The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week 10: 49ers’ McCaffrey expected to return Sunday

UPDATE: 11:33 p.m. Friday

Barring a sudden physical setback, San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey will make his season debut on Sunday against Tampa Bay. So those folks who drafted him with the No. 1 pick will be rushing him back into their lineups hoping, perhaps in vain, that he will have his usual workload the first time out.

Speaking of out, it appears Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence might miss Sunday’s game against the Vikings because of a shoulder injury. So any fantasy mavens who were stuck with Lawrence as their No. 1 QB will need to hit the waiver wires in the next 24 hours. Maybe take a shot on the Giants’ Daniel Jones against Carolina?

A few notables have been shut down for this week: Washington running back Brian Robinson, Texans RB Dameon Pierce, Bills wideout Keon Coleman and Indy WR Michael Pittman.

ORIGINAL POST: 9:00 a.m. Wednesday

If there were a national election to determine the most ineffectual fantasy football player in the first half of 2024, it would be an Electoral College sweep: 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.

The numbers, or lack of numbers, do not lie. The consensus No. 1 pick has not set foot on the field so far this season, though he is expected to return in some capacity this week for the defending NFC champs.

But we don’t like focusing on the injured, as that would be too easy. So for our list of the first-half disappointments, we’re going to count only those of the underwhelming who have mostly stayed healthy this season, while maintaining their inept status:.

Quarterback: Anthony Richardson (Colts): He tapped out not too long after many of his fantasy backers already had. Once thought of as a top-10 QB, he accounted for only four TD passes and one touchdown run. Even Joe Flacco can do better.
Runners-up: Deshaun Watson (Browns), Aaron Rodgers (Jets), Matthew Stafford (Rams).

Running back: Raheem Mostert (Dolphins): It was easy to assume he would not repeat his 2023 total of 21 touchdowns, but geez. Just 214 yards and two touchdowns, as his playing time has been curtailed by nagging injuries and the continued rise of teammate De’Von Achane.
Runners-up: Travis Etienne (Jaguars), Zamir White (Raiders), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys).

Wide receiver: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (Dolphins): Hard to pick the biggest loser from Miami’s Tua-dependent pass catchers. Their QB has been on the field less than half the season, so they’ve totalled only two touchdowns, with a combined average of just 95 yards per game.
Runners-up: Davante Adams (Jets), Michael Pittman (Colts), Deebo Samuel (49ers).

Tight end: Sam LaPorta (Lions): Expected to be one of the top tight ends this season, last year’s breakout star has been mostly silent. He didn’t get his first touchdown until Week 6 despite Detroit’s prolific offense, and he’s averaging a meager 38 yards per game.
Runners-up: Pat Friermuth (Steelers), Jake Ferguson (Cowboys), Travis Kelce (Chiefs).

Defense-special teams: Cincinnati Bengals: They were expected to have a decent fantasy defense, but the Bengals have fallen way short. Just 17 sacks and six interceptions. And Cincinnati is one of the few defenses that has yet to record a touchdown.
Runners-up: Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots.

Kicker: Jake Elliott (Eagles): You can blame coach Nick Sirianni, the mental midget who acts as if his pay would be docked every time he opted for a field goal or extra point. Elliott is a borderline excellent kicker, but he is only 24th among kickers in scoring, with just 10 field goals and 49 points.
Runners-up: Justin Tucker (Ravens), Greg Zuerlein (Jets), Harrison Butker (Chiefs).

Sitting stars

Sure, Christian McCaffery may be back this week, but he won’t be full speed for the 49ers. … The Vikings’ blitzing defense will cause headaches for Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne. … Washington’s Austin Ekeler regained some of his old mojo last week, but he’ll be throttled by Pittsburgh this week. … Two receivers that will be kept in check are Arizona’s Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. the Jets and the Chargers’ Ladd McConkey vs. the Titans. … And this will be a week of regression for Pittsburgh QB Russell Wilson against the Commanders.

Matchup game

Houston running back Joe Mixon is putting together a banner season, and he’ll do well this week against the NFC-leading Lions. … Dallas will need RB Rico Dowdle if it hopes to do anything against Philadelphia. … Buffalo RB James Cook won’t have trouble running through Indianapolis. … Rams WR Puka Nacua won’t be punching any helmets this weekend, which will be bad news for Miami. … The Jets’ Garrett Wilson will have a good day against Arizona with the Cardinals focused on stopping Davante Adams. … Two tight ends we love this week: Vikings’ T.J. Hockenson against Jacksonville and Bengals’ Mike Gesicki vs. Baltimore. … And we look for big numbers from Bengals QB Joe Burrow vs. the Ravens and Falcons’ Kirk Cousins against the collapsing Saints.

Injury watch

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott is on injured reserve and will be out at least four weeks. Two top receivers, New Orleans’ Chris Olave and Philly’s A.J. Brown, are also out. The list of questionables has two top running backs (Eagles’ Saquon Barkley and Commanders’ Brian Robinson), a slew of pass catchers (Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb, Atlanta’s Drake London, San Fran’s Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings, Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins, Buffalo’s Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman, and Philly TE Dallas Goedert) and Bears QB Caleb Williams.

Deepest sleeper

He’s more of a long-forgotten sleeper than a particularly deep one, but Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston finally had his coming out party after nearly two years of waiting. He caught four passes for 118 yards and a touchdown from a revitalized QB Justin Herbert. Not bad considering Johnston had topped 52 yards only once in 22 career games since being taken in the first round of the 2023 draft out of Texas Christian. This is almost certainly your last chance to grab him from the waiver wires.

The Thursday pick

Bengals at Ravens (-5½):
Pick: Ravens by 7

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.