San Francisco 49ers DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow) missed a second straight day of practice this week on Thursday after suffering a right-elbow injury at the end of the Sunday night loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 17. Although Purdy's injury is considered minor and he hasn't officially been ruled out yet, the Niners have already announced that backup Joshua Dobbs will get the start in a meaningless Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Expect the 25-year-old Purdy to be officially ruled out on Friday's final Week 18 injury report. If the former seventh-rounder has played his last game of the 2024 season, he'll finish with a career-low 65.9% completion percentage with 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 15 starts. It was a step back from his breakout in 2023, but Purdy was also missing key weapons on offense for most of the year due to injury.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (illness, chest) was limited in Wednesday's practice, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. The 49ers will conclude the season at Arizona in Week 18 in a meeting of two teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention. The rookie receiver is coming off his career-best game on Monday against Detroit, going for eight catches, 141 yards, and a touchdown, but the 49ers may be without quarterback Brock Purdy (elbow) and a host of other players, too. Against a solid Cards pass defense, Pearsall is a major risk in DFS or fantasy formats that play Week 18.

According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (rib/knee) did not practice on Wednesday. Samuel saw his typical snap count during Monday's loss to the Detroit Lions. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status throughout the week, as he may be in danger of missing Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. Samuel has found the end zone in each of his past two games but has had an overall disappointing season. Since Week 10, he has just averaged a mere 9.0 PPR points per game. During this span he has seen just 5.3 targets per game. If Samuel is unable to play on Sunday, Jauan Jennings will operate as the top wideout in the offense and rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall would slot in as the No.2 option.

According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (ankle/hamstring) did not practice on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to their final game of the season against the Arizona Cardinals. With the 49ers out of playoff contention, Kittle may face an uphill battle to clear protocol in order to suit up. On Monday evening, during their loss to the Detroit Lions, Kittle brought in all eight of his targets for 112 yards. This was his second-straight contest tallying at least 100 yards and the fourth time this season he has accomplished this feat. Since Week 12, he has averaged a strong 15.2 PPR points per game. Even though Joshua Dobbs will be under center on Sunday, Kittle remains a must-start tight end if he is cleared to play.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joshua Dobbs will get the starting nod against the Arizona Cardinals this weekend. Dobbs came in for relief late in Monday's game when Brock Purdy (elbow) sustained an injury. The team is opting to lean on the side of caution with Purdy and will let their backup QB start under center in their final game. On his lone drive on Monday night, Dobbs tallied a seven-yard rushing score with 35 passing yards. When Purdy missed time earlier this season, Brandon Allen got the start, but now the coaching staff will turn to Dobbs. Dobbs is worth a look as QB2 in all formats, as he does carry some rushing upside in this matchup despite facing a tougher Arizona defense that has allowed the seventh-fewest PPR points to opposing QBs.