Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Ricky Pearsall

Thursday, January 1, 6:31 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (back) was removed from the Week 18 injury report on Thursday and will play on Saturday night against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks, according to Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area. McCaffrey has dealt with a bit of back stiffness in the final month of the regular season, but it hasn't been a serious issue, and he'll be fine this weekend as the Niners look to secure the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The 29-year-old is coming off a second straight 100-yard rushing game in the Week 17 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night, in which he had 23 carries for a season-high 140 yards and one touchdown on the ground. CMC added 41 receiving yards on four catches. He remains the do-it-all focal point of San Fran's offense and is a must-start, high-end RB1 in all fantasy leagues in Week 18.

Monday, January 5, 3:25 PM

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) aggravated his PCL injury last week, which is why he was inactive for the Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night despite practicing all week before the game, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. The 25-year-old former first-rounder is also dealing with an ankle sprain, which makes him questionable to play in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs this Sunday versus the hosting Philadelphia Eagles. When healthy, Pearsall is one of quarterback Brock Purdy's top targets, but he's played in just nine games in 2025 due to injuries after playing in 11 games in his rookie campaign. If Pearsall misses a second straight game this weekend, Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson, and Kendrick Bourne would all be in line for more targets.