Fantasy Alert: Christian McCaffrey 'Should' Play vs. Saints Despite Ankle Injury

Christian McCaffrey is flirting with injury again. But this one doesn't appear likely to cost him playing time.

According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the superstar running back is dealing with a bum ankle but expected to play this week:

McCaffrey isn't sweating the injury:

The 26-year-old has seen each of his previous two seasons impacted by injury. In 2020, he played in just three games while dealing with a high-ankle sprain and shoulder issue. And he missed 10 games last season with an ankle problem that cut his campaign short.

It's been a major disappointment for a player who emerged as the NFL's most dynamic offensive playmaker in 2019, rushing for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 116 catches for 1,005 yards and another four scores.

When healthy, McCaffrey is the complete offensive weapon, and the Panthers rewarded him with a four-year, $64 million extension in April 2020. Since signing, though, he's only played in 10 of a possible 33 games.

In turn, the Panthers have only won five games in each of the past two years.

If McCaffrey is forced to miss time at some point, look for Chuba Hubbard or D'Onta Foreman to step into the starting role. Hubbard was serviceable in McCaffrey's absence last season, rushing for 514 yards and four touchdowns in 10 starts.