Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 25, 2026, 1:00 PM ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
Network: FOX
San Francisco 49ers
Quarterback
Brock Purdy: START, QB1
At this point, you’re starting Brock Purdy every week. He’s the Calculator app. Your elementary school teacher was wrong. You will walk around with a boring but reliable quarterback in your pocket when you grow up.
Running Back
Christian McCaffrey: START, RB1
Kaelon Black: SIT
Jordan James: SIT
Nobody has to tell you to start Christian McCaffrey, kinda like nobody has to tell you about the Camera app on your phone. You use it constantly, and it does a whole lot more than just take pictures.
Wide Receiver
Brandin Cooks: FLEX, WR4
Christian Kirk: SIT
Mike Evans: SIT (Likely OUT)
Deebo Samuel: SIT (Likely OUT)
Yes, that’s the Brandin Cooks sitting at the top of the 49ers depth chart in the Year of our Lord 2026. He’s expected to be joined by Christian Kirk in Week 7 for his first game as a 49er, yet to suit up in the red and gold due to a preseason injury that forced him on the IR. Mike Evans is dealing with Achilles tendonitis on top of his fractured rib, and rumor has it Evans may also have Boneitis. Evans is one of the toughest sons of a gun to ever set foot on a football field and usually plays through everything, but with a Week 8 bye on tap, I’d expect both he and Deebo Samuel to sit and take the two weeks to get healthy. Kirk should/could have a role as the safety valve for Purdy, but there’s no way I would risk starting him. I need to see what his role actually is. Cooks is a pure upside FLEX play with a great matchup, as Atlanta allows the sixth-most points to the position and is tied for the most catchers per game to receivers.
Tight End
George Kittle: START, TE1
I’m all for George Kittle is inevitable. He’s all fours, too. The founder of Tight End University ranks fourth at tight end in red zone targets (10), air yards share (21.5), and yards per route run (2.44). The already-elite option should eat even more with Evans either out or playing basically broken.
Defense/Special Teams
San Francisco 49ers: START
San Francisco allows the fourth-fewest points per game, and Atlanta is tied for the eighth-most giveaways.
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback
Michael Penix Jr.: SIT, QB2 (Startable in Superflex)
And by startable in Superflex, I mean barely startable, but you probably have no other choice with four teams on bye. The Niners are a bottom-10 matchup for quarterbacks, and J.J. McCarthy had more passing yards in 11 minutes than Penix has had in three of his four starts.
Running Back
Bijan Robinson: START, RB1
Brian Robinson Jr.: FLEX, RB4
Bijan Robinson is generally a part of the “fun fact”/”Start ’em, Sort ’em” grouping, but considering he scored 7.3 points last week, I thought I ought to talk about him. Bijan looked great as usual. He ran for 6.8 yards per carry and accounted for 51 of Atlanta’s 97 first-half yards. The problem is, he only touched the ball 11 times, and Atlanta barely played offense in the second half. You were still starting him regardless, but San Francisco is a top-10 matchup for running backs and allows a league-high 7.2 catches per game to the position. I expect 20+ points. Bizarro Bijan Brian Robinson Jr. can be safely left on your bench.
Wide Receiver
Drake London: START, WR2
Jahan Dotson: SIT
Olamide Zaccheaus: SIT
You’d have to have an unfathomably deep roster or outrageously shallow starting lineup to consider sitting a guy like Drake London, but temper expectations for Week 7. London currently sits as the WR21 on the season and has 12+ points in four straight, but has scored over 15 just twice and faces a Niners defense that ranks inside the top five in fewest total points allowed, total yards allowed, and is a bottom-10 matchup for receivers.
Tight End
Kyle Pitts Sr.: SIT
This one stings. Kyle Pitts finally seems to be getting hot and ranks as the TE4 over his last three games. But the 49ers haven’t allowed a touchdown to a tight end all season and give up the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the position. Please, nobody tell Brian Hartman that I said bench Pitts this week.
Defense/Special Teams
Atlanta Falcons: SIT
The 49ers score the third-most points per game and allow the fewest sacks. Good luck.