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As fantasy football drafts were being conducted, Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey were approached with caution. Each running back was coming off of a season-ending injury and surgery.
It was unclear if they would even be available to play Week 1 and it could be several weeks before they are fantasy football starters again. Both were still drafted relatively early and were starting to re-establish their dominance in fantasy football.
However, Saquon Barkley suffered an ankle injury recently and will miss a week or two. Christian McCaffrey, on the other hand, was placed on the Injured Reserve list today with a hamstring injury after missing the last two games. He won't be available to return until at least Week 9.
His absence will affect most fantasy football lineups with CMC on the roster. There is still some time left to pick up a last-minute replacement ahead of Sunday and you can still get a good waiver pickup next week to fill the void at running back.
3 fantasy football replacements for RB Christian McCaffrey
#1 – Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
Chuba Hubbard is the obvious replacement for Christian McCaffrey, if he's available. CMC has been out for the past two games and someone else may have easily swiped Hubbard.
If he is available to you, Hubbard gives you a 100-yard rusher to add as a FLEX or RB2. Christian McCaffrey might not be 100% for the foreseeable future and Hubbard could be a viable player in fantasy football even if CMC is playing. Again, it could be a long-shot to grab Hubbard in shallow leagues.
#2 – Alex Collins, Seattle Seahawks
Alex Collins is filling in for Chris Carson, who has also been added to IR with a neck injury. You'll have a much better chance in acquiring Collins than Hubbard in most leagues. Collins had almost 16 points in fantasy football in Week 4 with 78 total yards and a touchdown.
Collins had 72 total yards last week against the Los Angeles Rams and is becoming a trending FLEX player. If Collins can pull away from the committee in Seattle, he can be a suitable RB2 to replace Christian McCaffrey.
#3 – Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
Running backs seem very vulnerable this year in the NFL. The Chicago Bears are now without David Montgomery and Damien Williams, leaving rookie Khalil Herbert as the lead man.
He saw 18 carries last week, even with Williams playing, and ended up with 75 yards. As the starter, Herbert will see most of the carries and should get some targets as a pass-catcher as well. He should have over 10 fantasy football points against the Green Bay Packers. Herbert isn't a dual-threat like Christian McCaffrey, but he should be able to produce enough for your lineup.
