AnalysisChristian McCaffrey is ready to roll against the Rams Thursday. Harry How / Getty ImagesSept. 9, 2026 10:27 am EDT Updated Christian McCaffrey’s name appeared on pretty much everyone’s list of players to fade in 2026, because he was a little too good in 2025. Unreasonably healthy. He handled 450 touches across 19 games, playoffs included, gaining 2,314 total yards.No way is such a thing repeatable, right?Well, all we can say with certainty is that McCaffrey is healthy right now. He’s avoided injury designation for the season-opener in Melbourne. McCaffrey is set to face the Aaron Donald-less Rams without limitations or concerns.The Niners basically treated their star running back like a precious artifact this offseason, storing him at optimal temperature and humidity, limiting his exposure to light and contaminants. They rested him due to “tightness” and “soreness” throughout the summer, but it was simply planned maintenance.And, hey, it worked. The engine of Kyle Shanahan’s offense is good to go. No restrictions or concerns. McCaffrey, now 30 years old, may in fact carry elevated injury risk, but he made it to the start line fully healthy. If you declined to fade one of the best all-purpose backs in NFL history, get ready to fire him up.