Jordan

Watkins

James has officially lost the backup job to rookie RB Kaelon Black, who should be safely stashed on fantasy benches before kickoff. The 49ers also declared QB Kurtis Rourke, CB Ephesians Prysock, WR Jordan Watkins, LB Tatum Bethune and OT Enrique Cruz inactive for Week 1 against the Rams.

The Athletic’s Matt Barrows notes that at 30 years old, Samuel is “not going to be close to an every-down player.” 49ers WRs Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing are competing to be Samuel’s backup, though neither player will be reliable in fantasy. Samuel may also struggle to return FLEX value at this point in his career.

Watkins drew positive reviews as a rookie last summer, but September ankle and calf injuries stunted his development, pushing him to the bottom of the depth chart. Cowing’s second NFL season was derailed by a recurring hamstring strain. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows listed him as a standout at Thursday’s practice, but he caught just four passes as a 2024 rookie. Expectations for him must be tempered. Watkins is worth monitoring for deep-league managers.

Jennings is very difficult to trust after last week’s meltdown. He was limited twice to begin the week, and we do not yet know his Friday participation level. At this point, the big-bodied wide receiver can only be viewed as a boom-bust WR4/FLEX option. If and when he resumes practicing in full consistently, we will be able to upgrade him to WR3 status. 49ers rookie WR Jordan Watkins (calf) is also expected to play this weekend.

We were just thinking the 49ers wideout projections needed another variable to deal with. Watkins briefly wowed in training camp before dealing with a high-ankle sprain and later this calf issue. It’s possible he cuts into some veteran playing time if the 49ers wideout room remains unsettled, but he’s not someone to rush and pick up in re-draft leagues without seeing some real signs of fantasy life.

Purdy remained sidelined all week, as did WR Ricky Pearsall, who is dealing with a PCL sprain in his knee. Just eight days ago, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Purdy is considered week-to-week, so the starting quarterback’s absence is hardly surprising. Hopefully, Purdy can remain setback-free and return for the 49ers’ Week 7 game against the Falcons, though that outcome should not be viewed as guaranteed. The 49ers also ruled out WR Jordan Watkins (calf), DL Kevin Givens (pectoral) and EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee/hamstring).

49ers starting QB Brock Purdy (toe/left shoulder) has been cleared to play, so Jones has been put back into the No. 2 spot. He played admirably in his two starts, completing 53-of-80 passes for 563 yards, four touchdowns and one interception and rushing seven times for five yards despite aggravating a summer PCL sprain in Week 3. For fantasy managers in two-quarterback leagues with no one better to stash, he can be left on the bench this week to see how Purdy’s health holds up. For everyone else, he can be dropped. The 49ers also ruled out WR Jordan Watkins (calf) and DT CJ West (thumb). FB Kyle Juszczyk passed the NFL’s concussion protocol and will be active for Week 4 against the Jaguars.

Watkins is expected to miss three or four weeks after injuring his calf on Thursday. The rookie wide receiver cannot catch a break. He was considered a candidate to assume Nos. 3 or 4 wide receivers duties at one point in training camp, but his progress was derailed by an ankle injury. Having successfully rehabbed that, he is unfortunately now dealing with a new issue.

Watkins is listed as a limited participant, which suggests the once-hyped rookie wide receiver strained his calf in practice. It’s a brutal development for a young player who just rehabbed an ankle injury. Watkins is seemingly unlikely to suit up in Week 3 against the Cardinals.

Before injuring his ankle in mid-August, Watkins was competing for one of the team’s top-four wide receiver roles. Training camp reports indicated that the rookie looked good. Watkins is unlikely to meaningfully contribute this week but wide receiver-needy fantasy managers can stash him on benches to see how things shake out in the short term. 49ers RB Jordan James (finger) and will also make his 2025 debut this week.