San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody will kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. The former third-round pick began his sophomore season last week with a career day, hitting six of six field goal attempts from 46, 51, 31, 53, 23, and 42 yards away. He also hit both of his extra-point attempts. Minnesota's defense is probably nothing special -- regardless of their domination of Daniel Jones and the New York Giants last week -- so Moody should be able to ride the coattails of San Francisco's explosive offensive attack as usual. It might actually be a good thing for Moody that touchdown hog Christian McCaffrey is sidelined (Achilles). If Moody has improved his accuracy issues from last year and the 49ers continue to put him in positions of field goal volume, the talented Moody will be a top fantasy option for the foreseeable future. He's a top-3 play in Week 2.

The San Francisco 49ers are placing running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles tendinitis) on Injured Reserve today, aiming for him to fully recover from his Achilles tendinitis over the next four games. McCaffrey missed most of training camp and did not play in the preseason due to a calf strain, which head coach Kyle Shanahan disclosed on August 6. The reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year, McCaffrey led the league last season in touches (339), rushing yards (1,459), yards from scrimmage (2,032), and scrimmage touchdowns (21). The earliest he can return is October 10th against Seattle on Thursday Night Football. In his absence, Jordan Mason stepped up as the 49ers' RB1, delivering a standout performance with 152 yards and a touchdown on 29 touches. While Mason's impressive showing provides some reassurance, it's important to note that McCaffrey's unique skill set and versatility are irreplaceable. Mason will serve as an RB1 until McCaffrey's return, and this situation underscores the importance of rostering your running back's handcuffs to prepare for potential injuries.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle heads to Minnesota this week as the team takes on the Vikings. In last week's home victory over the New York Jets, Kittle caught four of five targets for 40 yards and no touchdowns. The Vikings defense held the New York Giants tight ends Theo Johnson and Daniel Bellinger to two catches for 21 yards last week. In 2023, Minnesota's defense was 13th-best in the NFL at suppressing tight end fantasy production in half-PPR. Kittle's output has been notoriously volatile over the past few years, but his duds have been more than evened out by his monster games. Last season, he finished as the overall TE5 in half-PPR scoring. He's a no-brainer high/mid TE1 start in Week 2.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (ankle) was removed from the final Week 2 injury report on Friday and is good to go for Sunday's contest on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. Jennings briefly exited the Week 1 win over the New York Jets with an ankle issue but returned to the contest and finished out the game with five receptions for a team-high 64 yards on Monday night. The 27-year-old was third among the team's wideouts while playing 49% of the offensive snaps, but he was more involved in the passing game as the Niners eased Brandon Aiyuk back after his lengthy training camp hold-in this summer. Jennings should continue to work as the WR3 in San Fran behind Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel Sr. with rookie Ricky Pearsall (chest) out, but he's unlikely to see enough weekly targets to be considered a realistic flex play in most fantasy leagues.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. is in Minnesota as the team prepares for a Week 2 matchup versus the Vikings. The former South Carolina Gamecock fulfilled expectations and then some in Week 1 against the New York Jets. He finished the game with five receptions on nine targets for 54 yards through the air to go with eight carries for 23 yards and a touchdown on the ground. It's reasonable to expect similar usage in the running game, given running back Christian McCaffrey's continued absence and San Francisco's success with their approach last week. The similarities may stop with the passing game though, as 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk was playing in his first game action after sitting out the preseason, so the window for Samuel Sr. to take target advantage of Aiyuk's lack of football readiness may be closing. Minnesota's pass defense tamped down the fantasy performances of all New York Giants involved last week, but it's also possible New York's offense is just inept against everybody. Last year's Vikings defense was sixth-worst in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers in half-PPR. Samuel Sr. is a locked-and-loaded WR1 in Week 2.