San Francisco 49ers News

After not even receiving an invite to the NFL Combine, the San Francisco 49ers selected running back Kaelon Black in the third round of the 2026 Draft, making him the third running back off the board, after only first-rounders Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. While head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have gotten uninspired returns from the running backs they've drafted in recent years, particularly those viewed as reaches by the draft community, as was Black, there is no denying the favorable situation the rookie finds himself in. Four-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey recently turned 30 and is coming off a season in which he touched the ball a career-high 450 times, and with Brian Robinson Jr. departing in free agency, Black's biggest competition for primary backup duties comes from 2025 fifth-rounder Jordan James. As a rookie, James did not register a single offensive stat until taking over late in the team's Divisional Round blowout loss to the Seahawks, but a year in the system could give him an early edge heading into 2026. While RotoBaller currently has neither ranked as a top 50 fantasy back for redraft leagues, the training camp battle between Black and James will be one to monitor, and should either gain a demonstrative edge, they will force their way into the late-round discussion for 2026 drafts.

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James is currently projected to be the primary backup this upcoming season. The former fifth-round pick only made three appearances last season and didn't record a single carry as a rookie. Despite the lack of reps, James has drawn praise from head coach Kyle Shanahan during the offseason. The 49ers don't have a clear No. 2 option behind superstar Christian McCaffrey in this backfield. Outside of James, the 49ers have third-round pick Kaelon Black, Isaac Guerendo, and Sincere McCormick. There's plenty of competition for the No. 2 role, but James wouldn't be a bad player to have as a possible handcuff to McCaffrey. He's an interesting buy-low candidate for dynasty managers looking for help at running back.

Before San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall's NFL career even got off the ground, he suffered a gunshot wound during an attempted robbery that caused him to miss the first six weeks of his rookie campaign in 2024. He played in 11 games (four starts), catching 31 of 46 targets for 400 yards and three touchdowns. The 25-year-old former 31st overall pick out of the University of Florida then suffered a hamstring injury and a PCL injury in his knee in 2025 that limited him to just nine starts. Pearsall finished with 36 receptions on 53 targets for 528 yards and no touchdowns in nine regular-season starts. The Niners let Jauan Jennings walk in free agency in the offseason, but they added future Hall of Famer Mike Evans and slot man Christian Kirk, while taking De'Zhaun Stribling in the second round of the NFL draft. San Fran's WR room is deeper, which means that opposing defenses shouldn't be able to key in on him in his third season. NFL.com's Nick Shook believes Pearsall could be set up for a breakout season. He's a risk/reward WR4/flex that is certainly worth a late-round selection in fantasy drafts for his upside when healthy.

A broken collarbone, a concussion, and a nagging hamstring issue limited six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans to only eight games in 2025, ending his historic run of 1,000-yard campaigns. In signing a three-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers, Evans will seek a fresh start for his 13th season, and if health allows him to stay on the field, he could be well-positioned for a 2026 bounceback. Throughout his career, Evans has been one of the most productive players in the league with two or fewer receivers on the field, and with head coach Kyle Shanahan's propensity for fullback usage, that is a situation he should find himself in regularly. The team's leading wide receiver from each of the past two seasons, Jauan Jennings, departed in free agency, and with All-Pro tight end George Kittle potentially requiring an early-season ramp-up period as he recovers from a torn Achilles, San Francisco's offense could run through Evans and Christian McCaffrey to begin the year. At almost 33 years old, the health concerns that plagued his final season in Tampa have not suddenly disappeared, but as RotoBaller's WR26, Evans is a pure upside swing in 2026 drafts, and if he can manage anything close to a full season, he could ultimately finish the year in familiar territory among fantasy's biggest difference-makers.

The Athletic's Nicki Jhabvala suggests that the Washington Commanders might be shying away from considering adding veteran wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) this offseason if the San Francisco 49ers end up releasing him. The Commanders were interested in Aiyuk enough earlier in the offseason to consider a one-year, highly-incentivized deal if and when the 49ers ever released him. The former first-rounder has clear ties to Washington, as he's close friends with quarterback Jayden Daniels, and general manager Adam Peters was part of San Fran's front office when it drafted Aiyuk in 2020. The Commanders were never going to trade for Aiyuk, but they have been intrigued by the proposition of pairing him with WR1 Terry McLaurin in 2026 and possibly beyond. But since then, Aiyuk has posted erratic Instagram rants that "have created worry about Aiyuk's frame of mind." The Commanders could still consider the 28-year-old before the start of training camp if the Niners release him, but they'd "have to feel incredibly confident that he's fit, physically and emotionally." That is now a big "if" given his recent history and the fallout with the 49ers. On top of that, Aiyuk didn't play at all in 2025 due to a season-ending knee injury in 2024. It goes without saying that Aiyuk will be a massive question mark wherever he's playing in 2026.

There was a time when veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk helped to reset the free agent market for wideouts, signing a four-year, $72 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022. Kirk rewarded the Jaguars with 84 catches for 1,108 yards and eight scores in his first year with the team, but he has since struggled to stay healthy, missing 18 games over the past three seasons, and in signing a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers, he now prepares to play for his third team in as many seasons. Heading into his ninth professional season, fantasy expectations are low, but on a 49ers squad with plenty of moving pieces in the passing game, Kirk could still surprise in Kyle Shanahan's ever-efficient offense. Six-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans was the headliner of San Francisco's free agent class, but behind him, 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall has struggled with both health and consistency, and this year's second-round pick, De'Zhaun Stribling, could take time to develop in Shanahan's detail-oriented system. The availability of All-Pro tight end George Kittle also remains a question mark for the start of the season, and while unlikely to return to his peak form of four seasons ago, Kirk could still provide usable fantasy weeks if he's able to take advantage and carve out a role. At RotoBaller's dynasty WR96, Kirk is a low-cost dynasty depth piece who won't break the bank to acquire.

When the San Francisco 49ers have two wide receivers on the field this year, it will likely be Ricky Pearsall across from future Hall of Famer and newcomer Mike Evans, according to Kyle Madson of Niners Wire. Health is obviously a major question mark for Pearsall, who has played in only 20 games due to injuries in his first two years in the NFL, but he's one of the team's two best receivers if he's healthy. The 25-year-old former 31st overall pick in 2024 out of the University of Florida has caught 67 of his 99 targets for 928 yards and three touchdowns in his first two years in the league, averaging 13.9 yards per reception. Jauan Jennings is now in Minnesota, and former first-rounder Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is expected to be traded or released this summer. Veteran Christian Kirk should handle slot duties, but Pearsall is the team's clear No. 2 if he's on the field. Pearsall should be set for the highest usage of his career in Year 3 if he can avoid injuries. Fantasy managers should consider him a high-risk/high-reward WR4/flex in upcoming 2026 drafts. At RotoBaller, Pearsall is ranked as the No. 41 fantasy WR.

San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones (shoulder), who was sidelined with a sore right shoulder during the team's spring program, threw passes during Tuesday's session at Tight End University, which is run by 49ers tight end George Kittle, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Jones kept the Niners' offense afloat last year with Brock Purdy missing extended time due to a foot injury. The 27-year-old former 15th overall pick by the New England Patriots in 2021 out of the University of Alabama completed a career-high 69.6% of his pass attempts for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 11 games played (eight starts) in his first year in the Bay Area. All signs point to Jones being a full-go for the start of training camp at the end of July. After a strong 2025 season, teams had interest in trading for Jones, but the Niners put an exorbitant price tag on his head and appear ready to run it back with him as QB insurance for the injury-prone Purdy. Obviously, Jones won't have much fantasy appeal in 2026 unless Purdy misses more time due to injuries.

In a video posted to Instagram, San Francisco 49ers disgruntled wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) said that if the Niners release him, he will sign with the Washington Commanders "tomorrow," according to ESPN. Aiyuk, who didn't play at all in 2025 due to a knee injury suffered in 2024, is still under contract with the 49ers, so it's unclear if Washington is actually interested in signing the former first-round talent. San Fran has held onto Aiyuk in hopes of trading him this offseason, but general manager John Lynch said in January that it was "safe to say that Aiyuk has played his last snap with the Niners." The 49ers may be waiting for the start of training camp at the end of July to decide on Aiyuk's status. The Niners signed Aiyuk to a four-year, $120 million contract extension in August of 2024, but he ended up playing in only seven games that year due to a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus in his right knee. The Commanders have been a popular potential destination for Aiyuk to pair with WR1 Terry McLaurin after they have not re-signed Deebo Samuel Sr. in the offseason.

Selected with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has been stuck with the underdog label for most of his career, and even in dynasty leagues, he remains an undervalued asset despite routinely proving himself among the most valuable at the position. In his first season as a full-time starter, Purdy finished as the QB6 in 2024, and while significant injuries to his number one receiver and running back led to issues of consistency in 2025, he still gutted his way to a QB14 finish in 15 games, closing the season with 31.2 points per game in the final two weeks of the fantasy playoffs. 2025 saw him dealing with a serious turf toe injury for much of the year, but returning in Week 11 and playing the final seven games, he averaged 23.8 points per game, again going nuclear with a 37.7-point average in the fantasy playoffs and QB1 finishes in Weeks 16 and 17. With Christian McCaffrey coming off a 450-touch season, George Kittle already questionable for the start of the year as he recovers from a torn Achilles, and new number one receiver Mike Evans turning 33 before the start of the season, banking on health in San Francisco may not be the soundest strategy, but if the unit can avoid catastrophic derailment, Purdy should prove to be a steal in 2026 and beyond as RotoBaller's dynasty QB13.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles) said on Tuesday that he is "definitely on track" to be ready to play in Week 1 of the 2026 regular season in early September, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Kittle said nothing is 100% certain right now, but he said, "I have a chance." The 32-year-old seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro said he hasn't had any setbacks in his recovery from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the postseason loss on Jan. 11, and he told NBC Sports' Florito Maniego that he is "running over 16 mph." Kittle did not practice with the rest of the team during organized team activities or mandatory minicamp during the spring, but that could change come training camp this summer. The nine-year veteran has four 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his career and has scored 52 touchdowns in 124 regular-season games, but durability concerns make him a pretty big fantasy risk as he heads into Year 10. Kittle played in just 11 regular-season games in 2025 and caught 57 passes for 628 yards and seven touchdowns on 69 targets. Because we don't know for sure whether he'll be a full-go for Week 1, fantasy managers should consider him as more of a high-end TE2 in upcoming drafts.

Two seasons into his NFL career, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has had a difficult time staying on the field. A gunshot wound forced Pearsall to miss six games as a rookie in 2024, and a lingering knee injury forced him to miss eight games in 2025. Across the nine games he was able to suit up for last season, the 25-year-old recorded 36 catches for 528 yards and zero touchdowns on 53 targets. Entering 2026, Pearsall looks to be fully healthy and projects as the WR2 in San Francisco alongside veteran Mike Evans. 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles), running back Christian McCaffrey, and rookie wideout De'Zhaun Stribling all pose varying levels of threats to Pearsall's target volume. Still, it's difficult to judge anything Pearsall has done in the pros until he can string together a run of fully healthy games. His profile is risky, but Pearsall's current average draft position of WR48 may be undervaluing his upside.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has become one of fantasy's greatest paradoxes. In 2025, he played in all 17 games and finished as the RB1 by a substantial margin, marking the fifth time in the last eight seasons that he's played at least 16 games, with accompanying finishes of RB1, RB1, RB2, RB1, and RB3. McCaffrey is one of the most unique weapons in the game, as dangerous aligned out wide as he is from the backfield, making him nearly impossible to remove from the field despite yearly discussions about limiting his workload. Unfortunately, his unquestioned bell cow role has come with predictable wear and tear and a number of catastrophic injuries, and three times over those eight years, he's played in seven or fewer games. McCaffrey is now 30 years old and coming off the heaviest workload of his career, handling more than 430 opportunities in 2025, and his fantasy outlook remains familiar: if he makes it through another full season, he's as strong a bet as anyone to finish as the RB1, but getting there means facing the type of physical strain that very few human beings on the planet are equipped to handle. With injury risk pitted against upside, McCaffrey is RotoBaller's RB3 for 2026.

After failing to record a single reception across his first 20 NFL games, San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges finished the 2025 season with 34 catches for 293 yards and five touchdowns on 46 targets across 17 games. The vast majority of Tonges' production came in the six games that superstar 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles) missed due to injury. With Kittle entering his age-33 season and coming off a torn Achilles that he suffered in January, Tonges could easily find himself playing a prominent role in the 49ers' passing game once again in 2026. However, the latest reporting on Kittle indicates that he is on track to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season. Across the 11 games where both Kittle and Tonges were active in 2025, Tonges played more than eight snaps just twice. Tonges could be worth stashing in deeper dynasty formats, but his production upside in San Francisco is virtually non-existent as long as Kittle can stay on the field.

Following a 2024 rookie season in which he handled himself admirably in an insurance role, San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo took a sizable step backward in 2025, and now he could be on the outside looking in when it comes to a roster spot in 2026. With four-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey limited to only four games in 2024, Guerendo ran for 420 yards and four touchdowns on a 5.0-yard per carry average, but in his second season, he failed to record an offensive snap despite being active for 14 games. The primary backup role in 2025 went to Brian Robinson Jr., and a fully healthy McCaffrey rarely left the field. With Robinson no longer on the team, the high-value handcuff role could come down to a training camp battle in which Guerendo may not be able to participate. After tearing a pectoral muscle during an offseason workout, there's a belief that Guerendo may not be ready to return until late in training camp, giving a seismic advantage to 2025 fifth-round pick Jordan James and 2026 third-round pick Kaelon Black in the competition for primary backup responsibilities. An older prospect coming into the league, Guerendo turns 26 before the start of camp, and if RotoBaller's RB97 is unable to work his way back to meaningful playing time in year three, which at this point looks like an uphill climb, there's very little chance of him restoring dynasty value.

The San Francisco 49ers' selection of Ole Miss wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling with the first pick of the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft was viewed by many as one of the bigger reaches of the entire draft, but landing with one of the league's most respected combinations of quarterback and play-caller in Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan, Stribling is well-positioned to make an early impact. With Shanahan operating heavily out of 12 and 21-personnel sets, his wideouts in two-receiver formations have naturally seen an uptick in efficiency. While one of those spots is all but guaranteed to go to free agent acquisition Mike Evans, Stribling needs to beat out only Ricky Pearsall and Christian Kirk for something close to an every-down role. Stribling's size and tenacity as a blocker make him an obvious candidate to inherit Jauan Jennings' vacated role, and he could prove to be one of the better values in an underwhelming 2026 draft class. As RotoBaller's dynasty WR57, he is a low-cost target in rookie drafts or startups who could pay immediate dividends, particularly if All-Pro tight end George Kittle requires an extended ramp-up period to begin the year.

A fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James appeared in just three games and did not record a single carry as a rookie last season. However, James reportedly has a strong chance to enter 2026 as the 49ers' primary backup behind superstar running back Christian McCaffrey. Following the offseason departure of former 49ers back Brian Robinson Jr., James' primary competition for the RB2 role appears to be rookie third-rounder Kaelon Black and 2024 fourth-rounder Isaac Guerendo. While James is not guaranteed to win the job, he may have the well-rounded skill set of the group and has drawn praise from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan this offseason. As long as McCaffrey stays healthy, James' path to fantasy-relevant playing time will remain blocked. Still, McCaffrey has a long injury track record and is entering his age-30 season after logging an NFL-leading 413 touches in 2025. Dynasty managers should prioritize buying low on James ahead of his potential emergence as a high-end handcuff running back.

Playing for his first new team since the Buccaneers selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans has been impressing his new teammates, with All-Pro tight end George Kittle recently telling reporters he brings a "new dimension" to the offense, particularly in the red zone. Evans has been complimentary of both his new system and quarterback, praising head coach and playcaller Kyle Shanahan for putting him in good opportunities against one-on-one coverage and noting that fifth-year professional Brock Purdy was one of the big reasons he came to San Francisco. The 49ers have deployed 21-personnel at the league's highest rate in each of the past two seasons, and with defenses needing to account for a fullback with an extra body near the box, Evans could see one of the highest rates of man coverage in his career, and if he can translate that into double-digit touchdown receptions, a mark he's cleared in four of the last six seasons, he'll prove to be a steal at RotoBaller's WR26.

Since 2021, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Christian Kirk has taken more than 75% of his snaps out of the slot, but in signing with the Niners in free agency, he landed with a team that deployed 11 personnel at the league's sixth-lowest rate in 2025. In the Kyle Shanahan era, no team has more regularly removed a receiver from the formation in favor of a fullback than the 49ers, putting Kirk at a disadvantage before even factoring in the team's splashier free agent signing of six-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans or the surprise selection of De'Zhaun Stribling with the 33rd overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. There's a slim possibility of a tendency shift to lighter personnel early in the year as the team awaits a return to health from All-Pro tight end George Kittle, but even in this unlikely scenario, Kirk could still find himself fighting for playing time behind Evans, Stribling, and 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall. Once partly responsible for resetting the wide receiver free agent market, Kirk is now 29 years old, and at RotoBaller's dynasty WR97, he is no longer a player who needs to be rostered in shallower leagues.

New San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans has quickly won over his coaches and teammates in the Bay Area during OTAs, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Not only has Evans, a surefire future Hall of Famer, been humble around his new teammates, but his length and route-running abilities have stood out in practices. "I pinch myself every day," tight end George Kittle said. "This is like the first legit veteran wide receiver I've had on my roster since Emmanuel Sanders in 2019, in my opinion. And nothing against the other veteran receivers I've had, but he's a Hall of Famer. I think he takes ball seriously. That kind of sets the tone for the wide receiver room, especially when we have a bunch of young guys in there." Evans' string of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons ended in 2025 due to a broken clavicle, but he's intent on starting a new streak in 2026 at 32 years old. Joining the Niners gives Evans a clear path back to the 1,000-yard mark and perhaps even double-digit touchdowns, but there's no denying the risk involved with an aging player like Evans, who has a lot of tread on the tires. Fantasy managers would be wise to target him as more of a high-end WR3/low-end WR2 in drafts this fall.