San Francisco 49ers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will look for his first touchdown of the season when the team hosts the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. So far, Aiyuk has disappointed fantasy managers, to say the least. In Week 5 versus Arizona, Aiyuk popped for eight catches on 12 targets for 147 yards but has failed to reach eight half-PPR points in each of his other five games. As one searches for an explanation, it's worth considering whether the absence of Christian McCaffrey is allowing defenses to play back more often, affecting Aiyuk's ability to get open deep. Whatever the cause, it's time to make Aiyuk prove he's back before considering him a WR1 or even a WR2. Kansas City represents the seventh-toughest matchup for fantasy wide receivers in Yahoo default scoring. Given the slump and matchup, to call Aiyuk a WR2 this week is probably generous.

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo will return to a backup role when the team hosts the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Last week during a win in Seattle, when starter Jordan Mason (shoulder) left the game during the second quarter, Guerendo filled in nicely with 10 carries for 99 yards, including a 76-yard run to put the game away for San Francisco. However, with Mason off the injury report after logging a full practice on Friday, Guerendo will probably be relegated to the one-to-five carries that he's logged this season when Mason has been healthy. The 6-foot, 221-pound fourth-rounder is a worthwhile stash while Christian McCaffrey (Achilles/calf) is out in case Mason gets hurt again, but he is not a viable starter in Week 7.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has a tough test on tap as the 5-0 Kansas City Chiefs roll into Santa Clara on Sunday. Last week in Seattle, Purdy was on point, completing 18 of 28 attempts for 255 yards and three touchdowns en route to a win. He also rushed for 19 yards on four carries. Despite Kansas City's perfect record, their pass defense has been just okay, tied for 14th-toughest against fantasy quarterbacks in Yahoo default settings. Purdy will have a full complement of weapons -- besides Christian McCaffrey (Achilles/calf) and third receiver Jauan Jennings (hip). First-round pick Ricky Pearsall will make his NFL debut filling in for Jennings after the former suffered a gunshot wound in the preseason. Purdy is tied with Kyler Murray for the overall QB11 slot in fantasy PPG. Start him as a low/mid QB1 in the Super Bowl LVIII rematch, where he'll look to lift the 49ers above .500 for the first time in over a month.

Both San Francisco 49ers kickers Jake Moody (ankle) and Matthew Wright (back, shoulder) have officially been ruled out for Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and Wright is being placed on Injured Reserve, which will sideline him for at least the next four games. By then, the 49ers hopefully will have Moody back in the fold. With both Moody and Wright injured, Anders Carlson will be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster for starting kicking duties this Sunday against the Chiefs. Moody is missing a second straight game with a right high-ankle sprain. San Fran's offense typically makes most kickers fantasy relevant, but Carlson's inconsistent rookie season with the Packers should make those streaming at the position hesitant. The 26-year-old made 27 of his 33 field-goal tries last year in Green Bay and also missed five of his 39 extra-point tries.

San Francisco 49ers first-round rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (chest) was removed from the final injury report on Friday and will make his NFL debut in Week 7 on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 49ers will need to officially activate Pearsall from the Non-Football Injury list on Saturday. Meanwhile, Jauan Jennings (hip) will be inactive. The 24-year-old Pearsall was shot in the chest during a robbery attempt just before the start of the regular season, so this will be his first game action of 2024. There's opportunity behind Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel against the Chiefs, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect Pearsall to have a big role on offense in his first game. Instead, Chris Conley is the favorite to see increased snaps in three-wide sets. Pearsall should eventually have a bigger role, but for now, he's only worth stashing in deep leagues and dynasty/keeper formats.