Christian McCaffrey or Ja'Marr Chase: who should I start in Week 3?

What the sportsbooks price

The player markets price Christian McCaffrey at 21.2 PPR points a game, built from 5 markets across 15 books. That is the 4th highest figure of the 175 players the books price.

The player markets price Ja'Marr Chase at 17.2 PPR points a game, built from 4 markets across 16 books. That is the 19th highest figure of the 175 players the books price.

Where the draft room stands

Drafters have formed no consensus on Christian McCaffrey: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 3rd overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 9.

Drafters have formed no consensus on Ja'Marr Chase: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 12th overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 6.

This season through Week 2

Through Week 2, Christian McCaffrey has been on the field for 54 percent of SF snaps, taken 36 percent of the carries, drawn 22 percent of the targets and had 36 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 5 of the offence's 15 third down targets, had 4 of its 8 chances inside the five and seen 2 of its 3 two minute targets.

His 12 targets have averaged 0.7 air yards.

In Week 1 against LAR he carried 10 times for 68 yards, caught 5 of 8 targets for 20 yards and did not score.

In Week 2 against MIA he carried 10 times for 23 yards, caught 4 of 4 targets for 43 yards and scored 2 touchdowns.

Through Week 2, Ja'Marr Chase has been on the field for 91 percent of CIN snaps, drawn 20 percent of the targets and had 12 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 3 of the offence's 19 third down targets, had 0 of its 6 chances inside the five and seen 0 of its 10 two minute targets.

His 13 targets have averaged 8.8 air yards.

In Week 1 against TB he caught 2 of 4 targets for 12 yards and did not score.

In Week 2 against HOU he caught 7 of 9 targets for 75 yards and scored 2 touchdowns.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 Christian McCaffrey played 17 games and scored 416.6 PPR points, 24.5 a game, finishing RB1.

He carried 311 times for 1202 yards and 10 touchdowns, and caught 102 of 129 targets for 924 more yards.

That came to 18.3 carries a game at 3.9 yards a carry and 6.0 catches a game.

He was on the field for 83 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

In 2025 Ja'Marr Chase played 16 games and scored 313.6 PPR points, 19.6 a game, finishing WR4.

He caught 125 of 185 targets for 1412 yards and 8 touchdowns, with 21 red zone targets.

That came to 11.6 targets a game, a 68 percent catch rate and 11.3 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 94 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

Christian McCaffrey was available for 1 game more.

Side by side

In 2025 Christian McCaffrey scored 24.5 PPR points a game and Ja'Marr Chase 19.6, 4.9 a game between them.

Christian McCaffrey finished RB1 and Ja'Marr Chase WR4, which are two different ladders.

Christian McCaffrey is a running back and Ja'Marr Chase a wide receiver, so the question is which slot you fill first rather than which of them is better.

Byes and availability

Christian McCaffrey is off in Week 8 and Ja'Marr Chase in Week 6, so either can cover the other's bye.

What would change the answer

4.0 points a game is the entire case. The books restate it every week, and a line that moves moves the order with it.

The draft market is the half that is missing: when the consensus sample holds these two again it can order them differently from the price, and this page will follow the sample rather than the books when it does.