Should the 49ers Rest Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel Against the Vikings?

The Vikings are 2-4. They're one more loss away from stripping their team down and selling players at the trade deadline. They have next to nothing to play for.

The 49ers received good news on Monday after their loss to the Browns: Both Deebo Samuel (shoulder) and Christian McCaffrey (oblique/rib) are not seriously injured and could potentially play Monday night against the Vikings. Even Trent Williams (ankle) could gut it out and play.

So should they play?

Absolutely not.

If it were a playoff game, sure. Of course. Those are three of the 49ers best players and they need to be on the field when it really matters. Monday night against the Vikings is not one of those games.

The Vikings are 2-4. They're one more loss away from stripping their team down and selling players at the trade deadline. They have next to nothing to play for. They lost their best player, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, to an injury -- he'll be out. Without him, Kirk Cousins should struggle immensely against the 49ers elite defense. The defense alone should win the game for the 49ers.

Which means they shouldn't need McCaffrey, Samuel or Williams to beat Minnesota. The offense could struggle without them, although the Vikings defense is nothing special. But the 49ers still will have Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, Kyle Juszczyk and Jordan Mason -- five excellent weapons. Plus they have Kyle Shanahan, who's an offensive genius.

They should have more than enough brainpower, creativity and talent to beat the Vikings without McCaffrey, Samuel and Williams. If the 49ers have to ask those players to play at less than 100 percent, that's a bad sign.