San Francisco 49ers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is in Los Angeles to face the Rams in the team's first divisional matchup of 2024 on Sunday. Predictably, Aiyuk has yet to offer much to fantasy managers in the early going after choosing to sit out virtually the entire preseason. In Week 2 in Minnesota, the former first-rounder caught four of five targets for 43 yards, which was an improvement from Week 1's two-for-five, 28-yard performance versus the Jets. He has yet to score a touchdown. San Francisco is going to need him in LA though, as Deebo Samuel (calf) has been ruled out and George Kittle (hamstring) is doubtful. This game is as good as any for Aiyuk to get it going, with the Rams being shredded by rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. last week for 29 half-PPR points. The stars seem to have aligned for Aiyuk to make his first splash this season, with the matchup and likely heavy target share intersecting with another week of rust being shaken off. Start him this week as a low/mid WR1.

In Week 3, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy takes the team's 1-1 record into their first divisional game of 2024 in Los Angeles against the Rams in their home opener. Purdy didn't light up the fantasy scoreboard last Sunday in Minnesota by any stretch, throwing for only one touchdown, tossing an interception, and losing a fumble. However, he did throw for 319 yards. It was probably even more frustrating and painful for Purdy himself though, being sacked a career-high six times. Purdy is stuck on one touchdown through two weeks, but on the bright side, he is surprisingly leading the NFL in passing yards per game. The Rams are coming off a 41-10 road drubbing at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals, a game in which Kyler Murray threw for 226 yards and three passing touchdowns. Before that though, they kept Lions QB Jared Goff to 217 yards, one touchdown, and a pick in Detroit. Purdy will be without Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) and probably George Kittle (hamstring) in this one, not to mention Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) who isn't expected to return for several more weeks. Even if Los Angeles' pass defense is as vulnerable as they looked last week, these injuries throw cold water on the matchup advantage. Put Purdy on the QB1/2 border with a slight boost if Kittle plays.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (hamstring) is officially listed as doubtful to play in Week 3 on Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams after missing practice the last two days. Running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, calf) is on Injured Reserve, and receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) has been ruled out as well, so the Niners' offense is extremely banged up early in the year. It's bad news for fantasy managers that have been rolling with quarterback Brock Purdy as their QB1. With Kittle unlikely to play on Sunday, look for both Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings to handle as many targets as they can. Eric Saubert is expected to be the team's starting TE with Kittle out, although he's not a recommended fantasy streamer, as Jake Tonges could also be involved as a pass-catcher. Hopefully Kittle will be ready to return in Week 4 at home against the New England Patriots.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (hamstring) did not practice on Thursday, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The 30-year-old was not on Wednesday's injury report and will now approach the weekend with uncertain status. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to Friday's injury report, as it should provide more clarity on Kittle's status for Sunday. The Iowa product was lifted from last week's game due to cramping but was able to return as it did not seem serious as he caught seven of his eight targets for 76 yards and a score in this game. If the Iowa product happens to sit out this weekend, fantasy managers should expect Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings to see a significant increase in targets against the Los Angeles Rams.

With San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) set to miss a couple of weeks with a calf strain, Brandon Aiyuk is now set up to serve as the team's WR1 heading into a divisional matchup in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. Aiyuk played only 60% of the offensive snaps in the Week 1 win over the New York Jets after a lengthy contract hold-in during training camp this summer. He played 87% of the snaps in the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but through two games, Aiyuk has been a fantasy disappointment with six catches on 10 targets for 71 yards and no scores. Despite the poor start, fantasy managers need to keep the 26-year-old locked into starting lineups for Week 3 with Samuel sidelined. In addition to Aiyuk being more involved, receiver Jauan Jennings should operate as the WR2, while tight end George Kittle will also have a safer target floor for as long as Samuel is out.