San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will open his third pro season on Monday night with a home game against the New York Jets. In 2023, Purdy had an excellent year, leading the league in several important categories, which led to a fourth-place finish in MVP voting and a narrow loss in Super Bowl LVIII. Despite Purdy's success in the regular season, the 24-year-old spent most of last year on the fantasy QB1/2 edge, mostly because of San Francisco's emphasis on the ground game and Purdy's lack of reliable rushing production. Meanwhile, the Jets' passing defense was elite last year, ranking second in the NFL in yards per game (168.3). In terms of personnel turnover, New York's defense remains largely intact though they did lose safety Jordan Whitehead as well as Bryce Huff and Quinton Jefferson up front. In March they replaced Huff by trading for All-Pro Haason Reddick. However, Reddick will not play on Monday night due to a contract holdout, which should make life a little easier for Purdy. Even still, with the Jets' pass defense being a true shutdown unit, Purdy is firmly in QB2 territory this week.

San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo (groin) will suit up for Monday's game against the New York Jets. The rookie back missed over a week of practice due to a groin issue, but was able to get in a few limited practice sessions. Guerendo practiced in full on Saturday and has no injury designation ahead of Week 1. Lead back Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles) is listed as questionable ahead of Monday's game. Guerendo would likely see a significant workload if McCaffrey sits out which seems unlikely. That being said, Guerendo could see a few touches as the third string back. He looks more like a stash for fantasy managers in dynasty or deep leagues.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) is questionable to play Monday night against the New York Jets. The superstar running back suffered a calf injury in August, knocking him out of the preseason and most of training camp. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan never seemed concerned about McCaffrey missing Week 1. Every indication has been that the veteran will be on the field for the Monday night matchup against the Jets. Yet, fantasy players should have a backup plan on their roster if McCaffrey is a last-minute inactive. Jordan Mason and Deebo Samuel will see most of the team's rushing workload if McCaffrey doesn't play.

When asked if there's any doubt in his mind that he will play in the Week 1 regular-season opener on Monday against the visiting New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, calf) simply said, "No." When asked if he's expecting a normal workload, McCaffrey said, "I hope so." For the second straight day on Friday, CMC was listed as limited on the team's injury report. ESPN's Nick Wagoner writes that McCaffrey seemed to be moving at full speed with no issues on Friday. The 28-year-old All-Pro RB missed most of training camp and all of the preseason due to an Achilles/calf injury, but he's been working on side fields since mid-August and should be active on Monday night. However, the top overall pick in most fantasy drafts will have more of a bust factor in the season opener against a nasty defense if he's limited at all. Fantasy managers would be wise to handcuff him with Jordan Mason.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) was officially placed on the team's injury report on Thursday, but it seems like he's on track to still play in Week 1. According to Ian Rapoport, the superstar back "should be fine" to suit up against the New York Jets on Monday night. It also helps that he gets one more day to get some rest and work out the calf and Achilles issues. This is huge news for all of the fantasy managers that spent a top-three pick on the RB1 from last season, especially with the 49ers backup, Elijah Mitchell (hamstring), out for the season. With McCaffrey likely in the lineup, fantasy managers will be able to start him with confidence as long as there aren't any setbacks before Monday.