Fantasy Football AMA Recap: What to do about Christian McCaffrey (again), Jayden Higgins injury fallout among topics discussed

This week's fantasy football AMA featured insights on several key topics, including Christian McCaffrey's situation with the 49ers, Jayden Higgins' injury impact on Houston's offense, and overall RB draft strategy. Analyst Hayden Winks provided his thoughts on these matters.

When asked about the 11th pick in a 12-team half-PPR league, Winks recommended taking either CeeDee Lamb or Justin Jefferson. He listed Kenneth Walker III, De Von Achane, Saquon Barkley, James Cook II, Chase Brown, Derrick Henry, and Justin Jefferson as his top picks in that range.

For the .75-PPR format with an extra flex and yardage bonuses, Winks chose Achane over Barkley, Brown, and Henry. He explained that Achane would likely catch the most passes due to the Dolphins' run game and the strong offensive line, including Proctor, Brewer, and Paul.

Winks acknowledged the RB dead zone in recent years, but believed some RBs, such as Breece Hall, Travis Etienne Jr., and Javonte Williams, still have potential in this round. He considered the backups of Bhayshul Tuten, TreVeyon Henderson, and Bucky Irving riskier and preferred focusing on WRs like Jaylen Warren and Lamar Jackson.

Regarding Christian McCaffrey's future with the 49ers, Winks expressed concerns about the team's outlook this year, citing an older McCaffrey, a tougher schedule, and his history of tightness. He suggested moving McCaffrey down the draft board, considering alternatives like Jonathan Taylor or other top-tier RBs.

When asked about the impact of Jayden Higgins' injury on Nico Collins in Houston, Winks moved Collins to WR7 and believed the Texans would rely even more on 2- and 3-TE sets without Higgins. He thought Nico could be a top target share guy despite the Texans' slight dip in overall offense.

Finally, Winks offered his opinion on the Giants' TE situation, stating that Isaiah Likely would be more of a part-time slot receiver rather than a primary TE1. He preferred Dalton Kincaid from the Bills as a better receiver on a stronger offense.