Will Mike Evans unlock Ricky Pearsall in fantasy?
Yahoo Fantasy's Josh Norris, Hayden Winks and Matt Harmon explore Pearsall's fantasy outlook in the 49ers offense given recent injuries. Check out the full conversation on "Yahoo Fantasy Football with Josh and Hayden" - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen .
Video Transcript
Yeah, I think that when you, when you just look at Ricky Pearsall, like I think he could end up really being more like just a different player at the position this year because they added Mike Evans.
So like Mike Evans just being the X receiver of this offense outside on ball, it's gonna allow Ricky Pearsall to do a lot of the big breaking routes, but also just get way more layups than he did last year, which was essentially none.
Yeah, I mean, if you look at his like ADOT and how involved he is, like the manufacture department, he's like closest to like Rasheed Shaheed, Jordan Addison, Jamison Williams.
I think that he has more lateral ability than, than some of those guys and- Yeah he's just like not put in those situations.
I think that he's a near lock to have more than five targets per game, which is what he had last year, and he's playing through that season on like one and a half legs.
It's, it's interesting because I think he's really good at like the vertical intermediate stuff, like all, like he can really tap the brakes and, and hit all these- Even in college.
Oh, yeah like big breaking routes.
Yes.
He's done zero after the catch in like the underneath stuff.
He's broken zero tackles according to PFF.
Like s- we gotta figure that out.
Like he's- Dude too good to not be doing that.
Sometimes when I watch him, like when he gets tackled, like he really gets tackled.
It's kinda like the Ladd McConkey stuff.
I think he's a tier below Ladd McConkey athletically, but it is like fascinating to see somebody who you'd think gets involved in that department, like none of it.
And that's pr- you know, that's a Kittle thing, that's a McCaffrey thing, that's a, you can name a, a bunch of different reasons, but that is like the one glaring weakness in the profile so far, and I think injuries and all that type of stuff could explain some of it.
I think Mike Evans is such a huge win though for Ricky Pearsall in that- Yeah, I agree like it's so obvious when you're watching this 49ers team and they're somewhat healthy, that Kyle loves to move Ricky around and- that's only gonna be good things for us.
You know, he's the one that you get in these full speed motions, these fly motions, getting him into stacks and these free releases.
And if that's the case, he is one of these guys to me that you give him separation, he sustains it and can even create it at multiple levels.
So as long as Mike Evans' hamstrings stay intact, I think that allows us to have Ricky Pearsall in like the best situation possible for him.
I'm just, I can't believe I'm so optimistic for a guy who has like 99 targets in his career so far and, and less than 1,000 yards through two seasons.
I don't wanna be of this mindset of, well, he's had these fluke and crazy injuries over these last two years and that's just gonna sustain itself, 'cause I really do think when it all comes together for this 49ers team, if it ever is again, Ricky Pearsall's just gonna be like a massive beneficiary for it because Kyle is exactly the type of play caller I think that's gonna get the most out of this styling of a player.
