The San Francisco 49ers defeated their division rival, the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 on Sunday by a score of 17-13. However, this win came with a cost. Several 49ers key players, including star TE George Kittle, exited the game early.
After the game, Kittle was placed on short-term IR with a hamstring injury — he will miss at least the next four games.
Midway through the second quarter, Kittle was blocking downfield. While engaged with the defender, he tweaked his hamstring and later exited the game. Kittle managed 4 receptions and a TD, all of which came on the opening drive of the game for the 49ers.
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The 49ers are slated to face the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, but they'll do so without Kittle.
George Kittle Injury Update: How Long is Kittle Out For?
San Francisco 49ers’ HC Kyle Shanahan did not provide any solid updates during his postgame conference to the media so many started to question the extent of Kittle's injury.
Unfortunately for the San Francisco 49ers, news came out that George Kittle is projected to miss roughly 3-5 weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, per Ian Rapoport. Now, Kittle has been places on Injured Reserve and will miss at least four games.
The 49ers don't have a solid backup tight end, which should mean much of the offensive production will trickle down to RB Christian McCaffrey and the WRs — especially Jennings (if healthy) and Ricky Pearsall.
Hamstring injuries are a common occurrence for the 31-year-old tight end as over his nine-year career, as this will be his fifth hamstring injury.
Although the news could’ve been better for fans and fantasy managers, Kittle has managed to bounce back from these aggravating injuries. Outside of his rookie season, Kittle has had no season with less than 750 yards in which he played more than 10 games — his long-term upside is still there.
49ers Fantasy Football Outlook for Week 2
The 49ers are once again one of the most injury-prone teams heading into Week 2. Kittle is sidelined for a few weeks, QB Brock Purdy has a shoulder and toe injury that might force him to miss a game – leaving Mac Jones to start, and WR Jauan Jennings (shoulder) did not practice on Wednesday.
49ers Tight Ends
At tight end, both Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges will slot in to share time. Both played 17 snaps on passing downs last week; Tonges had three targets for 15 yards and a TD, including the game-winning touchdown, while Farrell only had one target.
Neither is really fantasy relevant for now, as neither has projections available on PrizePicks beyond Tonges' Rush+Rec TD projection. Tonges is the one to watch, but it looks like they will split snaps.
49ers WRs
With Jones possibly in line to start at QB next week, look for a few players to step up. WR Ricky Pearsall is the leader in the WR room now, even though the 49ers brought in Kendrick Bourne due to the possibility of Jauan Jennings missing time.
Pearsall could have consecutive weeks with double-digit targets out of necessity. Although he had just 4 receptions on 7 targets, Pearsall hauled in 108 yards receiving last week and led the team in snaps with an 84% snap share.
Behind them, Russell Gage Jr. and Marquez Valdes-Scantling played 37% of the snaps, but neither was targeted. Both are irrelevant for fantasy unless Jennings sits.
Until we get clarity on Jennings' injury status, it's hard to know how this WR room will play out in Week 2.
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49ers RBs
With a key piece out of the Lineup, Christian McCaffrey could be the focal point of the offense yet again.McCaffrey not only had 22 carries for 69 yards but also gained 9 additional catches for a total of 73 yards — a whopping 31 touches on 72 offensive plays.
It's hard to believe he can sustain that usage, but it might be a necessity until this team gets healthy. He is the top overall RB in fantasy football right now.
Christian McCaffrey PrizePicks Week 2 projections
Here are Christian McCaffrey's Week 2 projections vs. the Saints via the PrizePicks NFL board:
- 78.5 Rush Yards
- 16.5 Longest Rush
All these injuries for the 49ers are worth monitoring for Week 2; Kittle is out, but both Purdy and Jennings are up in the air. Keep an eye on practice reports through the week before the 49ers vs. Saints game.
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