Brandin Cooks Fantasy Overview

49ers WR Mike Evans (rib, Achilles) is listed as questionable for Monday night's game vs. the Commanders. That leaves fantasy owners in a tricky spot, although insiders David Lombardi and Matt Maiocco both said Saturday that they expect Evans to play. We'll see if we get any further updates on his status on Sunday morning. WR Christian Kirk (calf) is also listed as questionable after being designated to return earlier this week, while WR Deebo Samuel (hamstring) is out. The other WRs on San Francisco's active roster right now: Brandin Cooks, Jacob Cowing, and Jordan Watkins.

The 49ers expect WR Deebo Samuel to miss at least a couple of weeks with the hamstring injury that knocked him out of Sunday's win over the Seahawks, according to multiple reports. San Francisco has two more games before a Week 8 bye, which almost certainly means Week 9 is the earliest potential return date.

The 49ers are elevating WR Brandin Cooks to the active roster, ESPN's Nick Wagoner reports. San Francisco continues to be ravaged by WR injuries, with Mike Evans (ribs) and KhaDarel Hodge (knee) iffy for Week 4 and potentially beyond. Cooks joins Deebo Samuel, Jacob Cowing, and Jordan Watkins as the healthy WRs on the active roster. The 33-year-old Cooks is no longer fit to be an offensive focal point, but he's a reliable veteran who could help the Niners passing game. We'll keep an eye on his role, but Cooks shouldn't be in Week 4 fantasy lineups and is only worth stashing in deep fantasy leagues.

Update: Hodge has been released.

49ers GM John Lynch conceded on Thursday morning that WR Mike Evans (ribs) is iffy for this weekend's game vs. the Broncos. "He is old school in his mindset and he doesn’t want to miss," Lynch said. "Mike will make every attempt and we’ll see where that goes." We'll keep you updated on Evans' status over the next few days, but fantasy managers should be making other plans for Week 4. Evans' absence would leave the Niners down to Deebo Samuel, Jacob Cowing, and Jordan Watkins as the healthy WRs on the active roster. WR KhaDarel Hodge missed Wednesday's practice with a knee injury. WRs Brandin Cooks and Dante Pettis are on the practice squad. TE George Kittle and RB Christian McCaffrey could play even bigger roles than usual against Denver.