San Francisco 49ers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel Sr. (oblique, rib) and Jauan Jennings (hip) were both listed as limited in the first practice of the week on Wednesday coming out of their bye. Chris Conley (hamstring) was a DNP. Samuel was injured in the Week 8 win over the San Francisco 49ers but was able to rest up last week. Although he's not a lock to play this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 28-year-old pass-catcher is trending in the right direction. Jennings has missed the team's last two games due to a hip injury and is now hoping to return in Week 10. Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is out for the season and Samuel is also banged up, so when Jennings returns, he should see enough volume in San Fran's passing attack to be worth a look as a WR4/flex in fantasy lineups. Samuel is a must-start if he's active.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, calf) did not experience any pain issues or setbacks in his return to practice this week in a limited session on Wednesday. The 49ers opened McCaffrey's 21-day practice window this week. It appears that the star running back is on track to make his season debut after suffering his injury during training camp. With McCaffrey likely back in Week 10, fantasy managers will be ecstatic to have the consensus No. 1 overall pick back in their lineups. The 49ers backup running backs stepped up admirably in McCaffrey's absence. However, neither Jordan Mason nor Isaac Guerendo has delivered much in the way of fantasy value since week four with the exception of Guerendo's 19.2-point Week 8. With McCaffrey likely to return in Week 10 in Tampa Bay, both players should be relegated to benches. However, McCaffrey is unlikely to play a full allotment of snaps in his first week back and is at risk of reinjury. As such, hold on to Mason and Guerendo for the time being.

ESPN's Nick Wagoner reports that it appeared that San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody (ankle) was back at practice on Monday coming out of the bye week. Nothing is official this early in the week, but if Moody continues to make progress in practices throughout the week, he could have a real chance to return for Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Moody, one of the best fantasy kickers when healthy, hasn't played since Week 5 due to a right-ankle sprain. In the meantime, the Niners have been rolling with second-year man Anders Carlson as their field-goal specialist. Before his injury, Moody made 13 of 14 field-goal tries and all 12 of his extra points in five contests. If he's on your league's waiver wire and you are in need at the kicking position, Moody is a no-brainer pickup if he gets the green light to return this weekend.

ESPN's Nick Wagoner reports that it appeared as though San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (hip) returned to practice on Monday as the team comes off their bye week and into a Week 10 battle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said last Monday that Jennings was expected to return after the bye week after missing Weeks 7 and 8. With Brandon Aiyuk (knee) out for the season and Chris Conley (hamstring) also banged up, Jennings should return to a prominent role in San Fran's passing attack. Deebo Samuel (oblique, rib) is also banged up. We'll have a better idea of the 27-year-old's Week 10 status once the Niners start releasing official practice reports on Wednesday, but Jennings appears to be on track to play. If he's available on your league's waiver wire, pick him up immediately.

The NFL's Adam Schefter reports that the San Francisco 49ers have opened the 21-day practice window for star running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles). Finally, some good news. McCaffrey has yet to appear in a game this season, but, per Schefter, he is tracking to play this Sunday when the team lines up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Stanford alum would not likely handle a full workload if he suits up. Still, it's excellent news for the 49ers and fantasy managers, as he'll be a boon on the field and in fantasy lineups. Keep an eye on his status over the next few days, but things are looking up for the 28-year-old heading into Week 10. If he plays, he'll get one of the better matchups of the weekend against a Buccaneers squad that's allowed the most yards per carry to their opponents in 2024 (5.2).