San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is yet to play a single game since last featuring in the Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Fans and fantasy owners want to know if Pearsall will return to the field in Week 9 against the New York Giants.
What Happened to Ricky Pearsall?
Pearsall suffered a knee injury during the Week 4 game against the Jaguars. The injury happened after he landed awkwardly attempting a reception.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan pointed toward a “minor PCL” injury in the initial evaluations. While such type of injury generally takes 2 to 3 weeks to come back from, but it’s already five weeks and there are no confident signs of Pearsall. For most part of his absence, he has not logged into practice sessions.
Given the team is already facing depth issues in receiving corps, Pearsall’s absence has been significant on the team’s results.
When Will Ricky Pearsall Be Back?
At this point, nothing is certain. On the team’s injury report, his availability for the Week 9 game is in doubt, as the 49ers are keeping his status day-to-day basis in their latest update.
Kyle Shanahan did mention that before Pearsall will be considered for a game, the receiver will need to log in some practice hours. Therefore, Pearsall’s potential return this week will depend a lot on if he’s able to practice this week.
Ricky Pearsall Fantasy Outlook
Those having Ricky Pearsall on their teams, they should not take a chance picking Ricky Pearsall in their starting lineup. One can consider Week 10 or later as a more realistic return window unless Pearsall logs a full practice session soon. This is because the team has shown no urgency to rush him back on the field.
Before going down with the injury, Pearsall had recorded 20 receptions for 327 yards through four games, averaging 16.4 yards per catch. At the time, he led all 49ers receivers in terms of targets.
In his absence, the 49ers have shifted the workload of their passing game to Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne. As such, even if Pearsall returns, he won’t see the same number of targets he enjoyed early in the season.
As such, when he gets cleared in practice and eventually for the game, treat him as a flex/WR3 with upside rather than a guaranteed starter.
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Brian Thomas Jr. Injury Update: What Fantasy Owners Need to Know About Jaguars WR Ahead of Week 9
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