QB Brock Purdy
(2025 QB Rank: 2, 22.2 FPts/G)
Coming off a disappointing 2024, Purdy endured a difficult 2025
as well. This time, the injury bug that had bitten so many of
his playmakers the previous season targeted Purdy. He suffered
a turf toe issue in Week 1, and when he tried to rush back in
Week 4, he wound up aggravating the injury, causing him to miss
all of October. He'd finally return on Nov. 16, leading the 49ers
to six straight wins. Purdy struggled badly in a Week 18 loss
to the Seahawks, though, and that was again the case two weeks
later when Seattle ended San Francisco's season in a 41-6 thumping
in the NFC Divisional Round.
The 49ers overhauled their receiver room during the offseason.
Two years ago, Purdy was throwing to Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel,
and Jauan Jennings. Now, it's veterans Mike Evans and Christian
Kirk, both signed in free agency, and talented but oft-injured
Ricky Pearsall. Purdy has proven he can shine when surrounded
by talent, but this Niners group looks like a slippery slope between
the advanced age of Evans, Kirk, George Kittle (Achilles), and
Christian McCaffrey, and durability concerns with Pearsall, and
Kittle and McCaffrey, who check both boxes. There's also the presence
of Mac Jones,
who played very well during Purdy's extended absence.
With a lot of variables, Purdy enters 2026 as one of the more
interesting quarterback options for fantasy owners. His ceiling
is high -- few can design or call an offense better than Kyle
Shanahan -- but the last two years have shown there's also a low
floor. Consider Purdy a borderline top-10 selection.
After nine years in the league, everyone knows the book on McCaffrey,
a supremely talented back that has five elite seasons on his resume
and three others completely ruined by injuries. A year ago, he
managed to stay healthy, racking up 2,126 yards and 17 touchdowns.
That's high-end RB1 production. It also put another 413 touches
on his odometer, plus 37 more in the playoffs. That's extremely
heavy usage in the modern NFL, and McCaffrey turned 30 during
the offseason, an age that has traditionally heralded the end
for many talented runners over the years.
We've seen backs buck that trend in recent seasons, most notably
Derrick Henry, though the parallels between Baltimore's bruiser
and McCaffrey largely end with the position they play. One thing
that should remain true is that the 49ers will lean on the Stanford
product when he's available, making him one of the few true workhorse
backs remaining in the NFL.
Once Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are off the board, you can
consider McCaffrey a defensible choice as the third back to be
drafted. His age and injury history mean he carries sizable risk,
however, making him perhaps fantasy football's biggest risk/reward
selection.
Just as fantasy owners know the pros and cons of McCaffrey, they
know the potential upside that comes with selecting whoever lands
the backup role in San Francisco. The logic is easy to follow.
The 49ers are among the league's most committed running teams,
and if their 30-year-old featured back is forced out of action
it's next man up, meaning McCaffrey's backup could be in line
for 20-plus touches a week. The downside, of course, is that when
CMC is healthy, the club's RB2 will likely see only a small handful
of opportunities most games.
Black, a third-round pick out of Indiana, is the early leader
in the clubhouse, but I stress the word “early.” Shanahan will
afford no special treatment simply because the team used a third-round
pick -- just ask Trey Sermon -- and Black could easily be squeezed
out during the preseason by holdover Isaac Guerendo or fellow
rookie Jordan James. Whoever earns the job should be targeted
by McCaffrey owners as a handcuff to hedge their bets.
WR Mike Evans
(2025 WR Rank: 42, 8.7 FPts/G)
For the first 11 years of his career, Evans managed to top 1,000
yards. In four of the previous five, he'd scored 11 touchdowns
or more. That all came crashing down in 2025 when the veteran
suffered a broken collarbone in Week 7, putting him on the shelf
for much of the season. Even upon returning, Evans struggled,
logging just 96 yards combined over his final three games. After
missing three games in 2024 as well, there are suddenly durability
questions about Evans, who turns 33 before the season begins.
In what is becoming a theme for the 49ers, Evans is another high
variance player. His track record speaks for itself, and despite
missing much of 2025, it's easier to bounce back from an upper
body injury at his age than a knee or Achilles issue. The longtime
Buccaneer is also stepping into a good situation as he's the most
established option for Purdy on the outside. If you target Evans
as your WR3 that should mitigate the risk and make him a worthwhile
gamble.
WR Ricky Pearsall
(2025 WR Rank: 51, 7.8 FPts/G)
It has been a rocky first couple of seasons in the NFL for Pearsall,
who the 49ers selected with the 31st overall pick in 2024. His
debut was delayed when he was shot in the chest during a robbery
attempt, costing him six games. While he had a couple of strong
outings, he finished his rookie year with a forgettable 31-400-3
line. Things were supposed to be different last year. With Deebo
Samuel gone and Brandon Aiyuk recovering from injury, the stars
were aligned for Pearsall to make the jump.
Things started well with Pearsall topping 100 yards twice in
the first three weeks before suffering a knee injury in Week 4
that put him on the shelf for almost two months. He did nearly
nothing until mid-December, and just when it seemed like things
were coming together, he suffered an ankle sprain that kept him
out of Week 18 and the Wild Card round. Pearsall has flashed his
talent, and he doubtless has the highest ceiling among San Francisco's
receiver corps. Coming off two years ruined by injuries, his draft
stock should be at an all-time low, which sets up aggressive fantasy
owners to potentially pluck a weekly starting option later in
drafts. He's a WR4 with WR2 upside.
WR Christian Kirk
(2025 WR Rank: 115, 4.0 FPts/G)
In 2022, Kirk put up 84 receptions, 1,108 yards, and 8 TDs. In
three seasons since, he has averaged 37 catches for 468 yards
and 1.7 TDs while appearing in 33 of 51 possible games. It's a
big reason why the 29-year-old wideout will be suiting up for
his third team in as many years. He should work ahead of a returning
Demarcus Robinson, who posted a 22-276-1 line in 2025, but barring
injury to Evans and/or Pearsall, there's no clear path to playable
fantasy value for Kirk. Those in deeper leagues might want to
add him to watch lists. In standard formats, he's not worth tracking
out of the gate.
As of this writing, Aiyuk remains a member of the 49ers. Make
no mistake, however, he has played his last game for San Francisco.
While it's impossible to accurately project his value until we
know what team he'll play for, if you're drafting before a move
is made, Aiyuk is well worth rolling the dice on in the final
rounds based on his potential.
TE George Kittle
(2025 TE Rank: 3, 12.1 FPts/G)
Kittle (Achilles) has ranked among the NFL's top tight ends for
years now, but like seemingly everyone else on the San Francisco
offense, he carries age and/or injury concerns -- in his case,
it's both. He sustained a hamstring injury in Week 1 last year
that cost him five games, and an ankle injury forced him to miss
the team's Week 17 meeting with Chicago. He then suffered a torn
Achilles in San Francisco's Wild Card win over the Eagles in January.
While reports have been positive, and Kittle is targeting a Week
1 return, it's worth remembering that he's entering his age-33
campaign, so it wouldn't be surprising if the team took a more
cautious approach with his recovery.
Don't get too bogged down in looking at Kittle's numbers for
2025. During his only truly healthy stretch of the season, which
ran from Week 10 through Week 16, Kittle totaled 40 receptions,
499 yards, and 5 touchdowns -- that's a 17-game pace of 113-1414-14,
and though that's unsustainable, it still proves he's capable
of producing at an elite level. The question now is what does
the Achilles injury cost him, both in terms of games and athleticism?
There's no definitive answer, and that's what makes Kittle such
a high-risk, high-reward selection. As a low-end TE1, he's worth
taking the plunge.
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