NFL Network's Ian Rapoport hears that 49ers RB Elijah Mitchell is expected to "carry the load" in today's game against the Eagles. Rapoport adds that both RBs Trey Sermon and JaMycal Hasty will play, but it sounds like Mitchell is in for another hefty workload. He's an upside fantasy play today.
The 49ers are "optimistic" that DE Arik Armstead (adductor) and DT Javon Kinlaw (knee) will be active for today's game against the Eagles, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Both are officially questionable, so we'll have to check their statuses later this morning. Each is just a lower-level IDP prospect, but their presence would obviously help the San Francisco defense. That said, we'd rather not use the unit either way against a Philly offense with plenty of scoring potential.
Niners CB Emmanuel Moseley (knee) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Eagles. He missed Week 1 and looks like he'll do the same thing. That leaves San Francisco without its top 2 corners, as Jason Verrett went down for the season in Week 1. DE Arik Armstead (adductor) and DT Javon Kinlaw (knee) are questionable. We'll see about their statuses Sunday morning.
Niners LB Dre Greenlaw needs surgery for the groin injury he suffered in Sunday's win over the Lions. ESPN's Nick Wagoner reports that Greenlaw is expected to "be out into November before being reassessed." Although the 49ers hope to get him back this season, that timeline means you can go ahead and drop Greenlaw in nearly all IDP redraft leagues. Azeez Al-Shaair will fill in as the #2 LB alongside Fred Warner. Al-Shaair tallied 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 2 passes defensed in Week 1.
Addressing 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk's usage in the opener, insider Matt Maiocco wrote that Aiyuk "tailed off dramatically" in training camp and is "still learning how to be a pro." If that's the case, it went completely unreported. "Kyle Shanahan, clearly, favors some of the other WRs right now," Maiocco added. Aiyuk ended up finishing 2nd among 49ers WRs with 15 pass routes in Week 1 -- but that was just 1 more than Trent Sherfield and 4 more than Mohamed Sanu. Easily a top 2 talent on the roster, Aiyuk should eventually return to a full-time role. But he can't be trusted in fantasy lineups until we see it happen.
Niners LB Dre Greenlaw left Sunday's win over the Lions just before halftime with a groin injury and did not return. Azeez Al-Shaair got a playing-time boost, spending 78% of the snaps on the field in all. He'd be in play for deeper IDP leagues should Greenlaw miss further time. We'll keep an eye out this work for more details on the injury.
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk finished without a single target in Sunday's opener vs. the Lions. We're still waiting for final snap counts but believe Aiyuk was 3rd or 4th among 49ers WRs in snaps. HC Kyle Shanahan said after the win that Aiyuk's late-August hamstring injury played a part in the reduced role today. We'll keep an eye on this situation, but Aiyuk will be impossible to trust in Week 2 fantasy lineups.
Niners CB Emmanuel Moseley (knee) and DT Javon Kinlaw (knee) are doubtful for Sunday's game against the Lions. That will likely leave San Francisco without 1 of its 2 starting outside corners and its top DT.
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) put in a full week of practice and isn't listed on the final injury report. He should have his way with the Lions CBs on Sunday. But overall pass volume from San Francisco is a concern.
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. It's confirmation that he's good to go for Sunday's plus matchup vs. the Lions.
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) returned to practice on Monday. That seemingly puts him on track to play in this weekend's opener vs. the Lions. We'll get San Francisco's 1st official practice report on Wednesday.
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) remained sidelined on Sunday. He's been out for over a week now with that HC Kyle Shanahan called a "slight hamstring" injury. We'll continue to keep an eye on Aiyuk this coming week, but he's certainly not a lock to be ready for the opener vs. Detroit.
The Chargers have waived WR Tyron Johnson. The speedster posted a 20-398-3 receiving line for last season's Chargers, 2 years after his final campaign at Oklahoma State. His departure appears to solidify rookie WR Josh Palmer in the #3 role. Jalen Guyton remains on hand for now as well.
49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk is dealing with a "slight hamstring" injury, HC Kyle Shanahan said. Aiyuk won't play in Sunday's preseason finale but should be back next week, per Shanny. This sounds minor, but we'll keep an eye on it. Hamstrings can be tricky.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel played 19 snaps in Sunday's preseason game vs. the Chargers, finishing with 1 catch on 2 targets for 9 yards. He reportedly got an MRI for a tight glute last week -- but it's clearly not an issue at this point.
Niners WR Deebo Samuel left Friday's practice early and is getting an MRI. "He had a tight glute today, so he pulled himself out of practice," HC Kyle Shanahan said afterward, per 49erswebzone.com. We'll see whether there's anything to worry about here.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel has had a healthy offseason and is in "great shape," according to The Athletic's David Lombardi. "It’s been the talk of camp around the 49ers’ building," Lombardi adds. "He’s lighter, faster and has already expressed eagerness to run more deep routes." Durability has been a problem for Samuel dating back to his South Carolina days. But he's been productive when healthy through 2 NFL seasons. Barring injury, he'll likely finish closer in fantasy points to WR Brandon Aiyuk than current ADP suggests.
SI's Grant Cohn reports that 49ers TE George Kittle has caught just 2 passes through 5 days of camp. "Instead they're using him as a blocker and a decoy while they call passes for Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Ross Dwelley," Cohn writes. That does seem odd given the financial commitment to Kittle. We'll go ahead and give HC Kyle Shanahan the benefit of the doubt and assume he has not converted Kittle to decoy/blocker. But Kittle's early-round draft position makes this situation worth keeping an eye on -- especially given that San Francisco is bringing along a rookie QB. It's tough to imagine the Niners getting too cute just to try to hide that they like Kittle.
Panthers HC Matt Rhule said Friday he expects to activate RB Christian McCaffrey over the weekend and have him available for Sunday's game at Kansas City, according to multiple reports. That goes along with the general feeling during the week. Expect to get McCaffrey back into starting fantasy football lineups. That means Mike Davis should no longer be in there, but we'd try not to drop him if you can help it. Davis has proved his value as a handcuff, and McCaffrey has been out since Week 2 because of a high-ankle sprain.
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