The Carolina Panthers have activated running back Christian McCaffrey from the IR to the active roster ahead of the Panthers’ Week 9 matchup against the New England Patriots, according to reports from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. If McCaffrey clears a pre-game workout and plays on Sunday, it’ll be his first action since he exited midway through Carolina’s Week 3 game against the Houston Texans.
McCaffrey opened the season with Tipico Sportsbook‘s eighth-best odds (+5000) to win the NFL’s MVP award but the hamstring injury has all but removed his name from serious consideration. His return, however, could have implications in other football areas.
The #Panthers are activating RB Christian McCaffrey, with hopes that he’ll play tomorrow after being on IR with a hamstring injury. He’ll have a pre-game workout to be sure.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 6, 2021
The potential return signals a sigh of relief for fantasy football managers, who more than likely selected McCaffrey with the No. 1 overall pick in their respective drafts. His five-week absence has been felt, and his weekly dominance has been sorely missed. Yet, for as much value that CMC brings to the fantasy world, his real-world value as a professional football player is even more needed.
Christian McCaffrey brings an entirely different element to Carolina’s offense, which has struggled mightily since beginning the season 3-0. The Panthers have missed McCaffrey’s dual-threat ability more than anything; he has surpassed 100 receptions in two of the three seasons in which he played in every game, including over 1,000 receiving yards in his most recent 100+ catch season. McCaffrey also rushed for more than 1,000 yards in those same two seasons that he hauled in 100 catches, making him one of the more versatile backs in any NFL offense.
If McCaffrey ends up giving it a go on Sunday, it could give the home underdog Carolina Panthers a huge boost as they currently have +3.5 odds at Tipico Sportsbook. Furthermore, the Panthers (4-4) have +500 odds to make the playoffs, which could be tempting odds if you think that CMC could help get Carolina back to how the team was playing before his injury.
Injuries have been a recurring issue as McCaffrey has played in just six of 24 games dating back to the start of the 2020-21 season.
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