Brock Purdy’s last two seasons were relatively similar. He’s been a solid fantasy QB, but not a true needle-mover. Now enjoying a contract extension, plus an offense that may not be able to dominate on the ground as much, can Purdy take his game to the next level? What can fantasy football managers expect from the former Mr. Irrelevant?
Should You Draft Brock Purdy in Fantasy?
There aren’t many success stories from quarterbacks drafted outside of the first round, let alone from Day 3 or, in Purdy’s case, the very last pick of the draft. Purdy has been the 49ers’ starting QB for 2.5 seasons now, and it’s clear he is their franchise quarterback, with the team signing him to a five-year, $265 million extension earlier this year.
Brock Purdy’s 2024 rushing highlights pic.twitter.com/mFtbqE15Y1
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) June 18, 2025
While the 49ers have fully embraced Purdy, fantasy managers haven’t quite done the same. Purdy has averaged 19.2 and 18.6 fantasy points per game in each of his first two full seasons as a starter. The 49ers certainly don’t make it easy for him, though.
Purdy is one of the most efficient QBs in the NFL, and he has to be to maintain his value. Last season, Purdy’s 8.5 yards per attempt ranked third, and his 0.57 fantasy points per dropback ranked eighth. It was also his most effective year on the ground, rushing for 21.5 yards per game and five touchdowns.
The problem Purdy faces regarding any elite upside is his offense. This offense runs through Christian McCaffrey. Yet, even in a season where McCaffrey missed all but four games, the game plan didn’t change. The 49ers want to play slow as molasses, control the clock, and run the ball.
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Over the past two seasons, no team has run plays at a slower pace than the 49ers’ 30.5 seconds per snap. The fact that the next slowest team, the Titans, are nearly a full second faster than the 49ers (29.6) is outrageous.
San Francisco also has a 46% neutral game script run rate over the past two seasons. That’s good for eighth in the league. As a result, Purdy averaged 27.75 pass attempts per game in 2023 and 30.3 per game in 2024.
There is reason for optimism in 2025, though. Although the 49ers are no longer as dominant as they once were, they may struggle to win games, which could lead to more passing. We saw a glimpse of that last year, as Purdy’s attempts per game ticked up by 2.5.
At the same time, Purdy’s weapons are far more uncertain. George Kittle remains his most trusted option, especially as Brandon Aiyuk recovers from ACL reconstruction. Deebo Samuel Sr. is gone — although to be fair, that’s addition by subtraction, at least based on the guy we saw last season. It remains to be seen whether Jauan Jennings and/or Ricky Pearsall can step up over a full season. And, of course, McCaffrey needs to stay healthy.
Purdy should still be a fine fantasy QB regardless. He’s been a top 10 QB each of the past two seasons and probably will be one again. However, it’s hard to see a path to 20 points per game.
Purdy is a strong bet to outperform his QB12 ADP. However, drafting the QB12 and getting the QB8 or QB9 is not going to move the needle. I have Purdy ranked as my QB11 because that’s a fair balance between where he will likely finish and the safety he provides.
Nevertheless, where Purdy goes in fantasy drafts, if I haven’t paid up for an elite QB, I would rather wait and take a shot on a Drake Maye breakout or a Dak Prescott bounce-back.
Frank Ammirante’s Brock Purdy Fantasy Projection
Brock Purdy is one of the toughest quarterbacks to rank in fantasy football. On the surface, this is a pocket passer who needs hyper-efficiency to hit his ceiling. But we just saw Purdy set a career-high with 21.5 rushing yards per game (9.0 in 2023). What if this sticks moving forward?
On top of that, it’s hard not to see Purdy continue to be efficient, as his career low in yards per attempt is still at 8.5, which is well above average. The 49ers have a favorable schedule this season, so there will be plenty of spots for Purdy to rack up fantasy points.
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2022 NFL Draft Mr. Irrelevant has finished as QB10, QB7, and QB11 since taking over as the 49ers’ starter in Week 13 of the 2022 season. There’s enough of a track record here to trust Purdy in fantasy leagues.
With that said, I always find myself waiting past Purdy’s price, looking to hit it big with flashier options like Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. But maybe I’m underrating Purdy, and this should be a player cemented within the top 12 QBs? I think I’ve just talked myself into bumping Purdy up the ranks. This looks like an ideal pairing with a more volatile target like J.J. McCarthy or Trevor Lawrence.
