SAN FRANCISCO (at Seattle.)
The 49ers have some injury concerns, but they'll probably come through with top-10 numbers anyway -- maybe top 5. Seattle's defense has been bad all along; only four teams have allowed more yards, and only two have allowed more points. They've ...
allowed 13 touchdowns and an average of 29 points in their last four, and only one of those teams (Las Vegas) is even average on offense (the others were the Rams, Bucs and Panthers). San Francisco put up 373 yards and 3 TDs while winning the earlier meeting 27-7. Good week to be counting on a (healthy) 49er. ... Christian McCaffrey wasn't around for that Week 2 game, but they've got him fully integrated in the offense now. In seven games with the team he's averaging 106 total yards (61 run, 45 rec), with 7 total touchdowns. His last two games (146 and 153 yards, with 3 TDs) are two of his three best with the team. He should be busy here, with the NFC West on the line (San Francisco can clinch with a win), and San Francisco's other primary backfield complements (including Deebo Samuel) unavailable. Seattle ranks next-to-last in run defense, allowing 160 yards per game -- over that total in four straight -- and with 18 touchdowns (3rd-most). The Seahawks have allowed multiple rushing scores seven times, including ...
This report is taken from today's Week 15 edition of Fantasy Index Weekly. The newsletter includes our player rankings and 20 pages of matchup previews, plus stat projections and custom rankings for the games being played this weekend.
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... in each of the last three weeks. Rushing, receiving, touchdown potential; they all look good for McCaffrey here. Jordan Mason will be the complement; he carried 11 times for 56 yards last week. But the blowout nature of that game was a factor; all of his carries came in the second half, with San Francisco up 35-0. ... Two games in, it looks like Brock Purdy will be able to steer the ship just fine. In double-digit wins over Miami and Tampa Bay, he's averaging 198 passing yards, with 2 TD passes in each; he also ran one in last week. He's got a lot of weapons and is working with one of the game's best offensive minds, and here's another favorable matchup (Seattle ranks just 19th in pass defense). Unfortunately for those hoping to use Purdy, the situation probably won't enable him to deliver top numbers. San Francisco will definitely have a lot of success running the ball, and its top-performing defense -- No. 1 in both yards and points allowed -- should be able to limit Seattle's offense. Back in Week 2, San Francisco quarterbacks threw for just 184 yards and 1 TD; more production wasn't necessary, with what the rest of the offense and defense were doing. While Purdy scored on the ground last week, he's not actually a running threat (just 2 yards the last two games). Maybe he finishes with multiple touchdowns, given his playmakers at receiver, but unlikely he throws for more than 200 yards. Purdy is dealing with an oblique injury, and was listed as limited in practice both Monday and Tuesday (estimated; San Francisco didn't practice Monday and apparently did very little on Tuesday). But for now the assumption is that he'll be fine. Josh Johnson would fill in if necessary, and wouldn't necessarily be a huge downgrade. The 36-year-old journeyman saw notable playing time in only two games last year and went over 300 yards in both of them (for two different teams). ... With Deebo Samuel out multiple weeks (Kyle Shanahan says he was told "three-ish" weeks, suggesting Week 18 is the earliest he'd return), Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle will be the primary receivers. After Samuel got hurt last week, Aiyuk promptly caught 25- and 32-yard passes, the latter for a touchdown. The evidence isn't quite as strong from him when Samuel missed the game at Seattle a year ago; Aiyuk caught 3 for 55 in that game. Kittle, in contrast, had his best game all season, catching 9 passes for 181 yards, with 24- and 48-yard touchdowns. Different year and different quarterback, but the general feeling is these players (and McCaffrey) will be the main cogs in the passing game, and all should see a bump in targets with Samuel sidelined. The other involved wideouts will be Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud, but neither looks likely to have a significant role. Each caught just 1 pass last week. Third-rounder Danny Gray (also 1 catch against Tampa Bay) will get on the field some. Aiyuk and Samuel each caught 5 passes in the earlier meeting. Kittle sat out that game, and fill-in Ross Dwelley caught a touchdown (though that was his only reception). Dwelley also scored against Seattle a year ago, so that's 4 TDs by San Francisco tight ends in the last three meetings -- good week to use Kittle. ... Robbie Gould had 9 points in the earlier meeting, but Seattle has generally given up extra points (32) more than field goals (20), allowing an average of just over 7 kicking points. ... The 49ers Defense ranks in the top 5 in takeaways (21) and the top 10 in sacks (36). It had 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery in the earlier meeting, though one of the interceptions came off a halfback option (not Geno Smith). Smith has generally protected the football (8 interceptions), though he's taken 34 sacks. Good chance San Francisco makes it up to 3 this week.