San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel was rested for roughly half of Sunday's 21-20 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers had little to play for having already locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and chose to protect the playmaker from injury for a large chunk of the game. Samuel didn't see a touch or target after the first quarter, finishing with two catches on as many targets for 15 yards and one carry for 11 yards. Samuel will finish the 2023 campaign at or near the overall WR10 slot in half-PPR scoring despite missing three games due to injury.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk played a partial game in the team's 21-20 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. With San Francisco already locked into the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, Aiyuk saw his last action of the game in the second quarter. Before he was pulled, Aiyuk secured three of four targets for 25 yards receiving. He finishes the best fantasy year of his career with 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He'll likely be taken as a high-end WR2 in drafts this fall.

San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell led the team in carries and rushing yards in Sunday's 21-20 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams. With All-Pro Christian McCaffrey inactive, Mitchell outcarried fellow backup Jordan Mason 14 to 6 and outgained him in rushing yards, 52 to 36. He also added two receptions on two targets for 15 yards. Mitchell finishes the year with 75 carries for 281 yards and two touchdowns. Barring any unexpected roster moves, Mitchell is likely to reprise his role as McCaffrey's backup in 2024 and remain a popular fantasy stash and handcuff for McCaffrey managers.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (back spasms) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) have both been ruled out for the remainder of Week 18 versus the Los Angeles Rams. Both players were technically active this week but will not play. Neither player was in full uniform as Sunday's game kicked off. None of this news comes as a surprise given that San Francisco has clinched the NFC's No. 1 seed and has no reason to jeopardize the health of its key starters. Charlie Woerner will step up as the Niners' top tight end while Dee Winters takes over at weakside linebacker. Neither of them are on the fantasy radar.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III (rib) and fullback Kyle Juszczyk (illness) are active for Week 18 versus the Los Angeles Rams. Both players had been listed as questionable. McCloud was limited in practice all week long, while Juszczyk was a late addition on Saturday. Fantasy managers shouldn't rely on either player this Sunday, though McCloud could sneak onto the fantasy radar if the 49ers limit snaps for Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.