How to draft 49ers players in 2025 Fantasy leagues: Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall placed on PUP, more

Brock Purdy and George Kittle got paid this offseason, and Christian McCaffrey feels "great" after injuries limited him to just four games last year. But that's where the good news ends for the San Francisco offense heading into training camp.

The 49ers placed six players on their active/physically unable to perform list Friday, including wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Ricky Pearsall (hamstring). And Jauan Jennings is upset over his contract and will reportedly request a trade if he cannot secure a new deal before the season.

There are a lot of moving parts in San Francisco, especially for this passing game, but let's start with the positives. And McCaffrey being healthy is fantastic.

You have to be nervous about McCaffrey after he played only four games last season due to Achilles and knee injuries. He's also 29 now, but he took part in OTAs and minicamp with no restrictions.

Despite the concerns, McCaffrey still has as much upside as any player in the NFL. In 2023, he averaged 24.5 PPR points per game, and he was at 21.2 PPR points in 2022. He could get back to that level if he stays healthy, and I'm willing to draft him as early as No. 7 overall.

If McCaffrey falls into Round 2 then consider that a gift, and he's worth the risk given the reward. The nice thing about drafting McCaffrey is you can cover yourself by drafting Isaac Guerendo as early as Round 8. Last year, Guerendo had five games as a rookie with double digits in touches, and he averaged 16.3 PPR points over that span, which is great replacement value.

Kittle is one of my favorite players to draft this season, and he was actually the No. 1 tight end in 2024 at 15.8 PPR points per game. He could have another big season, especially with Deebo Samuel gone. Kittle has played 13 games without Samuel since 2019, and Kittle averaged 16.1 PPR points over that span. He has 62 catches for 991 yards and eight touchdowns on 87 targets without Samuel.

Kittle also has a good track record when Aiyuk is out. Kittle has played 12 games without Aiyuk since 2020, and Kittle averaged 14.6 PPR points over that span. He had 62 catches for 933 yards and two touchdowns on 75 targets over that span.

There were only three games that Kittle played with Samuel and Aiyuk both out, but none were with Purdy at quarterback. I'm not going to worry about that small sample size when evaluating Kittle this year.

For now, you can draft Kittle in Round 4, but I would look for him toward the end of Round 3. And his value could potentially rise the longer Aiyuk and Pearsall remain out, along with the uncertainty surrounding Jennings.

While Aiyuk and Pearsall are currently on the active/physically unable to perform list, they can be activated at any point during training camp if medically cleared. Players are not permitted to practice, but they can participate in team meetings and utilize team facilities while they are on the list.

Aiyuk's injury is more concerning than Pearsall since Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee in Week 7 last year. While no official timetable is set, he might not be ready for Week 1, and Fantasy managers should act accordingly.

I'm only drafting Aiyuk with a late-round pick, and I have minimal expectations for him coming off this injury. Prior to getting hurt last season, Aiyuk only had one game with more than 9.8 PPR points, and he didn't score a touchdown.

I'm more optimistic for Pearsall, even though he did not take part in OTAs after he injured his hamstring during offseason workouts. When healthy, he could be the No. 1 receiver in San Francisco this year with Aiyuk out, especially if Jennings is dealing with his contract.

Pearsall looked the part of being a standout Fantasy option in his final two games in 2024. He had eight catches for 141 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets against Detroit in Week 17 and six catches for 69 yards and a touchdown on eight targets in Week 18 at Arizona. 

Remember that Pearsall didn't make his NFL debut until Week 7 following a gunshot wound to his chest in late August. His first solid outing came in Week 10 at Tampa Bay with four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown on six targets. In total, he had three games as a rookie with at least six targets, and he scored at least 17.3 PPR points in all three outings. That's something to build off this year, and Pearsall is worth drafting as early as Round 7 if he's activated off the PUP list soon.

As for Jennings, he could be the No. 1 receiver for the 49ers, which might make him a weekly starter in all leagues. In 2024, when Samuel struggled and Aiyuk was injured, Jennings averaged a career-best 14.0 PPR points per game. He had seven games with at least eight targets, and he scored at least 16.3 PPR points in four of those outings. 

Hopefully, Jennings will get his contract situation settled soon, and he would vault ahead of Pearsall in my rankings, especially if Pearsall is hurt. But I'm afraid the Jennings situation will linger, and the earliest I would draft him is Round 8.

All of these receiver concerns will impact how Fantasy managers view Purdy. I would only draft him as a high-end backup with a late-round pick, but his value could rise if everyone is healthy (Aiyuk and Pearsall) and happy (Jennings).

The nice thing for Purdy is he averaged 22.4 Fantasy points in 2023 and 20.5 points in 2024. I would expect him to be in that range again this season, and he's a great quarterback to wait for on Draft Day.

Aside from the main weapons in San Francisco, Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should keep an eye on backup receivers like Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins in case Aiyuk, Pearsall and Jennings miss any time. Of that group, Robinson would be the one to target given his history with the Rams, but I'm curious to see what Cowing could do with an expanded role.

You should also monitor rookie running back Jordan James, who is likely third on the depth chart behind McCaffrey and Guerendo. Last year, Guerendo didn't get his chance to play until McCaffrey and Jordan Mason got injured, and potentially the same thing could unfold this season given McCaffrey's injury track record.

The next few weeks in San Francisco will be interesting. And Fantasy managers will have to adjust to all the news with the 49ers this season.