Ricky Pearsall is trying to prove he’s more than an inspirational story. The 31st pick back in April started his tenure in San Francisco recovering from an offseason shoulder and gunshot wound suffered in an altercation moments after doing an autograph signing. His two years in Florida established him as one of the nation’s perennial vertical threats, but scouts projected his playing time in the pros coming from the slot.
In his two games since entering the lineup, the 24-year-old has snagged seven of his nine targets for 59 yards. Even with many pass catchers ahead of him on the depth chart dealing with nagging injuries, the rookie has yet to have a breakout performance. The 49ers are 4-4, but it’s been injuries, not the offense, that have held back the reigning NFC Champions. Is it too late into this treacherous campaign to introduce a new target into the fold?
Is Ricky Pearsall worth starting?
Pearsall has a looming date with a Tampa Bay defense that has allowed 30 points in four of its last five contests. The secondary is in the bottom ten in the NFL in EPA per pass defended and can never seem to make an impactful play. It’s a unit in free-fall and the type of squad an offensive-guru coach in Kyle Shannahan should be easily able to exploit.
With Jauan Jennings expected back in the fold, at best, Pearsall is the fifth option in a loaded skill-position group. If he didn’t play under such a phenomenal infrastructure, Pearsall would have no fantasy relevance outside of deeper keeper leagues. Despite his obvious talent, there are too many mouths to feed on this team for him to be successful. Like any depth piece, there’s potential he has a few random moments of brilliance—it just won’t be consistent.
Pearsall offers essentially no DFS upside and should not find a spot on your roster. Even if he’s lingering on your bench, trading him for any value would be a massive victory. Fade Pearsall until proven otherwise.
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