Team news: San Francisco 49ers

Here’s the 49ers’ preliminary practice participation report via Shanahan:
No practice
WR Ricky Pearsall (knee)
DL Mykel Williams (knee)
Limited
QB Brock Purdy (toe)
C Jake Brendel (hamstring)
DE Bryce Huff (hamstring)
LB Dee Winters (knee)
LB Tatum Bethune (thigh)

We could honestly just copy-paste this exact same news blast every single week, and no one would notice.

As of now, there is no Week 10 fantasy impact, as the 49ers are in the same position they've been in since the end of September. We'll keep an eye on their practice reports to see if Purdy or Pearsall are able to suit up this weekend.

WR watch: Kyle Shanahan said the team would not open Brandon Aiyuk's practice window this week. He said Ricky Pearsall (knee) has a chance to play but will be evaluated at mid week.

Both WRs continue to inch closer to getting back to action. Reports a few weeks ago said that Aiyuk wasn't all that close, but more recent ones said he was getting there. It's clear the team is taking it slow with Aiyuk. The Niners Wire suggested the team may be trying to manage his return around the Week 14 bye, where they'll get a bonus practice in the Monday after the bye. Niners Wire also suggested the team could just not be ready to bring back Aiyuk because they're not confident he'd be able to be ready to play in a game within his 21-day window. That potentially means Aiyuk is closer to another month away from returning. We'll likely know more about Pearsall with practice reports this week.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said last week that there was some hope that Brock Purdy could serve as the backup or emergency quarterback for Sunday’s road game against the Giants, but he ultimately remained on the inactive list due to turf toe while Mac Jones started for the fifth straight game.

“No, nothing changes Mac Jones in that way,” Shanahan said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “We’re trying to ease Brock out there in the practice stuff, but anytime you’re dealing with this turf toe, it’s something that probably won’t fully go away all year. Regardless of when he comes back, he’s going to always have to deal with it a little bit, especially with the people you talk to who have gone through turf toe.”

The story went on to say Shanahan said Purdy, “wasn’t that close to doing it,” as far as being the backup, despite a week of limited practice work for Purdy. Shanahan also addressed the difficulty of knowing when Purdy is close enough to 100 percent to play by saying that the toe issue is unlikely to go away, although he added that he doesn’t think that uncertainty weighs on Jones’ preparations from week to week. Reports again say Purdy has a chance to play in Week 10 against the Rams, which is a later Sunday home game for the Niners.

Mac Jones will start on Sunday, but Brock Purdy could be available to play, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. Purdy is listed as questionable.

This is (once again) a downgrade for all 49ers pass-catchers, as well as Christian McCaffrey, who is a pseudo wide receiver as it is. Mac Jones should be considered a SuperFlex, top-20 option.

49ers WR Ricky Pearsall (knee) will not practice again today, per Kyle Shanahan.

Others not practicing today: DE Bryce Huff (hamstring), C Jake Brendel (hamstring), DL Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring), DT Alfred Collins, LB Dee Winters.

Related Players: Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, Demarcus Robinson

San Francisco is waiting with bated breath for the eventual Brandon Aiyuk return, but as it stands, it looks like Jennings should be considered a WR3 and Bourne a WR4 as we head into Week 4.

A Packers teammate of quarterback Aaron Rodgers is set to join up with him in Pittsburgh.

According to multiple reports, the Steelers will sign wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Valdes-Scantling worked out for the team on Monday.

Valdes-Scantling appeared in five games for the 49ers earlier this season and was released from their injured reserve list earlier this month, the story said. Of course, it's a reunion between QB Aaron Rodgers and MVS from their days with the Packers, and the Steelers are likely hoping there is still some chemistry.

49ers ruled out Brock Purdy (toe) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) for Sunday’s game at Houston.

Mac Jones starts again.

The 49ers passing attack has been quite conservative with Jones on the field, so it would be a stretch to consider him a QB streamer against the Texans' defense. Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne are both in the WR3/4 fringe.

QB Brock Purdy likely a reach to return this week at Houston, “will continue like he did last week,” said Shanahan, noting Houston turf not a factor.

Related players: Mac Jones

Purdy was limited all last week but didn't play. It looks like Purdy could again be a limited participant in practice this week with the end result up in the air for Week 8's game - which is an early game at Houston on Sunday. The SNF broadcast briefly talked about turf toe injuries and essentially called them unpredictable with good days and bad days in the recovery, and we seem to be seeing that with Purdy.

The 49ers activated TE George Kittle from injured reserve.

Kittle will make his first appearance since Week 1 after missing five games. He scored a touchdown in the season opener against the Seahawks. He immediately returns to being one of the top options at the position in fantasy and should be a favorite target for Mac Jones, who gets the start again as Brock Purdy works his way back from injury.

49ers ruled out QB Brock Purdy (toe) and WR Ricky Pearsall (knee) for Sunday night’s game against the Falcons.

49ers QB Mac Jones starts again.

Related Players: Kendrick Bourne, Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson

We would've expected this to be Jauan Jennings weeks, but he's got a laundry list of ailments himself. Bourne can be considered a WR3, and if George Kittle ends up going, he should be locked into lineups as well.