The RotoWire Blog has been retired.

These archives exist as a way for people to continue to view the content that had been posted on the blog over the years.

Articles will no longer be posted here, but you can view new fantasy articles from our writers on the main site.

Fantasy Football Draft: Christian McCaffrey or Jerick McKinnon?

Christian McCaffrey vs. Jerick McKinnon

Fantasy Football Draft Duels are back for the 2018 fantasy football draft season! This year, we're focusing on the major decisions fantasy football drafters have to face when they're picking their fantasy football teams. 

For these Duels, assume typical 12-team, point-per-perception (PPR) fantasy football leagues.

Which running back would you rather have?

Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

If the Panthers are truly interested in giving McCaffrey more carries like head coach Ron Rivera suggested in June, Stanford product could outpace McKinnon in rushing AND receiving yardage.

While that prospect seems unlikely, McCaffrey is almost certain to surpass McKinnon in targets and receptions considering he is one of the few intermediate receiving weapons the Panthers possess on offense, making the former No. 8 overall pick the safest of the bunch in PPR formats. -Joe Bartel

Jerick McKinnon, RB, San Francisco 49ers

With Kyle Shanahan running McKinnon's offense and the prehistoric Norv Turner running McCaffrey's, I see a clear case of coaches having a chance to heavily impact the RBs' seasons.

Since Shanahan heavily recruited him to be a focal point of his offense, McKinnon will be schemed in such a way that his high-level athleticism will allow him to be a top-three receiving back this year. If there's one thing Shanahan can do, it's keep defenses on their heels, and his aggressive playcalling will greatly benefit his RB.

In addition, there's no RB on the roster who should keep McKinnon from carrying the football at least 10 times per game to further boost his receiving production, especially with Matt Breida weighing less than 200 pounds.

In contrast, although McCaffrey proved to be a great receiver, it's difficult to see Turner being creative enough to take advantage of that skill set. It seems as if the game has passed him by, since all he wants to do is boast a power running game while taking downfield shots in the passing game. Also, C.J. Anderson will likely take away much early-down work from McCaffrey. -Jim Coventry

Now, it's your turn to vote:

https://twitter.com/RotoWire/status/1026992940097449984