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    Beat: Evans (quad) leaves early, precautionary

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    SF Wide Receiver #5
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    The Mercury News’ Cam Inman reports that 49ers WR Mike Evans (quad) left practice early as a “precautionary” measure.

    It would be really nice to see Evans consistently practice in full at this point, but both Inman and ESPN’s Nick Wagoner appear mostly unconcerned by today’s development. Per Wagoner, Evans stopped practicing after running a deep route on Sunday. Evans “seemed to be moving fine” after exiting. Wagoner adds that it is “clear he and the Niners want to be cautious to get him to the regular season ready to go.” Evans’ soft tissue concerns remain present, but as long as he takes the field on game day, he is a WR2 with WR1 upside.
Nix, Hufanga detail Broncos' comeback to beat Rams
Bo Nix and Talanoa Hufanga join Melissa Stark postgame to discuss how the Denver Broncos completed the second-half comeback to beat the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football.

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  • SF Wide Receiver #5
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    According to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, “it was unclear exactly what happened to Evans.” He got hit hard in the sternum on a catch over the middle, but remained in the game for a few plays before needing help from the training staff to get off the field. Shanahan said the team couldn’t tell if Evans broke a rib or injured his oblique, but he believes those questions will be answered tomorrow, indicating Evans will likely undergo imaging. He entered the game with a hip injury. Wagoner adds that LT Trent Williams (stinger) and LB Dre Greenlaw’s (quad) injuries “seemed less severe” than Evans’ injury.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Evans exited in the second quarter of the 49ers’ Week 3 game against the Cardinals after taking a hard hit to the torso. The veteran entered the day questionable with a hip injury but played and had a productive day before leaving. Evans caught three passes for 34 yards and a touchdown at the time of his departure, pitching one of his catches to Deebo Samuel for a hook-and-ladder touchdown. The team ruled Evans out after halftime with a rib injury.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Evans took a major hit in the second quarter against the Cardinals, with Budda Baker jarring the veteran receiver in his torso. Trainers came out and took Evans off the field; he was seemingly struggling to breathe as he headed to the sideline. It is unclear yet what the injury is, but Evans was carted to the locker room shortly after. He had caught 3-of-6 targets for 34 yards and a touchdown at the time of his departure, with one of his catches leading to a pitch to Deebo Samuel on a hook-and-ladder touchdown.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Evans entered the weekend questionable for Week 3 after missing two practices and getting in one limited practice during the week. The veteran tends to rest minor injuries before playing in games, indicating his hip issue should not have a major impact on his output against the Cardinals. The 49ers declared QB Kurtis Rourke, DE Nick Bosa (calf), DL James Thompson (ankle), DE Romello Height (hand), LB Tatum Bethune, CB Ephesians Prysock, and OT Enrique Cruz Jr. inactive for Week 3 against the Cardinals.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Evans has been trending in the right direction throughout the week, with Kyle Shanahan already telling reporters a few days ago that he has a good chance to suit up. The team officially listed him as questionable on their final injury report, but fantasy managers can assume he is playing for now. Evans could see his role scaled back slightly, but the 49ers are extremely thin at receiver, having lost Demarcus Robinson to an ankle injury most recently. Even at less than full strength, Evans remains in play as a fantasy WR2.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Rapoport made the statement, and then immediately referenced 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s comments earlier this week, when he said Evans had a “good” chance to play this week, so it is unclear if Rapoport is actually breaking news. That said, no news is good news. If the NFL Network star had learned something contradictory, we would have heard about it. Evans returned to practice in a limited capacity today. Stay tuned for updates and treat him as a WR2 for the time being.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Evans did not practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but was in uniform and warming up during the open portion of Friday’s practice. When asked whether Evans was limited or full, he declined to say. If Evans was full, we have almost no concerns about his ability to play this week, though he likely would have been removed from the injury report if that were the case. Evans must be treated as truly questionable to play, so make a backup plan, but he is the type of player who does not necessarily need to practice fully before practicing. If active, he is a WR2.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    Evans, 33, can still play on game day, even with very limited practice reps. Reliable veterans do not need the same practice level as youngsters. We likely just need to see him resume practicing tomorrow. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said earlier this week that Evans will “have to be managed this week,” so the current state of things is somewhat unsurprising. If active, Evans can be viewed as a WR2.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Monday that Evans would have to be managed this week. Sitting out on Wednesday is hardly surprising and not overly concerning. The 33-year-old wide receiver missed plenty of practice this summer and has looked great thus far. As long as he’s back at it by Friday, we are not concerned.
  • SF Wide Receiver #5
    So it’s just like every other week, then, folks. Evans left Week 2’s game against the 49ers but reportedly could have returned if it were close. Evans, 33, likely will miss practice time this week. It doesn’t sound like there’s a major reason to believe he’ll miss Week 3 with the injury based on how this has gone, but we’ll keep updating his practice status.

Rotoworld

  • DEN Wide Receiver #17
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    Jaylen Waddle caught 2-of-7 targets for 10 yards in the Broncos’ Week 3 win over the Rams, adding 14 yards on one carry.

    Waddle would also add a successful two-point reception in the third quarter to give him a slight boost in counting stats, although the 6.4-point effort left fantasy managers in desperate need of better production from their fourth-round selection in fantasy drafts. Waddle has now sandwiched poor fantasy outings with one usable game through three weeks. Fantasy managers are likely left to ride out the struggles of the Denver offense in hopes of greener pastures, which could come in a Week 4 showdown with the 49ers. Treat Waddle as an upside WR3, at present.
  • DEN Wide Receiver #13
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    Pat Bryant caught both targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos’ Week 3 win over the Rams.

    Bryant also added a successful two-point reception in the third quarter to give him a usable fantasy week for the first time in 2026. He continues to play well behind Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle in an offense that has yet to find its footing with a new offensive play caller. He’ll be a difficult start in Week 4 against the 49ers.
  • DEN Wide Receiver #14
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    Courtland Sutton caught 3-of-7 targets for 46 yards in the Broncos’ Week 3 win over the Rams.

    Sutton tied for the team lead in targets while pacing the offense in yards, which highlights the struggles that persist in Davis Webb’s offense through three games. He will be off the FLEX radar ahead of a Week 4 showdown against the 49ers.
  • DEN Running Back #27
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    J.K. Dobbins rushed 17 times for 49 yards in the Broncos’ Week 3 win over the Rams, adding four yards on one reception.

    Dobbins and the rest of the Denver offense have been subject to poor situational tendencies from first-time play caller Davis Webb’s offense through three weeks. Dobbins is the player arguably hit the hardest with poor play sequencing as the bulk of his work comes on early downs. Even so, Dobbins now has a higher share of the backfield opportunities following the placement of Jonah Coleman on IR Saturday. Dobbins is a shaky RB3 ahead of a Week 4 showdown with the 49ers.
  • DEN Quarterback #10
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    Bo Nix completed 17-of-34 passes for 186 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in the Broncos’ 30-26, Week 3 win over the Rams, adding seven yards and a touchdown on four carries.

    The Broncos were shut out in the first half amidst consistent struggles from Nix, who, for his part, turned in solid production in a third quarter that saw the Broncos knot the game at 16 through two touchdowns and successful two-point conversions. Nix and the Broncos would struggle to move the football again in the fourth quarter but a pick-six from safety Talanoa Hufanga gave them the lead with under five minutes to play. Stafford returned blows to send the Rams to a three-point lead before Nix’s game-winning score from one yard out. That final drive was aided by three key penalties to go against the Rams, the final of which was questionable, to put it kindly. Josh Wallace appeared to intercept Nix for the second time in the fourth quarter but a defensive pass interference penalty was called, giving the Broncos renewed life. Hufanga would intercept Stafford for a second time in the fourth quarter, this time in the end zone, to seal the victory for the Broncos as time expired. Nix and offensive coordinator Davis Webb have not looked good through three games despite the team’s 2-1 record, and will need to clean things up ahead of another NFC West showdown against the 49ers in Week 4. Nix is currently nothing more than a middling QB2.
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    Tyler Higbee caught 8-of-11 targets for 62 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 3 loss to the Broncos.

    Higbee’s first quarter touchdown got the scoring started for the Rams, but it wasn’t until Terrance Ferguson departed with an ankle injury that his volume truly took off. From that point forward, Higbee was one of the primary options through the air, finishing two targets behind Davante Adams for the team lead. Fantasy managers will want to monitor Ferguson’s status closely in the coming week as Higbee could become a legitimate waiver target should Ferguson miss time.
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    Konata Mumpfield caught 4-of-8 targets for 93 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 3 loss to the Broncos.

    Mumpfield managed just one grab before erupting for 78 yards and a touchdown on a single drive in the fourth quarter with the Rams trailing for the first time in the game. His touchdown came on a double move against Riley Moss down the sideline for a walk-in score from 48 yards out. Mumpfield stepped into a growing role the previous two weeks in the absence of Puka Nacua and could remain a starter at wide receiver should Nacua miss additional time.
  • LA Wide Receiver #17
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    Davante Adams caught 7-of-13 targets for 137 yards in the Rams’ Week 3 loss to the Broncos.

    Adams’ 137 yards combine with the 195 yards he erupted for in Week 2 to set a new high in receiving yards in consecutive games during his remarkable career. Even more stunning was the fact that he did so against one of the top corners in the league in Pat Surtain, who shadowed Adams for all but a handful of his routes, proving his ability to get open against top competition even in the later stages of his career. Puka Nacua missed both Week 2 and Week 3 but the details of, and timeline to return from, his injury remain convoluted, at best. Adams will remains a top-tier WR1 should Nacua miss more time, and would be solid WR2 should Nacua return for a Week 4 meeting with the Eagles.
  • LA Running Back #23
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    Kyren Williams rushed 15 times for 88 yards in the Rams’ Week 3 loss to the Broncos, adding 70 yards on six receptions.

    Williams’ 70 yards through the air were a career-high mark in receiving for a single game, returning yet another RB1 fantasy performance despite sharing backfield work with Blake Corum. Corum managed only 15 yards on six carries and caught two passes for zero additional yards. Furthermore, Corum has still not seen a carry inside the red zone through three games of the 2026 season. Williams remains a surefire RB1 ahead of a difficult matchup against the Eagles in Week 4.
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    Matthew Stafford completed 30-of-55 passes for 390 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in the Rams’ 30-26, Week 3 loss to the Broncos, adding 13 yards on two carries.

    The Rams stormed out to a 16-0 lead they would take into the break but two unanswered scores and two-point conversions from the Broncos saw the game knotted at 16 heading into the fourth quarter, which is where the scoring really took off. Stafford and the Rams appeared to be in control of the game until a Talanoa Hufanga pick-six off Stafford, making 33 career pick-sixes thrown to give him a record he would otherwise not like to have on his ledger. Stafford answered on the following possession on a 48-yard strike to Konata Mumpfield, only for the Broncos to answer back with a Bo Nix rushing score with 47 seconds left to play. Stafford worked more magic to get the team into the red zone, marching the field with only one timeout with a chance to win on the final play of the game. Hufanga ultimately won the play with his second interception off Stafford, sending the Rams to a 1-2 record. Stafford also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 20,000 yards for two different franchises in the loss. Stafford remains a locked-in QB1 in fantasy circles ahead of a Week 4 showdown with the Eagles on the road.