Christian McCaffrey Fantasy football ranking: 2020 outlook, projections, ADP, value, predictions, stats

The Panthers made Christian McCaffrey the highest-paid running back in NFL history this offseason, which should come as no surprise after what he's done over the past two seasons. After breaking the NFL record for receptions by a running back in 2018, McCaffrey topped his own record in 2019. His 109 catches helped McCaffrey to a historic Fantasy performance -- as he finished just 10 PPR points shy of LaDainian Tomlinson's NFL record for most Fantasy points in a season. Where should he be in your 2020 Fantasy football rankings, and what Christian McCaffrey Fantasy football outlook can you expect?

McCaffrey and the rest of the Panthers pass-catchers should look forward to more reliable QB play in 2020, as the team signed Teddy Bridgewater to a three-year, $63 million deal. McCaffrey got a monster deal himself and is expected to remain a centerpiece in Carolina's offense and should again be near the league-lead in Fantasy points.

The 2020 Christian McCaffrey Fantasy football value remains strong, as he's set for another 100-catch campaign. He's undoubtedly a first-round candidate in most formats, but how high should he be in your 2020 Fantasy football rankings? Here's what you need to know:

So which players are poised for breakouts, which sleepers do you need to jump on, and which busts should you avoid at all costs in your Fantasy football league? Join SportsLine now to get early 2020 Fantasy football rankings, plus see which WR is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.

Christian McCaffrey Fantasy ADP & ranking (via SportsLine's projection model)

No. 1.2 ADP
No. 1 RB (non-PPR)
No. 1 RB (PPR)

Christian McCaffrey Fantasy projections (via SportsLine's projection model) 

242 carries, 1,155 rushing yards, 9.9 rushing TDs; 
139 targets, 115 receptions, 964 receiving yards, 4.53 receiving TDS
294.3 Fantasy points (non-PPR); 409.3 (PPR)

Christian McCaffrey 2020 Fantasy outlook 

There is no real case to be made for any player other than Christian McCaffrey if you have the top pick in Fantasy in 2020. That doesn't guarantee that he'll finish as the RB1 again, but rather that he has the best shot at a top-three finish by a wide margin. You can find a few blemishes on the 2020 outlook of all other top picks, but the same can't be said for McCaffrey. He has yet to miss a game in his three years in the NFL, he's finished as the RB1 and RB2 in the past two Fantasy seasons, and he again has no competition for touches in one of the most Fantasy-friendly roles we've ever seen at the RB position.

McCaffrey's target total has risen from 113, to 124, and again to 142 in his three seasons as a pro. Only seven receivers saw 140 targets in 2019. For a running back, this is truly unprecedented volume in the passing game, and it is resulting in a similarly unbelievable Fantasy output.

Don't expect McCaffrey's passing game involvement to fall off in 2020, as new QB Teddy Bridgewater frequently checks down to his running backs. Bridgewater ranked third in the NFL in 'on target' rate in 2019, but you wouldn't realize it because he is the least aggressive quarterback in the NFL. Bridgewater is never going to be one to put up monster stat totals because of his unwillingness to push the ball downfield, but he is capable of sustaining a league-average offense and keeping his top weapons fed, as we saw with Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas in New Orleans last year. He also has targeted his running backs at near the league's highest rate when playing as a starter. 23 percent of Bridgewater's throws went to running backs in his first year as a starter, 19.5 percent went to RBs in 2015, and 23.5 percent last year in New Orleans.  

Couple that with McCaffrey's league-best red zone role, and you again have the makings of a potentially record-setting Fantasy season. In 2019, McCaffrey ranked second among running backs in carries from within the five-yard line, while also leading all RB in red zone targets by a wide margin. All signs point towards another monster season from McCaffrey in his fourth year in the NFL.