Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor are on their way to solidifying themselves as the big dogs of fantasy football this year. Ever since Week 7, the two young running backs have held down the one-two punch atop the fantasy scoring leaderboards. Their deep runs have created playoff rosters that dominate fantasy leagues. Heading into the fantasy playoffs, McCaffrey leads in scoring by a wide margin with 328.5 points. Taylor is very much in pursuit, just 55.8 points behind him with 297.6 points. Their incredible durability and well-documented fitness have turned them into must-have treasures for managers looking to make a deep postseason run.
Both players have been two of the best performers in an entire elite field all year long. In that regard, McCaffrey’s 71.9% playoff team roster rate is something to be proud of. At the same time, Taylor only marginally beats him with a 72.3% rate. They remain free from injury and play each game at peak performance level. By being in on more than 73% of offensive snaps, they’ve guaranteed themselves absolute top-tier status for fantasy managers.
Stellar Performances Define the Season
Christian McCaffrey’s 2023 season can only be described as transcendent. He has a league-leading five games where he scored more than 30 fantasy points. This achievement further underscores his ability to deliver in the clutch. McCaffrey has scored 20-plus fantasy points in ten games, illustrating how often he’s found the end zone or has been involved in explosive plays.
No one has had more of an impact this season than the explosive running back Jonathan Taylor. In fact, he’s cemented his place as one of the top three fantasy scorers at his position in six of 13 contests. This underscores his incredible consistency as a fantasy asset. Each player has shown that they are both capable of putting up 40+ point weeks consistently as well.
McCaffrey has really amazing stats. His current average draft position (ADP) of No. 15 overall is surprisingly low given the past couple of seasons. It was the third-latest selection of his six-year NFL career. Taylor’s ADP of No. 6 is the highest it’s been since he entered the league in 2018. This ludicrously high ranking was surely a contributing factor in managers’ ability to land the potential league-winner.
Health and Consistency Propel Playoff Success
One of the most impressive parts of McCaffrey and Taylor’s seasons is that they’ve done it healthy. They’ve both played in every game this year which has helped them rack up fantasy points at a steady rate. Their durability is impressive, especially in an age when the best players can have a season ended by various injuries.
McCaffrey’s historic success is the result of his incredible consistency. He has been a top 10 scorer among running backs every week besides two all season long. Such a consistently high level of play is indicative of his dependability and why he’s still such an important player on deep playoff teams. In the meantime, Taylor’s consistently superb ability to score always takes him back to the top of the heap up for discussion among the top running backs.
With teams gearing up for the playoffs, managers are increasingly focused on matchups. In Week 14, McCaffrey’s San Francisco 49ers will enjoy a bye week, providing him a chance to rest before entering the playoff stretch. Taylor and the Bengals are preparing for another big test this week, when they host the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars have given up the 5th-least fantasy points per game to RBs this year.
The Road Ahead for Fantasy Managers
With the fantasy playoffs on the horizon, managers need to evaluate their rosters with a critical eye. McCaffrey and Taylor are currently two of the most-owned players on ESPN playoff teams. No team’s NCAA championship aspirations will live or die more on their performance.
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