Consensus around the NFL seems to be that the San Francisco 49ers are out of sorts. The reigning NFC Conference champs are missing some essential parts, dropping winnable games, and sit [checks notes] third in the NFC West. They’ll play in a crucial—dare I say, must-win—divisional matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 6.
The question I’m here to answer is whether we should be starting or sitting Brock Purdy (Showdown $9,400) this week.
Set your DraftKings Fantasy Football lineups here: NFL $1.5M Thursday Night Showdown [$500K to 1st] (SF @ SEA)
Brock Purdy: Start or Sit vs. Seattle Seahawks
The 49ers let Week 5’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals slip away. The Niners had the offensive and defensive advantage, but the Cardinals edged them out 24-23. Purdy wasn’t spectacular, completing just 19/35 attempts for 244 yards, one passing touchdown and two interceptions. Kyle Shanahan’s offense only scored one offensive touchdown and left five other trips to the red zone without hitting paydirt.
Missing star Christian McCaffrey has it’s obvious downsides, but his lack of on-field presence affects the whole offense more than just losing huge gains on the ground. CMC not only drew defenders to him, but also was a quick outlet for the young QB. Against Arizona, Purdy struggled under pressure, completing just 1/6 passes under pressure—one resulting in a game-sealing interception. According to Next Gen Stats, Purdy also struggled in the intermediate part of the field (10-19 yards), completing fewer passes than expected in that range (-16.7%) for the first time in eight games as a starter.
It’s obvious the 49ers offense struggled last week, but let’s preview a crucial matchup against long-time rival: Seattle. The Hawks got off to a hot start, winning their first three games before dropping the last two to the Lion then Giants, respectively. A large reason for the Seahawks losing back-to-back games is their passing defense—great news for Purdy homers. The Hawks allowed Jared Goff to complete a perfect 18/18 pass attempts on Monday Night Football in Week 4, giving up 292 passing yards. Then, the Hawks gave up 257 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions to Daniel Jones and the G-Men. Goff collected 27.18 FPTS in his win and Jones racked up 22.08 FPTS. Purdy has only hit over 20 FPTS once this season, and this game is lining up to be his second.
While I mentioned Purdy struggled in the intermediate range last week, this matchup gives him the perfect bounce-back opportunity. In 2024, Purdy has accumulated a 65.4% CMP% on passes from 10-19 air yards (6th-highest). The Seahawks inside linebackers have allowed 8.9 yards per attempt (9th-most) and 133 yards after the catch (2nd-most) in coverage. As for the secondary, Tre Brown gave up 100 yards and a score last week, and Seattle’s unit has given up a 96.7 rating to wide receivers so far this year (20th in the league). With pass-catchers such as Deebo Samuel Jr. ($8,800), Brandon Aiyuk ($8,400), George Kittle (questionable; $7,400) and even Jauan Jennings ($4,000), I expect the game script to be pass heavy.
If there’s an offense you can trust to “get right” this week, it’s the 49ers. Let’s not forget their three-game losing streak last season that turned into a Super Bowl run. Going against an exploitable defense with a flurry of talented weapons, the short answer is yes: Brock Purdy deserves a start in Week 6.
Set your DraftKings Fantasy Football lineups here! NFL $1.5M Thursday Night Showdown [$500K to 1st] (SF @ SEA)
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
