San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers rookie Jacob Cowing should see some involvement at wide receiver when the team hosts the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. The fourth-rounder spent the first weeks of the season on the active roster returning punts before seeing his first career offensive action in Week 7. He delivered two catches on three targets for 50 yards against Kansas City, which led all 49ers receivers with Jauan Jennings (hip) out, and Deebo Samuel Sr. (illness/wrist) and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) leaving the game early. Cowing's fantasy value this week hinges on the health of Samuel Sr. and George Kittle (foot). If both play, Cowing is a touchdown-dependent shot in the dark and not recommended in standard leagues. But if both miss, he becomes the second in line for targets behind fellow rookie Ricky Pearsall, with 2023 seventh-round pick Ronnie Bell and journeyman Chris Conley in the mix. WR-desperate fantasy managers in deeper leagues are advised to keep an eye out and consider Cowing if the 49ers get more bad injury news this weekend.

San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will suit up for his second NFL game in Week 8 at home against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. The 31st-overall pick in the 2024 draft was modestly involved in his debut, producing three catches on five targets for 21 yards in a game that saw Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel Sr. leave early. Pearsall's outlook on Sunday depends heavily on the status of the questionable Deebo Samuel Sr. (wrist/illness) and George Kittle (foot). He'll get his snaps regardless with Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jauan Jennings (hip) out, but if Samuel Sr. and Kittle can't go, Pearsall becomes the most talented option on the field for quarterback Brock Purdy. Pearsall managers should monitor the status of Samuel Sr. and Kittle, as Pearsall becomes a bonafide fantasy starter with both out, but falls back to a dicey WR3/FLEX if both play.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy takes his snaps in Week 8 at home against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. Purdy had a bad game against Kansas City last week, but it wasn't his worst game in fantasy due to two QB sneaks for touchdowns. He went 17-of-31 for 212 yards passing with three interceptions. This week, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that Dallas' pass defense is tied for the fourth-worst at holding opposing fantasy quarterbacks, most recently allowing Detroit's Jared Goff to go over 300 yards and toss three touchdowns. Plus, Dallas pass rush menace Micah Parsons (ankle) and CB Daron Bland (foot) will remain out, with two other starters questionable. The bad news is that the 49ers offense is also depleted, missing Christian McCaffrey (Achilles/calf), Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Jauan Jennings (hip), and potentially George Kittle (foot) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (wrist/illness). Purdy managers can only hope that San Francisco's depth options can step up, starting with rookie first-rounder Ricky Pearsall in only his second-career game. If Kittle and Samuel Sr. play, Purdy is a back-end QB1. If not, he's firmly in QB2 territory.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (hip) has officially been ruled out for Sunday's Week 8 contest against the Dallas Cowboys. It's unfortunate news for the 49ers and Jennings, but little surprise as he's yet to practice since picking up a hip ailment two weeks prior. This will be his second consecutive game missed. With fellow WR Deebo Samuel Sr. (wrist, illness) and tight end George Kittle (foot) questionable for the outing, San Fran could be looking at a heavily depleted corps of pass-catchers when they line up against Dallas. In his absence, some amalgamation of wideouts Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, Chris Conley, and Ronnie Bell figure to fill in. Particularly if Samuel Sr. can't suit up.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (foot) is officially questionable for the team's Week 8 home tilt against the Dallas Cowboys. Kittle was able to close out the week with two limited sessions after a DNP on Wednesday, suggesting he's more likely to play than not. It'd be excellent news for San Fran if the veteran could suit up, as wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (wrist, illness) has been deemed questionable, and teammate Jauan Jennings (hip) has been ruled out for the contest. If the Iowa product is active, he'd likely be in store for a large workload in a tantalizing matchup against the Cowboys. However, if he can't -- journeyman tight end Eric Saubert would slot in as the team's TE1. Fantasy managers will want to monitor his status over the weekend.