Who Should I Start? Ameer Abdullah or Kyle Juszczyk

Thursday, July 31, 3:10 PM

The San Francisco 49ers signed veteran running back Ameer Abdullah on Thursday, according to NFL insider Mike Garafolo. This comes a day after the Niners hosted several running backs for workouts. The former second-round pick by the Detroit Lions out of Nebraska in 2015 has appeared in 141 NFL games, rushing for 1,994 yards, collecting 268 receptions for 1,468 yards, and scoring 19 total touchdowns. Abdullah had a short stretch of fantasy relevance last year with the Las Vegas Raiders, but he could face an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster in the Bay, and Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo should be viewed as the clear-cut RB1 and RB2 in Kyle Shanahan's offense to begin the 2025 campaign.

Saturday, August 2, 3:58 PM

San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (undisclosed) and running back Isaac Guerendo (shoulder/arm) both left the team's Saturday practice early, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Wagoner writes that Juszczyk was "moving slowly." The 34-year-old is a key piece as a blocker and a receiver in the 49ers' offense, having racked up 2,901 yards from scrimmage over the course of his 12-year career. Juszczyk is uniquely versatile as a player, so there's not a clear replacement for him on San Francisco's roster if he were to miss time. Guerendo is expected to be the primary backup to star 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. In 16 games as a rookie in 2024, Guerendo recorded 84 carries for 420 yards and four touchdowns. It's unclear how much time (if any) Guerendo will miss, but he now joins fifth-round rookie Jordan James (knee) as 49ers backs dealing with injuries. The team signed veteran rusher Ameer Abdullah on Thursday to bolster its depth at the position. If healthy, Guerendo is a premium handcuff option for fantasy.