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:
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