San Francisco 49ers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

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.

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.