49ers Sit Six Rookies vs. Rams — Deebo Samuel's Backfield Role Grows
San Francisco carries just two running backs into the opener, and Deebo Samuel is set for real work out of the backfield alongside McCaffrey.
Expanded backfield role adds a touch floor his WR24 line lacked.
- 6 rookies inactive, including QB Kurtis Rourke
- Only 2 RBs active vs. Rams
- Samuel: 727 rec yds, 5 TD in 2025 (16 games)
- McCaffrey: 417 PPR pts in 2025, our RB1
- WR Jordan Watkins among the healthy scratches
San Francisco's Week 1 inactive list against the Rams tells you more about the offense than any preseason quote could. Six players still on rookie contracts won't dress — QB Kurtis Rourke, CB Ephesians Prysock, RB Jordan James, WR Jordan Watkins, LB Tatum Bethune and OT Enrique Cruz — and none of that is a shock. Those picks weren't brought in to move the needle in 2026.
The number that matters for your lineup: the 49ers are rolling with just two active running backs. That's a loud signal that Deebo Samuel is going to see meaningful snaps aligned in the backfield, not just split out wide. Samuel put up 188 PPR points across 16 games last season (2025), good for WR24 in our rankings, and a bigger designed-run role is exactly the kind of thing that raises his floor.
Why the Backfield Math Matters
Kyle Shanahan admitted this offseason that he wishes he'd spread carries around more a year ago, and thinning the RB room forces his hand. It means occasionally taking Christian McCaffrey off the field — which stings in the moment but keeps our RB1 fresh for the stretch run. McCaffrey was absurd in 2025: 417 PPR points, 1,202 rushing yards and 102 catches over a full 17-game slate. Nobody's touching that workload lightly.
The receiver picture shifts too with Watkins down. Mike Evans, De'Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing and KhaDarel Hodge round out the room. If Samuel's targets come more on underneath and manufactured touches, someone has to stretch the field — Cowing is the name to watch there. Robinson has gone quiet as Stribling climbed, but Shanahan leaning on a veteran in Week 1 fits his history. Robinson checks in at WR98 in our rankings with just 56 PPR points last season (2025), so don't overreact.
The Fantasy Fallout
Brock Purdy, our QB23, should spread the ball around with a shorthanded skill group; his last five games of 2025 came in +3.7 fantasy points above his season average, so there's a pulse there in deeper formats.
Bottom line: buy low on Deebo Samuel. A hybrid backfield role in a Shanahan offense is a floor-raiser, and his WR24 finish from 2025 undersells the touch volume coming. McCaffrey stays locked as your RB1 — the two-back gameplan is about durability, not diminished usage. Everyone else in this receiver room is a wait-and-see.
