my head that McCaffrey described the 2025 campaign as “the hardest year of his life.” While it wasn’t all about the workload or even football, it was still a strenuous season on his body. It would make all the sense in the world for the team not to grind him into the dust on a weekly basis as he enters his age-30 season.

As a matter of fact, Shanahan even said himself back in May that it would be smart to not do so again. 

It was fair to be skeptical that Shanahan would follow through on his statements, considering he’s behaved as a man unable to resist the McCaffrey temptation in the past. That doesn’t change the fact that it was a perfectly logical desire and even a sharp move.

I can also understand any skepticism over the idea that Shanahan and the 49ers would actually trust and use a rookie running back they took in the mid-rounds. Especially because Kaelon Black was a surprise Round 3 selection who some evaluators didn’t even give a draftable grade. However, his on-field profile quietly fit the exact back they needed alongside McCaffrey. In my guy James Koh’s charting of Black’s college film, while he didn’t find him to be an exciting playmaker whatsoever, he described him “as a viable, workmanlike back” and noted “when you go through the charting, all he does is give you positive plays.”

Black looked like that exact player on Thursday night: finding holes in outside zone concepts, getting what was blocked to the tune of 14 carries for 65 yards. The 49ers have needed that exact back to be able to take the grinder carries away from McCaffrey. I remember doing shows with Austin Ekeler years ago and he was constantly pleading for the Chargers to find a back like that to pass off some of the work to stay fresh. There’s no doubt McCaffrey wants the same at this stage of his career and Shanahan confirmed it was his desire as well.

To the point that it’s good for McCaffrey, we referenced the 2025 rushing stats, or lack thereof, earlier. In Week 1, McCaffrey took 20% of his carries for 10-plus yards and averaged 6.8 yards per carry. He looked noticeably more explosive and ran with more aggression on fewer opportunities. McCaffrey also maintained a clear lead in the passing game with 18 routes and a team-high eight targets to 10 and one for Black. McCaffrey might not have the absolutely legendary fantasy upside we’ve seen in his league-winner years if this split continues — which it should. Yet, the risk of injuries and a decline in rushing efficiency are much lower as a result. I don’t know about you, but I want McCaffrey here for a long time this season, not just a good time early in the year. I’ll take the trade-off.

From a brass-tacks perspective, the end results here aren’t even bad in fantasy. Are you going to turn your nose up at 18 opportunities and 88 yards from scrimmage? I don’t think so. People already have way bigger problems with some other fantasy players and we’re not even out of the opening slate. This development won’t come close to one of the things I’m panicking about most from Week 1. If we redrafted today, McCaffrey would still be a fringe Round 1 selection for me. With games against the Dolphins and Cardinals on deck the next two weeks, I can’t see myself ranking him outside of the top-five running backs. Meanwhile, Black is now on the FLEX radar and a must-add player heading into Week 2.