San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (chest) appears to be making progress in his recovery process. The rookie wideout is only a few weeks removed from being shot during a robbery attempt. Despite that, Pearsall has started training again as he prepares to get back on the football field. This is great news as Pearsall could be back on the field as early as Week 5. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has stated that Pearsall remains week-to-week. The expectation is that Pearsall could be immediately utilized once he's cleared to play football again. The 49ers are going to be without wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) for at least a couple of weeks. His absence means an increased usage for Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and probably tight end George Kittle. Pearsall should be in the mix as well, but remains out until at least Week 5.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) suffered a calf strain in the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday and will be forced to miss a couple of weeks. It comes as a surprise after Samuel had eight catches (10 targets) for 110 receiving yards while also carrying the ball twice for 10 yards. With both Samuel and All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, calf) out for the foreseeable future, San Fran's offense could struggle to put up points heading into a Week 3 divisional matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Jauan Jennings should step into the WR2 role behind Brandon Aiyuk, who has been slow out of the gates after a lengthy contract hold-in, while tight end George Kittle's fantasy ceiling and floor will now be raised. Samuel's injury makes running back Jordan Mason even more of a lock as a must-start in fantasy lineups going forward.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle was heavily involved in the team's offense in Week 2, but it wasn't enough to prevent a 23-17 loss to the Vikings in Minnesota. The 30-year-old posted seven receptions on eight targets for 76 yards and a touchdown. Kittle's seven-yard score came near the end of the second quarter with San Francisco down by 10, as Kittle took a middle screen near the line of scrimmage and zagged his way around and through defenders to break the plane. He had quarterback Brock Purdy's eye throughout this one, the eight targets second only to receiver Deebo Samuel's 10. Kittle's performance was good enough to grab at least a temporary hold on the overall TE1 spot this week, heading into Monday night's Falcons/Eagles matchup. Next up for Kittle is a road matchup in Los Angeles against the division-rival Rams on Sunday.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk disappointed again in a 23-17 loss to the Vikings in Minneapolis on Sunday. He finished with four receptions for 43 yards on five targets and no touchdowns. Minted with a four-year $120 million extension recently, it appears that Aiyuk is still working his way back into football shape after skipping nearly all of the 49ers preseason games and team practices. On the bright side, today was an improvement from Week 1's two-catch, 28-yard performance. As Aiyuk continues to sharpen physically and regain his rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy, it's almost certain that he'll get back to 2023 form, but it could still take another week or two. In Week 3, Aiyuk and the 49ers will head south to play the Rams in Los Angeles.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. was impressive in a 23-17 loss to the Vikings in Minneapolis on Sunday. He caught eight of 10 targets for 110 yards receiving -- all team-high figures. Samuel Sr.'s hands were particularly sticky in this one, with multiple difficult receptions coming on contested passes. In a bit of a departure from his usual style, relatively few of his yards came after the catch. Although it didn't matter in the end, Samuel Sr. made a great hustle play in the 49ers' final possession near the goal line when linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel jumped a backward wide receiver screen pass intended for Samuel Sr., who got back to secure the ball when Van Ginkel bobbled it. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, it counted as a carry for a loss of nine yards. He would finish with two carries for minus-10 yards. Samuel Sr. will look to keep it going in a road tilt against the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.