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Christian McCaffrey, meanwhile, had 18 rushes on the day and scored two touchdowns. Black had just five pass routes against the Raiders while CMC ran 28 routes. Black’s 70 rushing yards marks a season high and shows he can be a fantasy factor when the Niners have game script in their favor. It didn’t help that he faced an abysmal Raiders front seven. Black should have some flex viability in deeper leagues next week against the Cowboys.

Black’s day did not start great as he was stuffed on three straight plays inside the three-yard line on the first drive. Then he watched as Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown on fourth down. However, McCaffrey also picked up a thigh injury on that drive and missed the remainder of the first half, which allowed Black the opportunity to rip off some nice chunk runs and a long touchdown. McCaffrey did return in the second half, and Black also lost a fumble in the second quarter, so there were some moments of inconsistency. That being said, Black looks like one of the best handcuff running backs in fantasy football.

Black was limited on Wednesday, but upgraded to full participation on Thursday and Friday. There are no concerns about his ability to handle backup duties against the Seahawks this week. That said, he has just 10 carries over the last two weeks and cannot be started in 12-team FLEX spots.

This should be a non-issue for Black by the time Sunday comes around. Black cut into Christian McCaffrey’s role again last week with six carries, though he only turned that into 13 yards. He doesn’t have much standalone fantasy value but remains one of the better contingency options headed into Week 5.

After seeing 14 carries in Week 1 against the Rams, Black now has 17 rushing attempts over his past three games as the Niners’ No. 2 back behind Christian McCaffrey. Black should be rostered in most leagues as one of the best contingency options in the game. As long as CMC is healthy, Black should remain on benches.

Black has seen his role decrease with Christian McCaffrey returning to bell cow usage. The rookie saw four carries and one target, totaling eight offensive snaps. He saw a red zone touch but otherwise did not get close to scoring opportunities. Black is one of the most valuable handcuffs in fantasy football moving forward.

After splitting work fairly evenly with Christian McCaffrey in Week 1, Black took a clearer backup role here. He had some snaps on the first drive of the game, but then Black mixed in sporadically until the game was decided early in the fourth quarter. At the end of the day, the rookie played on 16 of the team’s 45 snaps and is unlikely to have any standalone value; yet, he remains one of the better handcuffs in fantasy football.

It was reported earlier in the day that Black was expected to play, and now we get confirmation that he will. The rookie had 14 carries in his NFL debut in Week 1, and it remains to be seen if that will be the 49ers’ plan going forward or if that had something to do with Christian McCaffrey cramping or the entire team traveling abroad to Australia for the first game.

Black picked up 14 carries while Christian McCaffrey dealt with cramps in Week 1. Now it’s Black who is banged up, meaning we might get more CMC versus Miami this week. Black was added to the injury report midweek and logged two limited practices before receiving the questionable designation. He is in the RB4 range for Week 2, making him a middling FLEX play.

Black appeared on the 49ers’ injury report yesterday as a limited participant. He was seen practicing today during the portion of practice open to the media, but we do not know if he managed to practice in full. If so, that would be encouraging. The 49ers face the Dolphins’ unimposing defense this weekend. If Black is active, he can be started in FLEX spots, though ideally we get an update on his health beforehand.

Black gets tagged with the dreaded mid-week limited listing. Dang. The rookie running back was a helpful contributor in Week 1, elevating him to FLEX-starter status for the 49ers’ matchup against the Dolphins’ fantasy-friendly defense in Week 2. He is now in the questionable camp, though. Hopefully, he practices fully on Friday.

“The last time you could say that about a rookie tailback was 2021, when Elijah Mitchell got 19 carries in the season opener,” Barrows writes. We don’t know exactly how much Christian McCaffrey’s usage will be dialed back this year after playing just 55 percent of the snaps in Australia, but Black needs to be rostered in all leagues at this point even if he doesn’t retain stand-alone value. And he might just have some stand-alone value if things trend in this direction.

It was Black’s NFL debut, and all things considered, it was a pretty good one. The former Indiana star had four more carries than Christian McCaffrey and was much more involved in the rushing attack in the first half, though CMC was obviously a factor in the passing attack and Black had just one catch for five yards. It wasn’t the most impressive statline you’ll see from a debut, but there were definitely flashes that suggest success for the 24-year-old. Black and the 49ers will get a chance to face the Dolphins in Week 2.

Black had a nice run to the right side of the field before subbing out, which ultimately required him to spin over the top of the camera stand positioned awkwardly on the sideline. He seemingly escaped without injury and, most importantly, took 12-of-12 possible snaps on the first three drives. Black is the 49ers’ running back to stash on fantasy benches. Fellow RB Jordan James has recovered from the fractured rib he suffered late in July, but the time he missed in August has him behind Black on the depth chart.

Black had missed two weeks with a thigh injury before emerging as the clear top running back with McCaffrey sidelined. Barrows said Black “certainly didn’t look rusty, taking an early carry to the left for 50 yards and showing violence and strength on several ensuing runs. Black also had a catch at the goal line in a red zone drill.” Niners players and coaches were impressed by Black, who was taken with the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. “I thought he looked good hitting the hole and running hard,” Brock Purdy said. “You could tell there was a different level of intensity when he touched the ball.” With Jordan James struggling through a broken rib, Black will have a real chance to establish himself as the Niners’ RB2 ahead of the regular season. Black should be stashed in deeper fantasy formats in case CMC, 30, misses time in 2026.

He missed about two weeks of camp. There’s still time for him to impress the coaches, but Black probably needs to leave a lasting impression over these next two weeks to make a dent in Jordan James’ RB2 status.

Shockingly and inexplicably the second running back off the draft board in the 2026 NFL Draft, Black out of Indiana appears to be a solid-enough blocker who might earn snaps behind Christian McCaffrey this season. Jordan James, Barrow added, remains the likely RB2 behind McCaffrey. Black’s blocking ability “won’t make him popular in fantasy football circles, but it’s something a rookie needs to prove before he gets meaningful snaps.” In 32 pass-blocking opportunities in 2025, Black did not allow a quarterback hit while giving up two QB pressures. If he proves himself a reliable blocker in training camp, Black could see significant snaps in the 49ers offense.

Black is expected to compete with second-year RB Jordan James in training camp for the primary backup role. James, 22, played just three offensive snaps last year, though The Athletic’s Vic Tafur said in February that “it seems like the 49ers have big plans” for him this season. Black, 24, is the latest in a long list of running backs drafted by the 49ers in the mid rounds. The 49ers’ results in this effort have not been great, but perhaps Black is the player who makes it all worth it. He scored 10 touchdowns in the Hoosiers’ championship run last year.

Black (5’9”/208) spent his six-year college career with head coach Curt Cignetti, joining him at James Madison in 2020, and then transferring to Indiana in 2024 when the Hoosiers hired Cignetti to be their coach. During Indiana’s 2025 national championship run, Black split duties with Roman Hemby, but still managed to rush for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries. Black saw 158 of his carries come on first or second down, per TruMedia, and converted four of his 20 carries inside the opponents’ five-yard line into scores. He’s a physical back who doesn’t shy away from contact and pushes to pick up every yard before the play is dead. He caught a career-high 25 passes during his 2023 season at James Madison, but managed just nine receptions on 12 targets in his two seasons at Indiana. In San Francisco Black will struggle to carve out any sort of consistent role unless the Niners struggle with backfield injuries.