The San Francisco 49ers will be extremely short-handed at wide receiver on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams, as both Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall have been ruled out.
Jennings was listed with ankle and rib injuries on San Fran's Week 5 injury report, and Pearsall has a knee issue. Jennings will be missing his second game of the campaign, while this will be Pearsall's first absence.
Making matters worse, the 49ers won't have quarterback Brock Purdy, either, after he was ruled out with a toe issue. This will be the third game Purdy has missed in 2025 and backup Mac Jones will once again replace him.
If you're looking for a 49ers wide receiver to play in a Thursday-night-only daily fantasy contest, the pickings are slim. However, there is one player to consider.
49ers' best DFS play at WR for Week 5
The pick: Kendrick Bourne
Outside of Pearsall and Jennings, Bourne has been the most active wideout on the 49ers' roster this season.
Through three games, Bourne has eight catches on 13 targets for 87 scoreless yards, all of which rank third at the wide receiver position for San Francisco behind Pearsall and Jennings.
In the two games Jones has started (Week 2 and 3), he and Bourne have shown chemistry, with the pair connecting seven times on nine targets for 70 yards.
That shouldn't be all that surprising, though, as Bourne and Jones played together in New England, also. In fact, Bourne had a career-best 800 yards and five scores in 2021 when Jones was his quarterback with the Patriots.
Bourne's three catches and 32 receiving yards in Week 2 both ranked third among wide receivers behind Jennings and Pearsall, and his four catches for 38 yards in Week 3 both ranked second behind Pearsall when Jennings was out that game.
Truth be told, playing any 49ers receiver on Thursday night is a risky proposition, but if you're willing to roll the dice, Bourne is the best bet and could return great value thanks to his cheap price.
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