San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason led the team in rushing in a 17-13 preseason loss at the Tennessee Titans. He finished the night with six carries for 34 yards and a touchdown while failing to haul in his only target in the passing game. Mason, 25, spent last year alternating between second and third in the 49ers' depth chart, getting most of his looks when all-world back Christian McCaffrey and fellow backup Elijah Mitchell were unavailable. Although backfield competitor Tyrion Davis-Price has flown to Philadelphia this year, Mason may have an even tougher time finding the field in 2024 as the 49ers have retained Mitchell, traded up to draft Louisville's Isaac Guerendo in the fourth round, and welcomed back Matt Breida after a four-year hiatus. Mason outperformed Breida on Saturday -- the latter took six carries for zero yards -- but Mason would require an injury to McCaffrey to be fantasy-relevant even if he beats out Guerendo and Breida.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joshua Dobbs assumed second-half quarterback duties in a 17-13 loss at the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night. Dobbs, who raised some eyebrows in 2023 with the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings, signed with San Francisco in March to back up starter Brock Purdy. Dobbs finished the night completing 14 of 20 passing attempts for 146 yards and one interception to go with one rushing attempt, which went for a six-yard touchdown. The 29-year-old former aerospace engineering major looked mostly sharp, though he was sacked once for a 15-yard loss. Dobbs will go undrafted in fantasy leagues, but would likely be worth a waiver-wire look if Purdy were to miss time, especially with the rushing upside he showed last season and the potent offense he'd be running.

San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) won't suit up for Saturday's preseason opener. The 49ers will be without Mitchell, Christian McCaffrey (calf), and Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) for Saturday's contest. Undrafted rookie Cody Schrader and veteran Matt Breida are likely to see increased touches with the 49ers limited on players. These injuries aren't expected to linger into the regular season.

The San Francisco 49ers have made a renewed effort in recent days to strike a long-term deal with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, according to sources. The situation is fluid and other teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, are still in the mix. But now a return to San Fran appears increasingly possible. Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz writes that Aiyuk had a sit-down meeting with head coach Kyle Shanahan and others in the organization where "some open and candid thoughts were expressed." There is optimism Aiyuk won't be dealt now after it looked like the two sides relationship was fractured beyond repair just a few days ago. The likeliest landing spots for Aiyuk are Pittsburgh and Cleveland, and both locations would most likely be bad news for his fantasy value in 2024. If the 26-year-old former first-rounder stays in the Bay Area, he'll be a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 target in fantasy.

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason is making the most of his opportunities in camp in the absence of superstar running back Christian McCaffrey (calf). San Francisco is hurting right now with Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and rookie Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) also dinged up. Mason has been running with the first team recently, and while others have rotated in his stead, he has impressed his coaches thus far. Most notably, the third-year running back has made it a point to improve his pass-blocking prowess -- previously his kryptonite. During one rep, Mason was 1-on-1 with a blitzing Fred Warner and delivered a blow that sent the All-Pro linebacker flying off his feet. With McCaffrey unlikely to play during the pre-season and other critical depth pieces injured, there is a path to playing time here for the former undrafted free agent if he can continue his momentum. RotoBaller has Mason ranked 73rd among all running backs, but that would change if he became the one to handcuff behind CMC.