Midseason fantasy football 'I am surprised' list: McCaffrey astounds, Jones rebounds - ESPN

Each week in the NFL is its own story — full of surprises, both positive and negative — and fantasy football managers must decide what to believe and what not to believe moving forward. Perhaps we can help. If any of these thoughts come true… don't be surprised!

NOTE: All mention of fantasy points is for PPR formats, unless otherwise mentioned.

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Seven fantasy football weeks are complete and for some/many of you, that means half the fantasy regular season is over. Yeah, it goes quickly. Typically, in this space, we lead into each weekend discussing potential surprises and the impact in fantasy. This week, at the season midpoint, we thought we would discuss what has already surprised us, and perhaps what it all means.

Christian McCaffrey is handling ridiculous volume: McCaffrey famously suited up in only four games last season, and it was hardly the first time he missed significant time during a season. The San Francisco 49ers traded for Brian Robinson Jr., presumably to ease McCaffrey's workload. Instead, McCaffrey ranks third in the NFL — not just among RBs, but everyone — with 53 receptions while still leading everyone in rushing attempts, and he is pacing to more than 400 touches and perhaps a career high. He could shatter the league mark for running back receiving yards, too.

Look, nobody wants McCaffrey to break again, but… can we view all this as irresponsible? Perhaps I am alone for this one: I would consider a trade for fantasy — two good players for one? — before something goes awry. And let's not gloss over the 49ers being on bye in Week 14, the first playoff week for many (49ers, New England Patriots, New