San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan runs a fantasy-friendly, balanced offense that features motion, targeting the center of the field and an efficient rushing attack. The 2024 49ers banked top-12 finishes in EPA per play (0.06), success rate (46.0 percent), plays with motion (654), centerfield targets (96) and EPA per rushing attempt (-0.057). Fantasy managers should again rely on Shanahan and his unwavering commitment to the system in 2025.
2024 San Francisco 49ers Stats (rank)
Points per game: 22.9 (14th)
Total yards per game: 376.3 (4th)
Plays per game: 60.4 (27th)
Dropbacks per game: 38.6 (21st)
Dropback EPA per play: 0.14 (9th)
Rush attempts per game: 26.9 (15th)
Rush EPA per play: -0.06 (12th)
Can Brock Purdy return to the QB1 ranks?
Brock Purdy recently secured a five-year, $265 million contract extension that includes a half-decade no-trade clause, tying him with Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff for the seventh-highest salary in average annual value ($53 million). The 49ers’ passing attack notched ninth-place finishes in both EPA per dropback (0.143) and dropback success rate (50.0 percent) last season. While Purdy’s talented and deep receiving corps contains more availability concerns than it has in years past, this remains a fantasy-friendly unit.
Simms’ ’25 QB Countdown: Brock Purdy
Chris Simms dives into why San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy falls into the “Scheme Dream” tier of his 2025 QB Countdown.
Passing Game
QB: Brock Purdy, Joshua Dobbs
WR: Brandon Aiyuk, Demarcus Robinson
WR: Jauan Jennings, Jacob Cowing
WR: Ricky Pearsall, Jordan Watkins
TE: George Kittle, Luke Farrell
Purdy’s pass-catching corps is chock-full of talented players, though five of the top-six wide receivers carry at least mild availability concerns.
The 49ers recently placed No. 1 wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on the active/physically unable to perform list (PUP) as he recovers from ACL and MCL tears suffered in Week 7. He remains a candidate for the in-season reserve/PUP list, which would require him to miss at least four games. The team’s No. 2 wide receiver Jauan Jennings requested a new contract after his 2024 breakout campaign, catching 77-of-111 targets for 975 yards and six touchdowns. Second-year wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was placed on the active/PUP list on July 18th, nursing a hamstring strain suffered on May 29th. His injury history includes a prior hamstring strain, a shoulder injury and a gunshot wound to the chest. No. 4 wide receiver Demarcus Robinson awaits a potential suspension after pleading no contest to a DUI charge. Should one of the three wide receiver above him miss time, he would garner WR5/6 consideration. No. 5 wide receiver Jacob Cowing recently strained his hamstring. His return-to-play date is unknown, though Cowing has failed to prove himself fantasy-relevant through two NFL seasons.
Between training camp and the preseason, healthy NFL players are afforded a six-week-plus ramp-up period to prepare their bodies for regular season rigors. Last year, Aiyuk sat out spring practices, training camp and preseason play before signing a lucrative extension on August 29th. He experienced a 0.91-yard decline (1.74) from the 2.65 yards per route run (YPRR) he averaged in 2023 before suffering the double-ligament injury on October 20th. Should Aiyuk return from reserve/PUP in Week 5, he will likely require a multi-week ramp-up period before (hopefully) returning to to the high-end WR2 form that he maintained in 2022 and 2023.
Jennings is currently practicing despite the raise request, putting him on track to assume de facto No. 1 wide receiver duties if Aiyuk is unready in Week 1.
Shanahan told reporters that Pearsall is currently participating in conditioning testing. He expects Pearsall to resume practicing with the team on Sunday, July 27th, giving fantasy managers a checkable benchmark.
Jennings (67.6 percent perimeter rate, 32.4 percent slot rate) and Pearsall (68.3 percent perimeter rate, 31.7 percent slot rate) were used interchangeably in the season’s final three weeks last year while tying tight end George Kittle for a team-high 18 receptions. Jennings averaged 1.70 YPRR while Pearsall broke out via 2.17 YPRR.
Assuming good late-season health for Aiyuk, Jennings and Pearsall, it is prudent to expect near-even target distribution, potentially clumping all three in the WR3/flex range. Aggravating variance will occur. Pearsall, perhaps quietly, offers the highest upside as the ascending, young player.
Kittle is the pass-catching corps’ most reliable fantasy option, boasting five combined All-Pro accolades over his eight pro seasons. Among his position’s top-12 target earners across the full 2024 NFL season, Kittle’s 2.62 YPRR astonishingly led the pack by 0.48 yards. Treat him accordingly.
Unlike the 49ers’ other rookies, fourth-round wide receiver Jordan Watkins had a “prominent role” during voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) and drew “guarded praise” from Shanahan for his showing at mandatory minicamp. Watkins should not be expected to have a fantasy-relevant role in year one, but his positive progress is noteworthy. Jumping from sixth to fourth on the depth chart before Week 1 is at least possible. The former Ole Miss player averaged 2.54 YPRR in his final college season. Watkins must be rostered in dynasty formats.
If San Francisco’s pass-catchers are getting open, Purdy will find them. Among 32 NFL quarterbacks with at least 300 dropbacks last year, he ranks 11th in PFF’s accuracy-plus rating (16.8 percent) and third in yards per passing attempt (8.5).
Given the pass-catching corps’ fluid status, Purdy’s rushing upside may currently be underrated. He notched career-highs in rushes (66), yards after contact per attempt (2.47), missed tackles forced (12) and explosive runs (12) in 2024. Among 18 quarterbacks with at least 10 red zone rushing attempts across the full season, Purdy tied for a league-best 60.0 percent first-down and/or touchdown conversion rate. His 82.4 PFF red zone rushing grade ranks second.
Purdy finished as 2024’s QB14, totaling nine weekly finishes as the QB4-QB11 last year, including four finishes ranking QB4-QB5. He should be treated as a high-floor QB1 with mid-tier upside.
Running Game
RB: Christian McCaffrey, Isaac Guerendo, Jordan James, Patrick Taylor Jr., Corey Kiner
OL (L-R): Trent Williams, Ben Bartch, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, Colton McKivitz
While veteran left tackle Trent Williams protects Purdy’s blindside, second-year right guard Dominick Puni grades roads on the right. His 81.5 PFF run-blocking grade ranks fifth among NFL right guards with at least 460 offensive blocking snaps.
On paper, running back Christian McCaffrey is an RB1. The 29-year-old running back has access to a high-volume, dual-threat workload, aided by Shanahan’s schematic efficiencies; McCaffrey’s backups combined for six RB1 finishes in his 13 missed games. Backup running back Isaac Guerendo elevates to the No. 2 role, with Jordan Mason now a Minnesota Viking.
Last year, fantasy managers largely ignored McCaffrey’s season-to-season recurrence risk regarding his late-2023 calf strain despite August 2024 reports indicating the strain had returned, leading to Achilles tendinitis along the way. The tendinitis later blossomed into a bilateral issue. McCaffrey then suffered a season-ending PCL sprain in Week 13. He is currently healthy and as long as he remains so, he can be expected to return RB1 value. Although he averaged a career-low 0.1 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt last year, he was an efficient pass catcher, averaging 1.60 YPRR, ranking fifth among 54 NFL running backs with at least 19 targets.
The 49ers are seemingly taking a conservative approach to injury management this summer, which bodes positively for McCaffrey’s season-long availability. His current, late-first-round PPR ADP is slightly aggressive, albeit understandable given his upside. Fantasy managers should consider McCaffrey an overall RB1 contender while acknowledging one’s chosen increased risk exposure.
Guerendo (6-foot-1, 225 pounds, 4.33-second 40-yard dash) is a speedy, imposing rusher and receiver, who quietly averaged 1.42 YPRR, catching 15-of-16 targets for 152 yards last year. He is an elite bellcow backup. Fifth-round rookie running back Jordan James should be rostered in dynasty formats and is a name to know in re-draft, should injuries occur.
Get ready for 2025 fantasy football drafts with in-depth previews for all 32 teams throughout the summer.
2025 San Francisco 49ers Win Total
Vegas currently has the 49ers’ win total installed at 10.5, making them one of just six teams sitting in double-digits. Both Warren Sharp and PFF chart them as having the NFL’s softest schedule. PFF forecasts a 10-win season, again making them one of just six teams sitting at double-digits in this respective category. A scenario exists where roster-wide availability concerns flare, but Shanahan’s scheming, coupled with a dependably soft schedule, keeps their chances of hitting the over intact.