Coming into the 2026 campaign without second-year WR Ricky Pearsall, the San Francisco 49ers’ offense was already shorthanded. The team was set to rely heavily on rookie De’Zhaun Stribling to get the job done, but the first-year man also went down with an injury of his own last Thursday.
Stribling’s ankle injury vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Australia made for an abbreviated professional debut, and it’ll also make for an abbreviated debut campaign. How much time is the former Oklahoma State and Ole Miss standout slated to miss?
Below, we dive into the latest De’Zhaun Stribling injury update and outline its potential impact on 49ers fantasy football picks and player projections for PrizePicks.
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De’Zhaun Stribling Injury Update: Rookie WR Out for ‘At Least a Month’
Per a Sunday report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, it’s a deltoid ligament sprain in his ankle. That’ll keep him on the shelf for at least a month, although he isn’t expected to get surgery at the moment. His medical team is still evaluating his options.
At the time of his injury, Stribling was completing his 21st offensive snap of the night. The #33 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft hadn’t been targeted a single time in the passing game, but that doesn’t reflect what he’s meant to the San Francisco offense since entering the fold.
During organized team activities (OTAs) and training camp, Stribling was phenomenal. That carried over into the preseason when, according to NFL Pro, he recorded more yards per route run (4.95) than any first- or second-round rookie (min. 20+ routes) in the history of Next Gen Stats tracking.
Across two preseason contests, Stribling converted on 11 of 13 targets for 109 yards, including a 32-yard reception. The 23-year-old combined for 107 catches, 1,693 yards, and 12 TDs during his final two collegiate seasons.
Stribling hasn’t been placed on the injured reserve list as of the publishing of this story, but him missing a month would put him out until either Week 5 or Week 6. Here are the 49ers’ games leading up to Week 7 in Atlanta against the Falcons:
- Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins
- Week 3: vs. Arizona Cardinals
- Week 4: vs. Denver Broncos
- Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks
- Week 6: vs. Washington Commanders (Monday Night Football)
49ers Fantasy Football Outlook: Mike Evans to Thrive With Stribling Out?
Stribling, while still critical to the San Francisco attack, is a bit lower on the ladder than some other players. Via Fantasy Pros, his real-time average draft position is 114th overall, making him WR47 leaguewide. Higher on the depth chart and in drafts is veteran Mike Evans, who’s currently the 65th player and WR30 in redraft point-per-reception formats.
Evans immediately made his presence felt in the Land Down Under, logging 6 receptions for 49 yards and a TD in his 49ers debut. Coming off an eight-game 2025 season, the 33-year-old has plenty to prove despite boasting one of the league’s best resumes for a receiver. As long as he’s healthy, Evans figures to be QB Brock Purdy’s primary option through the air.
Per RBSDM, Purdy thrived when targeting Evans, producing a staggering 1.17 EPA per play. That was his highest figure when throwing to any player on the team, with TE George Kittle (-1.12) producing the worst results.
On PrizePicks, Evans returns a 10x payout for a cprrect “Yes” prediction on him to lead the regular season in receiving TDs.
Kittle, still working his way back to full capacity after a season-ending Achilles rupture in 2025, didn’t look like himself in Week 1. It remains to be seen whether he can reach last year’s numbers, which included a 21.6% target share and a 2.17 yards per route run mark that, according to SumerSports, was fourth among all TEs with 50+ routes.
WR Deebo Samuel is also worth mentioning in his second stint with the franchise. He matched Evans’ 6 catches vs. L.A. and fell just a lone yard short of his total. RB Christian McCaffrey is always the go-to threat as an all-purpose weapon; he had 88 scrimmage yards and averaged 5.9 yards per touch to open his 10th NFL season.
On PrizePicks, the 49ers are listed as the second-biggest favorites to win Super Bowl LXI following their impressive Week 1 showing. A prediction of “Yes” returns a 9.09x payout if correct, with “No” returning a 1.04x payout.
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A depleted 49ers offense now faces an even more daunting task in finding ways to produce with Stribling injured. If their Week 1 triumph over the Rams was any indication, though, the Purdy-to-Evans connection might be enough.
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