San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that quarterback Brock Purdy will not play in the Week 18 regular season finale against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. As a result, Sam Darnold will make his first start of the season in a meaningless game for the Niners, as they are already locked into the top seed in the NFC and will have a first-round bye in the playoffs. In addition to Purdy, the Niners ruled out star running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) already after he strained his calf in the Week 17 win over the Washington Commanders. San Francisco could choose to limit other key offensive weapons this weekend, making all Niners players risky in fantasy lineups in Week 18. Darnold will be in play as a low-end QB2 option for fantasy managers in leagues that start two QBs.

With the San Francisco 49ers potentially resting starters in a meaningless Week 18 game against the Los Angeles Rams, quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Jordan Mason could see heavier workloads this Sunday. Darnold could get the start so that the team can rest Brock Purdy heading into the postseason while also giving Darnold an opportunity to showcase his stuff before he heads to free agency in 2024. Brandon Allen could also see reps under center. Running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) has already been ruled out, and given Elijah Mitchell's injury history, Mason could be in line for lead-back duties against the Rams, with fellow 2022 rookie Tyrion Davis-Price also seeing a heavier workload. The Niners would have to elevate Davis-Price from their practice squad to the 53-man active roster.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel told Kay Adams on the "Up & Adams" show on Tuesday that he expects himself and the other starters on his team to play against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18. The 49ers have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC but Samuel seems convinced that head coach Kyle Shanahan will not choose to rest his starters for the regular-season finale against Los Angeles. Samuel stated, "You definitely want to keep the flow going, but you also want to give your body a rest." The team has already ruled running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) out for Week 18 but there is a good shot fantasy managers will see at least some of the team's starters this weekend. Stay tuned for news out of San Francisco for the remainder of the week as things can obviously change quickly.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) is dealing with a mild calf strain and will not play in the Week 18 regular season finale against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Jan. 7. The 49ers have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye, so McCaffrey and likely a lot of other starters are going to be rested in a meaningless game to close out the regular season. It's a prime example of why most fantasy leagues wrap up their championships in Week 17. With the 27-year-old resting up the next two weeks, Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason will both have bigger roles in the Niners' backfield, with Mitchell being the more attractive fantasy play for those with something still on the line this week. CMC was a league-winner for fantasy managers in 2023, finishing as the RB1 through 17 weeks with 361.8 half-PPR points.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) left the Week 17 win over the Washington Commanders in the third quarter with what could be a right-calf strain. He didn't return to the contest, but he indicated after the game that it was more of a precautionary move. "I think it was minor and just made the smart move, especially not knowing what was going to happen next week," McCaffrey said. "I didn't just want to go in there and make it any worse. With certain things, you can't be dumb about it." CMC had 91 scrimmage yards before the injury to push his season total over 2,000. With the Niners locked into the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs, McCaffrey, as well as many other starters, are likely going to be rested in the Week 18 regular season finale versus the division-rival Los Angeles Rams.