Who Should I Start? Demarcus Robinson or Ricky Pearsall

Wednesday, January 14, 2:12 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Demarcus Robinson caught six passes for a team-high 111 receiving yards and a touchdown in Sunday's Wild Card win over the Eagles. With the injury-stricken status of the 49ers' pass-catching depth chart, he could be tasked with handling a similarly heavy workload in a Divisional Round clash with the Seahawks on Saturday. Tight end George Kittle (Achilles) saw his season come to an end when he ruptured his Achilles tendon on Sunday, and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) began the week as a limited practice participant after missing the playoff opener with knee and ankle injuries. Christian McCaffrey is likely to remain the primary option in San Francisco's passing game, as he has all season, but if Pearsall is unable to suit up on Saturday, the 31-year-old Robinson could be in line for another productive outing.

Sunday, February 15, 4:31 AM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is trending up ahead of the NFL offseason. Fellow Niners receiver Jauan Jennings is headed for free agency, and given that his relationship with the team is rocky, it seems likely that he'll sign somewhere else. If Jennings does leave, and Brandon Aiyuk also departs as expected, that will open the door for Pearsall to step into the No. 1 receiver role. He showed the ability to handle a top role at times in 2025, but injuries prevented fantasy managers from being able to fully evaluate him. He ultimately finished his second pro season with 36 catches, 528 yards, and zero touchdowns across nine games. Because of his injury history, it might be tough for the 49ers to trust Pearsall as their No. 1 receiver. We wouldn't be surprised to see them go out and grab a top pass-catcher via trade or free agency, leaving Pearsall in the No. 2 role once again. He can absolutely still offer upside in fantasy football, though. The 49ers have a very capable offense, so Pearsall will be able to turn any workload into fantasy points. He ranks as a fringe top-36 fantasy receiver for 2026 and would jump into the top 24 if the 49ers don't bring in any competition for him.