George Kittle suffered a hamstring injury in the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Seahawks this past Sunday, and the superstar tight end is being placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least four games.
With Kittle missing, the 49ers are very thin on pass catchers, as Brandon Aiyuk (knee) remains sidelined. Plus, Jauan Jennings ($4,800) is dealing with a shoulder injury, although it’s not believed to be serious. Ricky Pearsall ($5,300) is San Francisco’s No. 1 receiver for the time being and should provide great numbers in this role.
With Kittle only available for 26.7% of the snaps in the season opener, Pearsall caught four of his seven targets for 108 yards versus a stout Seahawks defense (17.8 FPTS). Last season, Seattle allowed the third-fewest yards per pass in the NFL (6.8). The second-year wideout out of Florida led the 49ers with a 90% route rate and handled a 20% target share in the win, including a league-high four targets over 20 yards and two redzone targets. Additionally, Pearsall saw 21.0 aDOT, which ranked seventh-best in Week 1.
Up next for the 25-year-old is a matchup versus the Saints in Week 2. The New Orleans defense had a strong Week 1 showing versus the Cardinals, but struggled to contain receivers last season, allowing the fifth-most yards (2,826) and sixth-most catches to the position (217). Despite all the injuries, the 49ers carry a healthy 23.5-point implied team total on DraftKings Sportsbook, and Pearsall should have another strong showing in this spot. The receiver will be chalky for DFS, but priced at only $5,300, Pearsall is a tough fade and good chalk to embrace.
