Purdy had his practice restrictions removed in mid-August as part of his recovery from an elbow injury sustained during the playoffs, and while his Week 1 status is still uncertain, the 49ers appear confident enough in his health that they traded Trey Lance during the final week of the preseason. We view Purdy as a low-end No. 2 QB who should only be rostered in redraft if you are allowed to start more than one quarterback. Then again, he has surprised us before. The former Mr. Irrelevant threw multiple touchdown passes in each of his last six regular season games as a rookie. He also topped 234 yards just once in those games. If Purdy is able to play in Week 1 and starts hot, his Dynasty value will skyrocket.
Purdy completed 21 of 30 pass attempts for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Thursday's 31-13 win over the Seahawks.
Purdy's only notable miscue from another solid performance came on his second attempt of the second half when he threw an interception that was taken back for Seattle's only touchdown of the evening. The 23-year-old was not fazed by his -- at the time -- potentially game-altering mistake, responding with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk later in the half that put the Seahawks away for good. Purdy finished with an efficient passing performance that lacked the flash of some of his recent fantasy lines. The sophomore starter is still producing at a high level with 838 passing yards and seven touchdowns while completing 75 percent of his passes in three outings since returning from the bye. Purdy will both physically and mentally prepare for next week's road tilt against the Eagles, which will be the first time the quarterback will face Philadelphia since severely injuring his elbow and taking a loss in last year's NFC Championship Game.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: QBs to Start
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Purdy was awesome as the Start of the Week in Week 11 with 32.7 Fantasy points against Tampa Bay, and he has 62.6 Fantasy points in his past two outings against the Jaguars and Buccaneers. He should stay hot against the Seahawks, who allowed Sam Howell to score 30.2 Fantasy points in their last home game in Week 10. And Purdy scored 20.5 Fantasy points at Seattle in Week 15 last year with 217 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Joins elite company in Week 11
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Purdy completed 21 of 25 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 27-14 win over the Buccaneers. He added 14 rushing yards on four carries.
The nearly flawless performance resulted in a maximum QB rating of 158.3 for the day, putting Purdy in very exclusive company -- per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, Joe Montana is the only other QB in 49ers history to post a so-called perfect passing day while attempting at least 15 passes. Purdy hooked up with Christian McCaffrey for a four-yard score in the first quarter before putting the game away in the third with a 76-yard touchdown strike to Brandon Aiyuk and a three-yard TD to George Kittle. Purdy has a 6:0 TD:INT in two games since the Niners' bye, giving him plenty of momentum heading into a Week 12 trip to Seattle.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Bounces back with three TDs in win
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Purdy completed 19 of 26 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 34-3 win over the Jaguars.
Purdy threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk in the first quarter, added a 66-yard touchdown to George Kittle in the third and rounded out the scoring with a 22-yard connection to Kyle Juszczyk in the fourth. Christian McCaffrey had his 17-game touchdown streak snapped, but Deebo Samuel (shoulder) made his first appearance since Week 6 and added a 23-yard rushing touchdown to Purdy's trio of passing scores. After snapping a three-game losing streak Sunday in Jacksonville, Purdy will bring a 15:5 TD:INT into San Francisco's Week 11 home game against the Buccaneers.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Listed as questionable, should play
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Purdy is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Cincinnati, though head coach Kyle Shanahan is optimistic the quarterback will clear the concussion protocol Saturday and start this weekend, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Purdy entered the protocol following Monday's loss to the Vikings, and due to the quicker turnaround than usual for the Week 8 game, he initially didn't appear to be on track to be available against the Bengals. However, Purdy has made rapid progress since being diagnosed with the brain injury, as he was cleared to return to practice Thursday as a limited participant after his concussion symptoms dissipated. He then took another step forward Friday, when he practiced as a full participant. In order to play Sunday, Purdy will still need clearance from an independent neurologist, something Shanahan expects to happen Saturday but can't actually be sure about. If Purdy isn't cleared, the 49ers will turn to Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback heading into Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Officially limited Thursday
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Purdy (concussion) officially was a limited practice participant Thursday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
In the wake of Monday's 22-17 loss at Minnesota, Purdy developed concussion symptoms on the flight back to San Francisco, which was revealed by coach Kyle Shanahan prior to Wednesday's practice, according to Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News. While Purdy was absent from that session, he was spotted rolling out and throwing a pass Thursday, per Wagoner. Purdy thus has taken a tangible step in his quest through the protocol for head injuries, but considering the timing of the diagnosis on a short week of prep, he may be up against it to be available Sunday against the Bengals. If Purdy isn't able to gain clearance to play this weekend, Sam Darnold will direct the 49ers offense.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Returns to practice Thursday
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Purdy (concussion) is taking part in Thursday's practice session, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Shortly before the team's first practice of the week Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that Purdy entered the NFL's concussion protocol after being evaluated at some point following Monday's 22-17 loss to the Vikings. With just five days off between games than the usual six, Purdy is facing an uphill battle to gain clearance to start this Sunday against the Bengals, but his presence at practice Thursday at least keeps the door open for him to play. The 49ers will reveal after practice concludes whether Purdy was a limited or full participant, but the signal-caller will still need to gain clearance from an independent neurologist in any case before exiting the protocol. Sam Darnold took all the first-team reps at Wednesday's walk-through session and would be in line to start Sunday if Purdy isn't available.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: In concussion protocol
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Purdy entered the concussion protocol after Monday's 22-17 loss at Minnesota, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Purdy was his typical efficient self in Week 7, completing 21 of 30 passes for 272 yards and one touchdown, but he also threw a pair of interceptions, the last of which sealed the game. He then began to experience concussion symptoms on the flight back to San Francisco, clouding his status on a short week to prepare for Sunday's matchup with the Bengals. Shanahan told Matt Barrows of The Athletic that backup quarterback Sam Darnold will handle the first-team reps Wednesday, but Purdy will take part in some of the walk-through session.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Two late INTs prove costly
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Purdy completed 21 of 30 pass attempts for 272 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Monday's 22-17 loss to the Vikings. He also recorded 19 rushing yards on five attempts.
The 49ers got off to a slow start on both sides of the ball Monday, but Purdy and company righted the ship on offense to give the team a chance at victory in the fourth quarter. That's where things fell apart for the young QB after he threw interceptions on consecutive promising drives, resulting in San Francisco's second upset loss in as many weeks. Purdy has thrown three interceptions in these two losses, matching the combined total from his 11 previous appearances (all wins) dating back to his incredible run as a rookie last year. Some of the shine may have worn off of Purdy's rising star given his recent struggles, but he could restore its luster with a strong performance against the Bengals on Sunday.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Sleeper QBs
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We'll be waiting to see the injury report for the 49ers this week to determine if Christian McCaffrey (ankle), Deebo Samuel (shoulder) and Trent Williams (ankle) can play Monday night at Minnesota, and their status will impact Purdy. With all three healthy, I like Purdy as a top-10 Fantasy quarterback, but he's still a low-end starter no matter what given his overall level of play this season and the matchup. The Vikings allow an average of 20.6 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and only Bryce Young in Week 4 and the Bears in Week 6 when Justin Fields (thumb) was injured failed to score at least 20 Fantasy points against this defense. Purdy only scored 9.7 Fantasy points at Cleveland in Week 6, but I expect him to rebound Monday in Minnesota.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Purdy's upside is pretty limited if there's no McCaffrey and no Samuel. But the 49ers came into the year with an embarrassment of riches in the passing game and should still have enough to help Purdy with Aiyuk and George Kittle (remember him?!). This might be a big game for Kittle, who was previously a massive red-zone target for Purdy when Samuel was hurt late last season. I would expect a rebound game for Purdy, who has scored at least 20 Fantasy points in 9 of 11 regular-season games. I'd use him over both Thursday night QBs, Russell Wilson and Geno Smith.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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I thought Purdy would have a hard time last week against a defense that pressured the quarterback and played a lot of man coverage. The Cowboys wound up paying the price through the air for playing a ton of zone coverage instead. It was suggested by a friend that they didn't want to get burned by long runs by Christian McCaffrey. I guess that worked. The combination of the 49ers defense running hot and the Browns offense figuring to get stuffed should make for at least a game script for Purdy to have decent numbers. I'm not making the mistake again of benching Purdy -- I'd start him over Trevor Lawrence, Geno Smith and Jared Goff.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: QBs to Start
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Purdy doesn't have an easy matchup in Week 6 at the Browns, who are No. 3 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. The only quarterback with more than 12.3 Fantasy points against Cleveland is Lamar Jackson (32.9 points) in Week 4, but that might be because of the competition the Browns have faced in their other three games against an injured Joe Burrow in Week 1, Kenny Pickett in Week 2 and Ryan Tannehill in Week 3. Cleveland does have a quality defense, but I'm not sure it's better than San Francisco's offense right now, especially with how well Purdy is playing. He's scored at least 20.8 Fantasy points in four of five games this season, including three in a row with at least 23.3 Fantasy points. I'll stick with Purdy while he's hot, even on the road against the Browns.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Sleeper QBs
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Purdy doesn't have an easy matchup in Week 5 against Dallas, but I'm still going to trust him as a low-end starter. He's scored at least 20.8 Fantasy points in three of four starts, including at least 23.3 points in two games in a row, and we'll see if the Cowboys can slow down this 49ers offense. So far, Dallas has faced Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson, Joshua Dobbs and Mac Jones, but Purdy will be their toughest opponent to date. He's also been great at home, scoring at least 20.0 Fantasy points in all five games that he's started in San Francisco in the regular season going back to last year, with an average of 23.8 points over that span.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Purdy doesn't have an easy matchup in Week 5 against Dallas, but I'm still going to trust him as a low-end starter. He's scored at least 20.8 Fantasy points in three of four starts, including at least 23.3 points in two games in a row, and we'll see if the Cowboys can slow down this 49ers offense. So far, Dallas has faced Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson, Joshua Dobbs and Mac Jones, but Purdy will be their toughest opponent to date. He's also been great at home, scoring at least 20.0 Fantasy points in all five games that he's started in San Francisco in the regular season going back to last year, with an average of 23.8 points over that span.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Eclipses 300-yard mark in win
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Purdy completed 25 of 37 passes for 310 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions while rushing four times for minus-1 yard in the 49ers' 30-12 win over the Giants on Thursday night. He also fumbled once (recovered).
Purdy turned in a third impressive performance in as many games to open the season, connecting with six different targets and putting together his best yardage total yet despite playing without Brandon Aiyuk (shoulder). Purdy connected with Ronnie Bell (nine yards) and Deebo Samuel (27 yards) for his two touchdown passes on his way to his second multi-TD effort over the first three games. Purdy has looked every bit as effective as hoped after last season's Cinderella rookie run, and he'll now have extra time to prepare for a Week 4 home date with the Cardinals a week from Sunday that could feature Aiyuk's return to action.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Purdy only scored 14.7 Fantasy points in Week 2 at the Rams, which ended a nice streak he had going to start his career. Going back to last season, Purdy had scored at least 20.0 Fantasy points in six games in a row in the regular season. He should get back on track this week against the Giants in the 49ers first home game of the year. The Giants just allowed Joshua Dobbs to score 27.2 Fantasy points in Week 2, and I wouldn't be shocked if Purdy had similar success on Thursday night.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Adds/Streamers (QB Preview)
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It's pretty tough to doubt Purdy after his season debut against a Steelers defense that we expected to be much better than the Rams team he'll face in Week 1. Pencil him in for around 225 yards and two scores. There's not a ton of upside here, but the floor has been rock solid.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Hot start in blowout win
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Purdy completed 19 of 29 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 30-7 win over the Steelers. He also rushed three times for 20 yards and committed two fumbles, losing one.
Purdy compiled an eight-game winning streak prior to his ill-timed UCL tear in the NFC Championship Game, and he picked up right where he left off to begin his second NFL season. On San Francisco's first drive, Purdy converted a 4th-and-1 with an 11-yard pass to George Kittle before finding Brandon Aiyuk for an eight-yard touchdown three plays later. He extended the lead to 17-0 with a 19-yard touchdown to Aiyuk in the second quarter, and the 49ers were content to rely primarily on their elite defense and Christian McCaffrey-led running game after that. Purdy's numbers don't jump off the page, but he operated with the efficiency and savvy of a seasoned veteran, with the exception of a third-quarter fumble on a T.J. Watt strip sack. There are no lingering doubts about Purdy's spot atop San Francisco's quarterback depth chart heading into a Week 2 road game against the Rams.
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49ers' Brock Purdy: Sit Quarterbacks in Superflex/2QB Leagues (Start/Sit)
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Purdy has looked good in the preseason, and hopefully he will play well against the Steelers. But I don't love this matchup on the road, and this should be a low-scoring affair with a projected over-under of 41. I don't really love Kenny Pickett in this matchup either, especially since San Francisco standout pass rusher Nick Bosa (holdout) is now expected to play. The Steelers led the NFL in interceptions last season with 20 and could force Purdy into some mistakes.
