49ers WR Deebo Samuel (foot) didn't practice all week and is out for Sunday's opener vs. the Cardinals. HC Kyle Shanahan said Friday that Samuel will be "day-to-day" next week, but we'd consider him no better than 50/50 for Week 2.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) returned to a limited practice on Thursday. That gives the rookie a shot to play against the Cardinals this weekend, although he shouldn't be in your Week 1 fantasy plans after missing over 2 weeks of practice.

49ers WRs Deebo Samuel (foot) and Brandon Aiyuk (hamstring) missed practice on Wednesday. Fantasy owners shouldn't be counting on either guy to play against the Cardinals this weekend. Their absences would leave Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor as San Francisco's top 2 WRs. TE George Kittle should dominate targets.

The 49ers on Wednesday activated LB Fred Warner from the COVID list. That makes him available to play the opener against the Cardinals, a matchup that allowed him 9 and 12 tackles in last year's 2 meetings. A top-10 LB in our preseason rankings, Warner belongs in your Week 1 IDP lineup. Dre Greenlaw, meanwhile, takes a tumble in our Week 1 LB rankings.

49ers GM John Lynch is "hopeful" to have WR Deebo Samuel (foot) for Sunday's opener against the Cardinals. Samuel has been trending in the right direction for the past few weeks and will be examined by team doctors again on Tuesday. We'll monitor his practice participation this week. Fantasy owners shouldn't plan on using him in Week 1 lineups -- but he might be an option as early as Week 2.

The 49ers are expected to activate WR Deebo Samuel from the non-football injury list and include him on the initial 53-man active roster. That will make him eligible to play in Week 1. We'll certainly still keep an eye on his participation to make sure he's actually on track to play in the opener. But this is a good sign for Samuel's early-season outlook.

The Cowboys on Thursday released S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. It's an unfortunate turn for a veteran free agent Dallas signed this offseason to take over for Jeff Heath at SS. But it's not surprising. Multiple reporters mentioned Clinton-Dix trending toward losing the starting gig to Darian Thompson. Clinton-Dix's release makes Thompson a deep IDP sleeper in a role that has seen productive turns under DC Mike Nolan through multiple coaching stops. A 3rd-round pick by the Giants back in 2016, Thompson spent 2 injury-affected years there before spending the past 2 as a reserve with the Cowboys. Thompson will turn just 27 in September, though, and delivered big plays in coverage back at Boise State (19 INTs in 4 seasons, including 12 over his final 2).

49ers TE George Kittle returned to practice on Wednesday. He missed about a week with what the team called a "tight" hamstring. "Kittle looked sharp with his burst and cuts in practice," insider Cam Inman observed. We're not worried about the hammy and continue to like Kittle as a 2nd-round target in fantasy drafts.

The 49ers are hopeful that WR Deebo Samuel (foot) will be able to return to practice next week, HC Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday. Samuel remains a long shot to play in the opener against Arizona. But it looks like he has a shot to return for Week 2 or 3, barring a setback. Samuel is well worth a shot if you can get him in Round 9 or 10.

The Patriots are releasing WR Mohamed Sanu, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It seems like a surprise, but ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss had projected less than a day earlier that Sanu would miss the 53-man roster. It officially makes New England's trade for the wideout last year an awful move. We'll see if Sanu lands elsewhere, but he's certainly not worth clinging to in any format. Sanu's departure leaves more room for WRs such as Damiere Byrd and Gunner Olszewski.

The 49ers have placed LB Fred Warner on the COVID-19 reserve list. It's not yet clear whether Warner has tested positive or merely been exposed to a COVID-positive person. If Warner displays symptoms, his Week 1 availability would be in jeopardy. Other players have come off the list in as little as a day or 2. We'll keep an eye on the star LB's situation as the opener approaches. If Warner misses any games, Dre Greenlaw would likely take on a 3-down role.

It sounds like there's nothing to worry about with the "tight" hamstring that ended Wednesday's practice early for 49ers TE George Kittle. “He’s good with all the testing, so there’s nothing pulled or strained, just tightness,” HC Kyle Shanahan said Friday. “The way George moves and the way he goes, he only knows one way, so when he’s tight, we're going to protect him from himself and wait until he’s not tight.” Kittle still sat out practice Friday, but you can continue with drafting him as you had planned.

TE George Kittle left practice Wednesday and didn't participate in the team's Thursday walkthrough. According to the team website, HC Kyle Shanahan said Kittle was merely dealing with a "tight" hamstring and that they pulled him before he could do any real damage to it. We'll keep an eye on Kittle's status, but there doesn't seem to be any reason to worry about him or adjust your outlook at this point.

49ers WR Deebo Samuel (foot) was sprinting off to the side of Wednesday's practice, according to The Athletic's Matt Barrows. "He had his most intense workout thus far with change-of-direction exercises, etc.," Barrows added. "He's pushing to be ready on Sept. 13." The 49ers have seemingly become more optimistic about Samuel's chances of playing in the opener. At minimum, it looks like he'll avoid the reserve PUP list and be back by October.

The 49ers on Tuesday deemed DE Nick Bosa "week-to-week" with a muscle strain in his upper right leg. HC Kyle Shanahan said Bosa was preparing to play through it before an MRI revealed the strain. It doesn't seem like an issue that should threaten Bosa's start to the regular season, though we'll keep an eye on his situation. Bosa missed most of August last season with a hamstring injury, which sounds like the area holding him back now as well. That -- plus a September ankle sprain -- didn't stop him from registering an impressive rookie. DE Dee Ford is also out with a calf "irritation," but the team lists him as merely "day-to-day."

49ers HC Kyle Shanhan labeled WR Brandon Aiyuk "week to week" with a "mild strain" in his left hamstring. It's the 1st update we've gotten on the rookie since he went down in Sunday's practice. Aiyuk was off to a hot start in camp and seemed destined to play a big role right out of the gate. This injury might impact that plan. We'll see when Aiyuk is able to get back on the field.

Niners rookie WR Brandon Aiyuk left practice Sunday morning with a left hamstring injury, according to NBC Sports' Matt Maiocco. Injuries to Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd had left Aiyuk as the potential leader of the WR corps. We'll see how significant this issue proves to be. Yet another WR injury only increases opportunity for Kendrick Bourne and slot man Trent Taylor. Either guy is worth a look late in deep fantasy football drafts. Aiyuk remains a high-upside pick in the double-digit rounds, as long as this hammy injury doesn't prove to be too serious. Aiyuk reportedly finished the Sunday session watching from the sideline, which is obviously more encouraging than if he'd gone immediately in for treatment.

49ers WR Jalen Hurd is having a Monday morning MRI on "what's believed to be a major knee injury" suffered in Sunday practice, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. The team reportedly fears that Hurd suffered an ACL tear. Such fears tend to be confirmed by testing. We'll keep an eye on this situation, but you should certainly stop drafting Hurd immediately. His absence would leave even more available for Brandon Aiyuk, as the Niners await Deebo Samuel's return to health. WRs Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor would also find more opportunity available. Aiyuk is a high-upside option for your fantasy bench. Taylor and Bourne would be late-draft flyers.

"It’s clear Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk already have rapport," The Athletic's David Lombardi notes. The duo reportedly hooked up "several" times in Sunday's practice. The pads haven't even gone on in San Francisco yet, but Aiyuk has been a hot name early in camp. With WR Deebo Samuel (foot) iffy for Week 1, Aiyuk has a chance to open the season with a big role. He's a strong target in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.

Niners HC Kyle Shanahan hopes to have WR Deebo Samuel available for the regular-season opener, but says it's too early to tell, according to the team website. "I think we're hoping for Week 1. Not counting on it, but I think that's kind of the area that these injuries usually heal by. But a lot of that has to do with: are you ready to play? Has it fully healed by that time? Are you in football shape?" Shanahan acknowledged that it'll be tough to know how ready Samuel might be before he actually returns to the field. We'll certainly keep an eye on the 2nd-year wideout's status as the regular season draws nearer. In the meantime, his uncertainty adds upside to the late-round price tags on WRs Brandon Aiyuk and Jalen Hurd.