Honestly, who has room on their bench in standard leagues to stash anyone, anymore? This 2024 season has been so full of injuries that our bench decisions come down less to fantasy football stash players or deep sleepers, and more to, potentially, defensive desperation plays. Either that or our bench is comprised entirely of upside assets that have yet to pan out, and we’ve got no room for another. You might already have stashed Isaac Guerendo from the Niners this week.
Let me, however, re-introduce you all to Ricky Pearsall, the 31st-overall pick of the 2024 draft. I should note here that many pundits thought savvy teams would be snagging him on Day 2. That the 49ers snagged Pearsall on Day 1 is of crucial note.
Analysis
His regular-season NFL debut was derailed entirely when he was shot as he was being mugged in August. He’s been recovering from the incident since, and, yesterday, was activated off IR. He will make his NFL debut tomorrow against the Chiefs.
Why am I excited? This is a man who spit a bullet out of his chest like a baseball player discards a chewed sunflower seed. I do not whatsoever say that to be glib about the senseless, asinine tragedy of which he was a victim back in August. I say it because Pearsall’s recovery—this story—is remarkable enough to warrant hyperbole, and it warrants excitement and optimism itself.
It may not surprise anyone—fringe WR3s are, like, kind of my thing around here—that I think there’s optimism enough in his college pedigree and rookie profile to warrant optimism and potential upside from a deep bench slot.
An NFL Combine darling
Pearsall was one of the buzzier deep-sleeper names for standard leagues in drafts this year. He was super popular in industry rookie/dynasty drafts.
Why? Well, other than his knack for cirque-de-hooray catches on Saturdays, Pearsall had a heck of a run in Indianapolis at the NFL combine. His 4.41 40-yard dash time raised eyebrows so much it stretched faces. He would then go on to perform well in the on-field drills.
Here are Pearsall’s raw athleticism grades (based on combine workouts) as it relates to their percentiles among the 2024 rookie class, according to PlayerProfiler:
- 40-yard dash: 4.41 (92nd percentile)
- Speed score: 99.9 (72nd percentile)
- Burst score: 135.9 (98th percentile)
- Agility score: 10.69 (97th percentile)
- Catch radius: 10.44 (98th percentile)
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the profile of an elite athletic skillset.
It’s possible many fantasy managers might not be hip to Pearsall because Florida, despite Anthony Richardson’s 2022 meteoric rise, hasn’t been a title contender in a while. Pearsall’s incredible catches were relegated to highlight reels because his games got bumped from the national SEC slate, given how absolutely bloated that conference has become.
Make no mistake, however: this guy has some of the best hands, body control, footwork, and ball-tracking concentration coming out of college this year. We’ve all been talked to death on how pure his route-running is, seeing as how that’s what we widely believe led Lynch and Shanahan to draft him. But I think his best qualities come at the catch-point, and that’s what makes him a legitimate upside play in this 49ers offense.
The situation
I know there are those of you in deeper leagues who’ve already been watch-listing Pearsall since the Niners drafted him. Gator fans who have extra emotional investment into wanting him to do well. Disgruntled Brandon Aiyuk fans that wonder if the Kyle Shanahan doghouse is a real place where players go (looking at you, Dante Pettis) and it’s currently occupied by #11 in red and white. Who might think that, should Pearsall have a good game, he might carve out a role for himself in this offense.
If there are any knocks on Pearsall, it’s his release. He tends to lose to bigger, more physical secondaries, especially at the line of scrimmage if he’s pressed. Beyond that, he’s all upside. And I do believe that Kyle Shanahan is genuinely frustrated—potentially at an organizational/institutional level—with Brandon Aiyuk.
While I don’t think that has had any material affect on Aiyuk’s lack in production so far (I note as much here, where I do a deep dive on Aiyuk’s 2024 advanced receiving metrics), I’m not ruling out the possibility that it will have an affect on Aiyuk’s opportunities henceforth. Neither should you.
Bottom Line
The 49ers offense could legitimately look different with the activation of Pearsall. Jordan Mason is banged up and Isaac Guerendo is no sure thing. In 2021, when it was this barren in their backfield, Deebo Samuel saw a lot of carries. It’s entirely possible we see the 49ers revert to using Deebo out of the backfield a bit, despite their concerted effort in recent years to avoid it at all costs.
Flat-out? Pearsall on tape reminds me a bit of a speedier Adam Thielen. I’ll take that on my bench, thanks very much.
Oh, and I’d like to note here: I bet he has a hell of an NFL playoff run this year.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $3M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st].
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is thegreatdansby9) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
