49ers select De'Zhaun Stribling: Fantasy Football impact to 49ers offense, Dynasty value, and more

It did not take long for Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft to surprise us. With the first pick of Round 2, the San Francisco 49ers selected wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling. This was an offense that we projected to draft a wide receiver, but Stribling was on very few radars this early in the draft. In other words, the opportunity is there, but we need to be convinced Stribling has the ability to take advantage of it.

The 23-year-old caught 55 passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns at Mississippi last year. He has a 17% share of the Rebels receiving yardage, which is relatively low for a pick this high. His rate was much better in 2024 at Oklahoma State when he accounted for 28% of their receiving yards, but he still did not top 900 receiving yards. He is six-foot-two, 207 pounds, and ran a 4.36-40 yard dash, so there are some tools there that could be projected, but with his age and his lack of elite production, it is really difficult to understand this pick at this point in the draft.

On a more positive note, the Kyle Shanahan offense has a way of producing extreme efficiency in the passing game. Brock Purdy has averaged 8.6 yards per attempt for his career, which is absurd for a four-year sample. Stribling's size and speed in this system could turn into something really exciting if he can get on the field regularly. The fact that John Lynch just picked him 33rd overall suggests they believe he will get on the field regularly. I won't be that surprised if he is succeeding in a low-target, high-efficiency role at some point in the future.

For redraft purposes, we'll leave Stribling to the double-digit rounds at the earliest. With Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and Ricky Pearsall on the roster, it is hard to even project Stribling for stats that make him worthy of a bench spot. But Evans will be 33 years old before the season starts, and Pearsall has dealt with injuries since he was in college, so Stribling is definitely someone to monitor throughout the offseason.

For Dynasty purposes, Stribling moves from afterthought to a potential Round 2 pick because of the early draft capital. In my pre-draft rookie rankings, I did not have Stribling in my top 40, but he will certainly be the biggest post-draft riser. Where exactly he ranks in rookie drafts will depend on how the rest of Friday night goes, but an early guess would put him right around pick 20.