Ricky Pearsall Injury Paves Way For Jauan Jennings & 49ers Deep Sleeper vs. Eagles

Ricky Pearsall’s latest injury update could reshape the 49ers’ passing game, elevating Jauan Jennings and creating a deep sleeper option for fantasy football players in the Wild Card matchup versus the Eagles.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) looks on in the first half against the Chicago Bears at Levi's Stadium. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has shown flashes throughout his first two years in the league, but he has also been plagued by injury. He was once again unable to play in Week 18 due to both knee and ankle injuries. However, we did get a somewhat positive update on both Pearsall and offensive tackle Trent Williams from the 49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan, following their Week 18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

"They were pushing it," Shanahan said. "It would've been too risky to play them, though. They pushed it all the way up to the end, but it wouldn’t have been the smartest decision by us to let them.”

When asked if Pearsall would have had a better chance to play if their Week 18 game was on Sunday instead of Saturday, he replied, "Oh, yeah. Much better chance.”

If Pearsall plays and is fully healthy, he becomes an interesting fantasy option for both the first round of the playoffs and the playoffs in their entirety if the 49ers advance deeper into the playoffs. However, if he doesn't play, it could open the door for other options. Afterall, it was reported that the second-year receiver re-agrivated the injury last week, clouding his availability for the Niners’ first-round matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ricky Pearsall re-aggravated his PCL injury last week, per Kyle Shanahan pic.twitter.com/bhtXyK7zyr

— Sleeper49ers (@SleeperSF49ers) January 5, 2026

Fantasy Football Impact of Ricky Pearsall Injury

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi's Stadium. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

WR Kendrick Bourne, San Francisco 49ers

Bourne would be the next man up on the outside if Pearsall is out. While we have seen Bourne have huge games this season, they have come with Mac Jones at quarterback and with other options like George Kittle and Jauan Jennings also sidelined or banged up. We would avoid Bourne in any kind of full playoff league because Pearsall could come back at any point, and Bourne just isn't a great option. However, Bourne could be a sneaky boom-or-bust option in GPP DFS tournaments at a low cost. 

WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco

Pearsall's potential absence would funnel even more targets to Jennings. Jennings is always considered the WR1, but he's a much more secure WR1 when Pearsall is sidelined. Brock Purdy relies even more heavily on Jennings when Pearsall is unable to suit up. It pushes Jennings up the rankings in both DFS and playoff-long formats.