San Francisco 49ers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that tight end George Kittle (hamstring) was limited in practice on Wednesday. Kittle injured his hamstring in practice last week and ultimately did not play in the Week 3 loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. His status for this Sunday's contest against the visiting New England Patriots is up in the air, but it's a great sign that he is participating in the first practice of the week. If the 30-year-old can increase his practice level on either Thursday or Friday, he'll give himself a shot to be active in Week 4. Backup TE Eric Saubert caught both of his targets for 41 yards and is a weak TE2 streamer in fantasy if Kittle misses another game. Receiver Jauan Jennings reaped all the benefits with Kittle and Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) out in Week 3, going for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Kittle is a must-start TE1 whenever he's active.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team hopes to get tight end George Kittle (hamstring) back at practice this week. Kittle tweaked his hamstring at practice last week and was forced to sit out of the team's Week 3 loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. We'll have a better idea of the 30-year-old's status for a Week 4 tilt against the New England Patriots once the Niners resume practicing on Wednesday, but as of right now, it sounds as though he has a realistic shot to play this weekend if he can get on the practice field. It would be great news for a team hit hard by injuries to key players early in 2024. Running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, calf) is on IR and receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) could miss more time. Kittle will be a must-start TE1 in fantasy if he's able to return against the Pats.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, calf) traveled to Germany over the weekend to visit with a specialist, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. McCaffrey is expected to spend a few days in Europe this week to get help for his injured Achilles. CMC injured his Achilles/calf in training camp back in August and was placed on Injured Reserve, meaning he cannot return until at least Week 6 against the Seattle Seahawks. However, there's a good chance the 28-year-old All-Pro will be out beyond that, depending on how quickly he recovers over the next several weeks. Fantasy managers obviously need to continue stashing last year's rushing champion in an IR spot while hoping for a speedy recovery. With the Niners' offense banged up, RB Jordan Mason will continue to be heavily involved and will be a weekly RB1 for fantasy managers until McCaffrey comes off IR.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that quarterback Brock Purdy (back) is day-to-day with back soreness. It doesn't sound like a very serious injury, but we'll keep a close eye on Purdy's practice status anyway this week as the team prepares for their Week 4 meeting against the New England Patriots this weekend. The 24-year-old signal-caller was without running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, calf), receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) and tight end George Kittle (hamstring) -- arguably his top three offensive weapons -- in the Week 3 loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Rams but still managed to throw for 292 yards and a season-high three touchdowns on 30 attempts, with most of his work being done with wideout Jauan Jennings, who hauled in all three of Purdy's TDs. If Purdy plays in Week 4, he'll be more attractive as a QB1 in fantasy if one/both of Samuel or Kittle can return.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings erupted in a 27-24 loss to the Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday. All he did filling in for Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) was catch 11 of 12 targets for 175 yards and three touchdowns, not only nearly doubling Malik Nabers' overall WR2 performance, but leading all players at any position in fantasy thus far in Week 3. For gamers who took a lineup risk, Jennings caught the wide-open ones and the ridiculous ones alike, catching 10 straight after having the ball jarred loose on his first target. Jennings' output today obliterates his previous best outing when he had 94 yards and two touchdowns in the last game of his rookie year, 2021. Samuel Sr. is not expected to reclaim his starting role next week at home against the New England Patriots, so Jennings is in line for more opportunities to produce. He'll be a top waiver target in most leagues heading into Week 4.