Football
The 49ers offense is a fantasy-football goldmine.
You know it’s going to produce lots and lots of yards. You just have to figure out which players will get the ball.
In the past, the majority of the targets in the passing game went to Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle. But now, Samuel is on the Commanders, Aiyuk is recovering from knee surgery and probably won’t be himself until 2026 and McCaffrey is coming off an abysmal season during which he was a shell of himself.
That’s why Jauan Jennings led the 49ers in targets last season — he was their most consistent receiver. But he wasn’t particularly explosive.
Second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is explosive. And if he stays healthy, he could surpass Jennings and Aiyuk as the 49ers’ No. 1 wide receiver this year. That’s why Bleacher Report says Pearsall is a fantasy football sleeper.
“The San Francisco 49ers selected Ricky Pearsall on Day 1 of the 2024 draft but never had much opportunity to feature the dynamic receiver during his injury-shortened rookie year,” writes Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay. “Pearsall didn’t get on the field until Week 7 due to a gunshot wound he suffered leading up to the campaign and struggled to find a rhythm during a lost 49ers campaign until the final weeks.
“Pearsall did provide a small glimpse of what he’s capable of over the season’s final fortnight, however. He broke out in Week 17 with a career-best eight-catch, 141-yard, one-touchdown outing against an elite Detroit Lions opponent and followed that up with a 6/69/1 performance versus the rival Arizona Cardinals in the finale.
“Despite this upside, the departure of Deebo Samuel and top wideout Brandon Aiyuk’s uncertain return from an ACL injury, Pearsall is still only being taken in fantasy drafts as the WR40 with an ADP of 71.”
Pearsall will get a ton of one-on-one matchups this season as teams tilt their coverage toward George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk when he eventually returns. Don’t be surprised if Pearsall leads the 49ers in receiving yards this year.
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