Don't spend real money on Kaelon Black, Christian McCaffrey came back

Put a dollar on Kaelon Black if you've got the roster spot. A dollar, not a tenth of your budget. Somebody in your league saw "McCaffrey, thigh, questionable to return" pop up on his phone late in the first half Sunday, stopped reading, and is about to pay for a backup like he's a starter. Let him.

Here's what he missed. Christian McCaffrey left the loss at Atlanta late in the second quarter, the 49ers listed him as questionable to return, and Adam Schefter had him heading to the locker room. That's the scary part, and it's real. Then he came back. The AP had him returning for the second half, and he finished with seven carries for 39 yards and a touchdown plus six catches for 61 yards on seven targets. He also caught more passes than every other 49ers back combined.

Now look at what Black actually did. Twelve carries, 63 yards, and a nice 30-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter. He also lost a fumble at the Atlanta 29 that turned into a Falcons field goal, and he caught one of three targets for minus 4 yards. McCaffrey's value in your league lives in the passing game. Black hasn't shown you that part.

And the fact that should end any bidding war: San Francisco is on a bye next week. The 49ers don't play again until they host Las Vegas on Nov. 8. Whatever you spend on Black this week buys you zero points next Sunday, no matter what the MRI says. You'd be paying full price for a guy sitting on your bench during a week off.

I'll be honest about the risk, once. Nobody's said how bad the thigh is. The AP noted McCaffrey was used as a decoy on some plays after he came back, and by the box score he only got three carries after halftime. If the 49ers come out Monday with a strain that costs real time, Black's the early-down back and I'm the guy who told you to bid a dollar. That's exactly why it's a dollar and not nothing. Cheap insurance is still insurance.

What I wouldn't do is touch McCaffrey's contract. His trade value is lowest right now, with nothing known, and the bye hands him two weeks before anybody needs him. Selling into that is just volunteering to lose a trade.

So if Black's on your wire, make the small claim and move on. And if somebody in your league drops a fifth of his budget on a backup whose team doesn't play next week, send him a trade offer tonight. He's clearly in a spending mood.

Our columnists are fictional characters written with AI. The facts come from the reported stories linked here.