49ers declare RB Jordan James inactive for Week 1

Watkins was second among receivers in routes, running a route on 30 of the team’s 43 dropbacks, and was also third on the team overall in targets. He made a few nice catches over the middle of the field, and his day could have been much better as he caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy in the second half. Unfortunately, while his feet were in bounds, the ball shifted a couple of inches when his back slammed into the ground, and replay review overturned the call of touchdown on the field. Depending on the status of the 49ers’ wide receivers coming out of next week’s bye, Watkins could be an interesting fantasy option, but it’s hard to know that for sure until we know who will be healthy for the 49ers.

Black’s day did not start great as he was stuffed on three straight plays inside the three-yard line on the first drive. Then he watched as Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown on fourth down. However, McCaffrey also picked up a thigh injury on that drive and missed the remainder of the first half, which allowed Black the opportunity to rip off some nice chunk runs and a long touchdown. McCaffrey did return in the second half, and Black also lost a fumble in the second quarter, so there were some moments of inconsistency. That being said, Black looks like one of the best bench stash running backs in fantasy football.

McCaffrey was used heavily on the first drive with the 49ers down so many offensive players, and he came out of that drive with a touchdown but also a thigh injury. The trainers worked on him on the sideline for two drives before finally bringing him into the medical tent. The 49ers do have a bye next week, so they could try to get him back into the game, but they are also up 14-3 at this point, so the Falcons will likely need to get the game closer. Kaelon Black will continue to see a workhorse role while CMC is sidelined.

Watkins drew the start in place of the injured Deebo Samuel but was unable to take advantage of the opportunity, with 23 of Brock Purdy’s 29 targets going to the team’s top three options in Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, and George Kittle. Evans departed at the end of the second quarter with an aggravation of his Achilles injury, something that appears likely to cost the veteran a Week 7 game against the Falcons. That could leave Watkins in line for a second consecutive start, although the upside remains modest. Fantasy managers are likely best leaving both Watkins and veteran Brandin Cooks on the waiver wire, the latter of whom caught 1-of-2 targets for 13 yards against the Commanders.

Black was limited on Wednesday, but upgraded to full participation on Thursday and Friday. There are no concerns about his ability to handle backup duties against the Seahawks this week. That said, he has just 10 carries over the last two weeks and cannot be started in 12-team FLEX spots.

This should be a non-issue for Black by the time Sunday comes around. Black cut into Christian McCaffrey’s role again last week with six carries, though he only turned that into 13 yards. He doesn’t have much standalone fantasy value but remains one of the better contingency options headed into Week 5.

After seeing 14 carries in Week 1 against the Rams, Black now has 17 rushing attempts over his past three games as the Niners’ No. 2 back behind Christian McCaffrey. Black should be rostered in most leagues as one of the best contingency options in the game. As long as CMC is healthy, Black should remain on benches.

This is a low blow, even for the subsation. Hodge began the year on San Francisco’s practice squad but was promoted to the active roster when De’Zhaun Stribling went down with an ankle injury. He wound up running 45 percent of the routes in Week 3 but was not targeted once. With Mike Evans also banged up, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins could be in line for more work this week.

Watkins saw increased opportunity with Mike Evans (rib) exiting in the second quarter. He caught a pair of long targets from Purdy despite KhaDarel Hodge and Jacob Cowing beating the 24-year-old in snaps. Watkins could certainly be on the fantasy radar if Evans misses an extended period of time.

Black has seen his role decrease with Christian McCaffrey returning to bell cow usage. The rookie saw four carries and one target, totaling eight offensive snaps. He saw a red zone touch but otherwise did not get close to scoring opportunities. Black is one of the most valuable handcuffs in fantasy football moving forward.