Tag: Isaac Guerendo injury

Will Isaac Guerendo play this week? Injury updates for 49ers RB

49ers running back Isaac Guerendo is dealing with a hamstring injury. Here are the latest updates.

The San Francisco 49ers can’t catch a break in their offensive backfield.

It started in training camp when running back Christian McCaffrey was shut down with what turned out to be Achilles tendinitis. RB Elijah Mitchell was also placed on season-ending IR in August with a hamstring issue.

RB Jordan Mason filled in admirably to start the year, but he was hit with a shoulder injury in Week 6 that he battled until McCaffrey’s return in Week 10. McCaffrey and Mason were both hurt in a Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills, which pushed rookie fourth-round pick RB Isaac Guerendo into the starting role.

Guerendo hurt his foot in Week 14, but played in Week 15 where he sustained a hamstring injury.

Isaac Guerendo injury update

Guerendo has been ruled out for Week 16 against the Miami Dolphins. He dealt with a hamstring injury in training camp that cost him most of camp and the first two preseason games. Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated early in the week that Guerendo was a longshot to play. After not practicing all week he was listed as ‘out’ on the official injury report.

How long will Isaac Guerendo be out?

It’s unclear how long Guerendo’s absence will be. He showed promise in the reps he get as the 49ers’ primary RB, but the coaching staff will likely want to see more in-game opportunities for him in his rookie season. That doesn’t mean they’ll rush him into action, though. With three games left and nothing on the line there’s no real reason to risk a longer-term injury that may impact him into 2025.

49ers RB depth chart

Shanahan on Friday said veteran RB Patrick Taylor would ‘most likely’ get the starting role in Miami. Behind him on the active roster is Israel Abanikanda. Ke’Shawn Vaughn is on the practice squad and could be either elevated or promoted Saturday. If Vaughn is promoted to the active roster it would come with a corresponding move to clear a roster spot.

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Should you handcuff San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey?

Here’s how you should approach San Fran RBs in fantasy leagues.

The San Francisco 49ers transformed their franchise prior to the trade deadline in 2022 with a blockbuster deal to acquire Christian McCaffrey. After mixing and matching running backs for years, McCaffrey has brought stability to the 49ers’ running game since his arrival.

In 2023, McCaffrey became the first 49ers running back since Frank Gore in 2014 to rush for more than 1,000 yards. He authored a dominant season that put him in the MVP conversation and earned his way to the consensus top pick in fantasy drafts. With the ultimate investment that comes with the first overall pick, in many cases fantasy managers opt to use their last running back selection on the No. 1 guy’s backup. In San Francisco, that’s a dicey option.

This situation is especially importing given a calf injury has McCaffrey, fantasy’s consensus top pick, set to miss the entire preseason.

The most obvious choice would be fourth-year man Elijah Mitchell. In his 2021 rookie season, Mitchell ran for 963 yards in 11 games. But he has been all but invisible since Run CMC arrived. In hindsight, Mitchell’s inability to stay healthy helped force the 49ers’ hand to make the McCaffrey trade. In three seasons, the 49ers played 51 total games. Of those, Mitchell was available for only 27 of them.

Because of the lack of confidence that Mitchell can stay healthy, the 49ers need a Plan C option. Jordan Mason was an undrafted free agent in 2022 and has kept a roster spot by playing special teams and finishing off lopsided wins. However, in two seasons, he has 83 carries for 464 yards and four touchdowns

The wild card is rookie Isaac Guerendo. Despite turning 24 in June after spending five injury-filled seasons at Wisconsin before transferring Louisville last season, Guerendo rushed 132 times for 810 yards, caught 22 passes for 234 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in part-time duty a year ago. However, what makes him somebody to keep an eye on is his 4.33-second 40 time at the combine that vaulted him to being drafted early on Day 3. If the 49ers offense wants to operate the same as it does with McCaffrey is he’s down, Guerendo may be the most similarly explosive player.

Fantasy football outlook

Most teams have a clear handcuff option in the event their primary back goes down. The 49ers don’t, in part because they constantly dealt with injuries and timeshare changes before McCaffrey arrived.

At one point, their primary rusher was Deebo Samuel, due to a rash of injuries. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, while sparsely used in the offense, could step up and be a goal-line sniper. The Niners are equipped to go pass-happy in a given week to make up for McCaffrey being out.

Today, it’s even murkier due to Mitchell and Guerendo each battling hamstring injuries. It’s tough for a rookie to unseat a veteran and nearly impossible if the former can’t stay healthy. Mitchell is expected to miss roughly a week of practice, whereas Guerendo is considered week to week after getting hurt during the first practice of camp. As a result, veteran Matt Breida was added to the roster.

For those who draft McCaffrey, Mitchell should be the handcuff, and his RB5 ADP ranking puts him in a position that it wouldn’t be a reach. The reason for that recommendation comes from the largely unremembered, meaningless final six quarters of the 49ers’ regular season. McCaffrey sat for that period with playoff positioning locked up, and Mitchell was given a chance to prove himself. He responded with 31 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

Guerendo is not entirely worthless but has lost valuable practice time and will need Mitchell to miss game action before he warrants a roster spot.