Richie James Scores Only Niners Offensive Touchdown

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Richie James scored a 39-yard touchdown in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. James saw two targets but made his only grab count in the third quarter. The Niners passed for just 166 yards on Sunday and all receivers got in on the action, neutralizing the fantasy impact for any... Read More

Jimmy Garoppolo Shaky But Gets Victory

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo completed 18 of 27 passes for 166 yards, a touchdown and an interception in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Garoppolo paid for a careless pass the Bucs returned for a touchdown but he was able to game-manage the team to victory. Until the 49ers Defense took over... Read More

Deebo Samuel Commits Gaffe In Debut

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel caught his three targets for 17 yards in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also coughed up a fumble battling for extra yards and converted a two-point conversion. Samuel played plenty on Sunday but it didn’t translate into any significant stats, as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo recorded... Read More

49ers Defense Scores Two Touchdowns

The San Francisco 49ers Defense enjoyed a field day against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. The Niners limited the Bucs offense to just 11 points, racking up three sacks and intercepting quarterback Jameis Winston thrice. Cornerback Richard Sherman intercepted an awful pass by Winston in the third quarter, returning it 31 yards for... Read More

Points Leagues Waiver Wire Pickups: Week 24

Welcome to the RotoBaller waiver wire column that skews towards points league. Yes, there is positive correlation to standard 5x5 scoring but in our format, specific categories matter less and the accumulation of total stats is the ultimate objective. After a multi-week hiatus exploring the amazing-but-baseball-free country of Kenya, your author is back and ready... Read More

Hunter Renfroe, Manuel Margot Not Starting Friday

San Diego Padres outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot are out of Friday’s lineup against the Colorado Rockies. The Friars will defer to Nick Martini and Wil Myers to man the left and center outfield spots, respectively. Renfroe is mired in an extended slump, hitting just .171 in his last 70 at-bats and searching for... Read More

Franchy Cordero Unlikely To Return This Season

San Diego Padres outfielder Franchy Cordero (quad) is unlikely to return this season, per MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. Cordero will finish the year with just 20 plate appearances after suffering an early-season elbow injury and then a quad/tendon injury during a rehab assignment. Cordero showed appealing power/speed upside entering 2018 but myriad ailments have limited him... Read More

Dante Pettis Upgraded To Full Practice

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dante Pettis (groin) was upgraded to full in Thursday’s practice. The second-year pro had been limited throughout the week but he looks ready to go in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With injuries to Trent Taylor (foot) and Jalen Hurd (back), the Niners formerly-deep receiving corps will likely... Read More

MacKenzie Gore Annointed MLB Pipeline's Top Pitcher

San Diego Padres pitching prospect MacKenzie Gore was awarded MLB Pipeline’s Pitcher of the Year honors on Thursday. Baseball’s No. 3 prospect absolutely dominated High-A this season, registering a 1.02 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and 12.5 K/9 in 15 starts. After a late season promotion to Double-A, he rattled off a 4.15 ERA and 10.4 K/9... Read More

Jimmy Garoppolo Ready To Shake The Doubters

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will make his first start this Sunday since Week 3 of last year. Returning from a torn ACL, Garoppolo endured a streaky preseason as he shook off the cobwebs. For the Niners to go anywhere this season, he’ll need to play like an all-pro. The team surrounded him with... Read More

George Kittle Ready To Rock

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is a locked-in TE1 in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No surprises this year, as Kittle enters the year a top-3 option after exploding for 1,377 receiving yards last season and leading the Niners in every significant passing category. Kittle is rewarded with a favorable opening... Read More

Deebo Samuel Debuting Close To Home

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is set for his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The second-round rookie showed electric flashes during preseason, making a handful of aerobic grabs and taking a couple carries for 59 yards. The South Carolina native will enjoy a favorable opening matchup in Tampa... Read More

Tevin Coleman Set For Team Debut

New San Francisco 49ers running back Tevin Coleman has a fantastic matchup to make his team debut. Despite being listed as the unofficial No. 2, Coleman enters Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a near-even committee with Matt Breida. The dual-threat Coleman is in good shape to push for his fourth consecutive season... Read More

Matt Breida Poised For Major Role

San Francisco 49ers running back Matt Breida should have a significant role this season. The team’s unofficial “No. 1” running back was amongst the league leaders with 5.3 yards per carry last season, racking up 1,075 scrimmage yards (261 receiving) on 180 touches. Breida enters Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a near-even... Read More

Dante Pettis Listed As Top Receiver

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dante Pettis is listed as the top receiver based off an unofficial team document. Despite swirling reports of his underperformance and lack of motivation during camp, the designation shouldn’t be surprising. Pettis emerged for 359 yards and four touchdowns in the final five games of 2018 and is a polished... Read More

Nick Mullens Named Primary Backup

Updating a previous report, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens will be the team’s primary backup, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. Both Mullens and CJ Beathard made the 53-man roster on Sunday but the Niners rightfully anointed Mullens their No. 2 behind starter Jimmy Garoppolo. Mullens, an undrafted rookie in 2018, made eight starts last season... Read More

Cal Quantrill Devoured By Snakes

San Diego Padres starter Cal Quantrill was demolished for eight earned runs Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Quantrill surrendered 10 hits including a six-run second inning and was mercifully pulled after five frames. Quantrill was earning praise and fantasy looks after a handful of quality outings but two consecutive eight-run clunkers have elevated his ERA... Read More

Ty France Stings Another Homer

San Diego Padres second baseman Ty France finished 2-for-5 with a homer, three RBI and two runs on Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. France cracked a three-run blast in the sixth inning, his third long ball in two contests. The two-game power surge has raised his OPS from .607 to .690 and homer total to... Read More

Josh Naylor Finding His Groove

San Diego Padres outfielder Josh Naylor went 1-for-4 with two runs and an RBI Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Naylor has enjoyed a mini groove, collecting knocks in seven of eight games and hitting .370 during the process. Since the Friars traded Franmil Reyes, the 22-year-old rookie has been given an extended audition to test... Read More

CJ Beathard And Nick Mullens Both Make Team

The San Francisco 49ers kept both quarterbacks CJ Beathard and Nick Mullens on the 53-man roster. It’s undecided who will be primary backup to starter Jimmy Garoppolo. Beathard was the team’s third-round pick in 2017 and has a 74.6 career rating in 13 games. Mullens, an undrafted second-year pro, came out of nowhere last season... Read More

Marquise Goodwin Fending Off Young Receivers

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin will need to summon the vibes of his breakout 2017 season in order to retain snaps this season. After racing for 962 yards in 2017, the seventh-year speedster recorded just 395 yards last year in 11 games. With the Niners adding depth at receiver in this year’s draft,... Read More

Kendrick Bourne Survives Final Cuts

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne survived final cuts over the weekend. Beating out veteran Jordan Matthews, Bourne will serve as the Niners seventh wide receiver on the 53-man roster. With Trent Taylor (foot) unavailable for Week 1, the team kept more receivers than anticipated so Bourne’s longevity on the team is uncertain. Bourne... Read More

Jordan Matthews Needs A New Home

The San Francisco 49ers cut wide receiver Jordan Matthews over the weekend. The six-year pro registered just 45 yards in the preseason as he tried to make his third team in as many seasons. While the Niners staff heaped praise on Matthews, the decision was ultimately made to keep receivers that also contributed on special... Read More

Jerick McKinnon Officially Out For Season

The San Francisco 49ers placed running back Jerick McKinnon (knee) on season-ending injured reserve on Saturday. Attempting to come back from a torn ACL, McKinnon immediately suffered a setback early in training camp and will require another procedure on his ailing knee. Signed to a four-year, $30 million deal before the 2018 season, McKinnon has... Read More

Jeffery Wilson Signed To 49ers Practice Squad

The San Francisco 49ers signed running back Jeffery Wilson Jr. to the practice squad on Sunday. Wilson was cut from the team after running for 178 yards and four touchdowns during the preseason. Even with Jerick McKinnon (knee) going on IR, Wilson couldn't crack the 53-man roster. The 49ers will roll with Tevin Coleman, Matt... Read More

49ers Defense Coming Off A Horrendous Season

The San Francisco 49ers enter 2019 as the fourth-worst ranked defensive unit on RotoBaller. The Niners allowed 409 points last season (25.6 PPG), yielding 28 or more points seven times. The team expended the second overall pick this offseason on defensive end Nick Bosa (ankle). Bosa, who suffered an ankle injury but could be available... Read More

Deebo Samuel, Richie James Make Brief Cameos

San Francisco 49ers wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Richie James both suited up for Thursday’s preseason contest against the Los Angeles Chargers. Samuel caught both of his targets for 16 yards, while James made a seven-yard grab. Samuel, a second-round rookie, is a lock for meaningful snaps this season after demonstrating electric upside throughout training camp.... Read More

Kendrick Bourne Scores Touchdown With Roster Spot At Risk

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne caught a 21-yard touchdown in Thursday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Targeted thrice, Bourne made his only grab count with a diving score on a broken play. Bourne has mixed in drops and solid reps this training camp, finishing the four-game exhibition with six catches for... Read More

Jordan Matthews Invisible In Final Tune-Up

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jordan Matthews saw zero targets in limited action in Thursday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers. On his third team in three years, Matthews finishes the preseason with three catches for 45 yards. The sixth-year player is on the bubble, competing with Kendrick Bourne for the final wideout spot.... Read More

Jeffery Wilson Handles 21 Touches

San Francisco 49ers running back Jeffery Wilson gained 100 yards on 20 carries in Thursday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers and caught a pass for eight yards. Wilson ripped a highlight-reel, 41-yard touchdown scamper, reversing direction and racing for his fourth score of the preseason. Many Niners beat writers believe his substantial playing time... Read More