Fantasy Football 2026: San Francisco 49ers Player Outlooks and Targets

We are full go with our preparation for the upcoming Fantasy season, which means it's time to write all the player outlooks for this year. I'm privileged to get the NFC West, and we're going to do team-by-team previews as well. Here, you get to see all the interesting information I find about the 49ers . I'll highlight players to target, as well as others to avoid. And you'll get a good idea of what the 49ers can hopefully do in 2026. Let's see if San Francisco is a Fantasy destination for you this year.

Team Breakdown

Coach: Kyle Shanahan

Offensive coordinator: Klay Kubiak

Key additions: WR Mike Evans , WR Christian Kirk , LB Dre Greenlaw

Draft picks of note: WR De'Zhaun Stribling (Round 2 from Ole Miss), RB Kaelon Black (Round 3 from Indiana)

2026 strength of schedule: No. 18 (opponents combined 2025 record: 143-145-1)

2025 numbers of note

Points for: No. 10 at 437 (25.7 per game)

Passing yards: No. 5 at 4,157 (244.5 per game)

Passing attempts: No. 11 at 574

Rushing yards: No. 24 at 1,817 (106.9 per game)

Rushing attempts: No. 10 at 481

Players to target based on Average Draft Position (ADP)

1. Brock Purdy Purdy had an up-and-down 2025 campaign due to injuries, but he's expected to be fine in 2026 and is worth drafting as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy option in all one-quarterback leagues. In Superflex and two-quarterback leagues, Purdy is worth drafting in Round 3. Last season, Purdy missed eight games with toe and shoulder injuries. But when he played, he was fantastic, with at least 20.7 Fantasy points in seven of 11 games, including the playoffs. He averaged a career-best 24.2 Fantasy points per game for the season, and he's averaged at least 20.5 Fantasy points per game in each of the past three years. This year, San Francisco's receiving corps will have a new look with Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and rookie De'Zhaun Stribling joining the roster. Jauan Jennings is gone, and we expect Brandon Aiyuk (who didn't play in 2025) to be traded. Christian McCaffrey , Ricky Pearsall and George Kittle remain valuable weapons for Purdy, but we don't know when Kittle (Achilles) will be healthy. Relying on older weapons like Evans, McCaffrey, and Kittle could be problematic for Purdy, especially if Kittle is delayed in his recovery. But Purdy is well worth the risk given his expected cost in most Fantasy leagues, and his FantasyPros ADP is fantastic at No. 98 overall as QB13. Purdy is the perfect quarterback to wait for on Draft Day this year. 2. Jordan James James has the potential to be the No. 2 running back in San Francisco this season, and he's worth drafting with a late-round pick in all leagues. McCaffrey remains the No. 1 running back for the 49ers, but James will compete with Black and Isaac Guerendo for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. The winner of that battle could be an important Fantasy asset as a handcuff since McCaffrey turns 30 in June and just had 450 total touches in 2025. But it also could be a committee if McCaffrey were to miss any time. We'll keep an eye on what happens in training camp, and James could have a chance to showcase his skills, which never happened in 2025 because McCaffrey was healthy. James was a healthy scratch for the first 14 weeks of the regular season before being activated on special teams for the final three contests. He appeared in the playoff loss to Seattle in the divisional round and had six carries for 28 yards and one catch for 7 yards on one target. All reports out of San Francisco were raving about James this offseason, and he could be a lottery ticket with an increased role in 2026. He's an easy late-round flier based on his FantasyPros ADP at No. 236 overall as RB69. 3. Kaelon Black The 49ers surprised everyone by selecting Black in Round 3 of the NFL Draft from Indiana. He's coming off a solid season for the Hoosiers in 2025 with 186 carries for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns and four catches for 36 yards in 16 games, but he turns 25 in October and joins a crowded running back room. We'll keep an eye on what happens in training camp between Black, James and Guerendo, and Black could be a great selection with a late-round pick in all Fantasy leagues (his FantasyPros ADP is No. 204 overall as RB63. In rookie-only drafts for dynasty leagues, Black is worth drafting in Round 3. If things go right for Black, he could be the running back of the future in San Francisco in 2027 and beyond. 4. Ricky Pearsall The runway is clear for Pearsall to be a star in Fantasy and reality for the 49ers, but the third-year receiver has to stay healthy. We consider him a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues, and he's worth drafting as early as Round 6 in all formats. Pearsall has been limited to 20 games in the first two seasons of his career. But when he's been on the field, he's been productive with at least 13.5 PPR points in six of his past 11 games going back to 2024. Jennings is gone, and Aiyuk will be off the roster soon. Kittle (Achilles) could also be limited in his return to action. Now, San Francisco did add Evans, Kirk and Stribling, so Pearsall still has competition for targets. But Purdy has the best rapport with Pearsall, and we're hoping for a third-year breakout campaign in 2026. Ideally, you can draft Pearsall as a high-end reserve based on his FantasyPros ADP at No. 101 overall as WR46. And it wouldn't surprise me if he finished as a top 20 Fantasy receiver if he stays healthy for most of the 2026 campaign. 5. De'Zhaun Stribling The 49ers selected Stribling in the second round of the NFL Draft, and he should compete for a prominent role this season. Stribling is worth drafting with a late-round pick in all seasonal leagues, and he's a second-round pick in rookie-only drafts for dynasty leagues. San Francisco has a revamped receiving corps this season with Evans, Kirk and Stribling joining Pearsall. Stribling should have the chance to earn targets in his rookie campaign, and we'll see if he can develop a quality rapport with Purdy. Stribling spent 2025 at Ole Miss, and he had 55 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. There's a chance for Stribling to be a key contributor for the 49ers for many years to come, and we hope he starts his career playing well in 2026. He's a great late-round flier based on his FantasyPros ADP at 163 overall as WR65.

Players to avoid based on Average Draft Position

1. George Kittle Kittle is coming off an Achilles injury that he suffered in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs , and he's hoping to be ready for Week 1. We likely won't know his status until training camp, but Kittle is worth drafting with a mid- to late-round pick in the majority of leagues. If Kittle can play in Week 1, then his Fantasy value will rise, but the 49ers will likely be cautious with their standout tight end given his age (32) and the timeline of his injury. The hope is that Kittle will be producing at a high level by the middle of the season. When healthy, Kittle is among the best players at his position, and he just averaged 14.7 PPR points per game in 2025, which is the sixth time in his nine-year career that he's averaged at least 14.1 PPR points per game, including two in a row. If you draft Kittle, then it's a good idea to pair him with a second tight end on your Fantasy roster -- maybe San Francisco backup tight end Jake Tonges -- just in case Kittle isn't ready to play in Week 1. His FantasyPros ADP is a little pricey as TE9 at No. 118 overall, but if he plays the majority of the season with no setbacks, then he should be worth it.

2026 Prediction

The 49ers are a fascinating team this season. I love the additions of Evans, Kirk and Stribling to the receiving corps, and this offense could be dominant, especially if Kittle is ready for Week 1. But we're banking on a lot of older players, which could be problematic. Evans and Kittle will be 33, McCaffrey will be 30, and standout left tackle Trent Williams will be 38 this season. That's a lot of mileage for several key players, and Pearsall has struggled to stay healthy in the first two years of his career. Evans also battled injuries last season, and Kittle is coming off an Achilles tear. McCaffrey was also limited to four games in 2024 after a hefty workload in 2023, which is similar to the amount of touches he just had in 2025. You don't want to predict injuries, but I'm nervous we could be looking at a lot of missed games for the 49ers in 2026. And if that happens, then Purdy will be tough to trust. The good news is that most of the stars in San Francisco are reasonably priced, aside from McCaffrey (No. 7 overall) and Kittle. Evans is a little expensive at No. 45 overall as WR22, but I'm OK drafting him in that spot as a low-end No. 2 Fantasy receiver. We could be running to the waiver wire for several 49ers during the year, including Kirk and Stribling at receiver and Tonges at tight end. And then there's the backfield if McCaffrey is forced to miss any time. James, Black and Guerendo will compete for the top backup spot, and I expect James to win that battle. But that doesn't mean he'll be featured if McCaffrey is out. It's a situation to monitor in case McCaffrey gets hurt. I'm going to be optimistic and hope the stars in San Francisco stay healthy all season. The 49ers should compete for a playoff spot and, if things go right, could be in the mix for another Super Bowl appearance.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/fantasy-football-2026-49ers-deep-dive-player-outlooks/)._