San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers restructured the contract of wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. on Tuesday. The move created $16.4 million in cap space. The restructure comes as no surprise given the recent contracts the 49ers handed to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and offensive tackle Trent Williams. The 49ers are in win-now mode and are preparing to compete for a Super Bowl. Restructuring Samuel was necessary to ensure they could continue building out their roster in the short term. However, the move will not affect Samuel's ability to produce in 2024. Samuel recorded 892 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2023. He added 225 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. If Samuel stays healthy, expect him to produce those types of numbers once again in 2024.

San Francisco 49ers rookie first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (chest) was back at the team's facilities and in the weight room around 48 hours after being shot in the chest during a robbery attempt over the weekend. Pearsall was put on the Non-Football Injury list on Monday, meaning he'll have to miss at least the first four games of his rookie season after the scary incident. The 23-year-old was released from the hospital on Sunday and will now get to work on his recovery as he looks to make an impact at some point for the Niners in 2024. Pearsall already missed valuable development time in training camp this summer due to injuries and will now fall behind even further, so fantasy managers hoping for some production in redraft leagues can probably leave him to the waiver wire for now. Pearsall is pretty much only worth stashing in dynasty/keeper formats.UPDATE: General manager John Lynch said he expects Pearsall to return and play this year and that Pearsall being OK this quickly is "nothing short of miraculous."

As expected, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) was officially back on the practice field on Tuesday as the team prepares for their Week 1 regular-season opener on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets. Even though a calf injury caused McCaffrey to miss most of training camp and all of the preseason, he was still the consensus No. 1 overall fantasy pick after leading the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns (14 rushing, seven receiving) in 16 regular-season games last year. CMC played in a combined 10 games due to injuries with the Carolina Panthers in 2020-21, but he's played in 33 regular-season contests the last two years and is the best fantasy player, hands down, when he's on the field. The 28-year-old is a must-start when active, but he'll certainly have more of a bust factor in Week 1 given all the time he missed in camp, especially with a tough matchup on tap.

San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl running back Christian McCaffrey (calf), who has been sidelined with a strained calf for most of training camp, is anticipated to return to practice on Tuesday. Although the team won't release a detailed injury report on his participation until Thursday, his return to the field is a promising sign of his availability for the season opener. McCaffrey has been limited to side-field workouts in recent weeks, but it appears he can join team drills as the 49ers begin their Week 1 preparations. Injuries have been a concern for McCaffrey in the past; he played only 10 games combined during the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Carolina Panthers. However, he has rebounded strongly, playing all 17 games in 2022 and 16 games last season. In 2023, McCaffrey led the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards, added 564 receiving yards, and scored 21 total touchdowns, earning him the Offensive Player of the Year award. While McCaffrey seems on track to be ready for Week 1, it's wise to draft his backup, Jordan Mason, as a precaution. Mason will become a must-start running back if McCaffrey misses any time.

San Francisco 49ers rookie first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (shoulder, chest) is being placed on the reserve/Non-Football Injury list, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the 2024 season. The rookie out of Florida is out of the hospital and is recovering from a gunshot wound he suffered on Saturday. Needless to say, this is a unique situation, and his recovery will be worth monitoring moving forward. When Pearsall does return to action, he's unlikely to be on the fantasy football radar, barring an injury to Deebo Samuel Sr., Brandon Aiyuk, or Jauan Jennings. Especially after the scary incident over the weekend, expectations should be tempered for Pearsall in Year 1, but he remains an interesting stash in dynasty leagues.