The NFL season is in its final week. As happens every year, injuries are rearing their ugly heads. As fantasy football managers prepare to set Week 18 lineups, it’s important to stay informed on the latest injury news. Ricky Pearsall continues to deal with a lingering PCL issue. What is his current status and outlook for this week?
Is Ricky Pearsall Playing Week 18?
Pearsall has been dealing with a PCL sprain in his knee since Week 4, when he initially injured it during the San Francisco 49ers’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The injury caused him to miss six consecutive games before he returned to action in Week 11. He aggravated the PCL injury late in the Week 15 game against Tennessee, which forced him to sit out the team’s Week 16 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
Pearsall returned to action in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears after being listed as questionable. It was clear he was not operating at 100%. He fell awkwardly on his injured knee early in the game and briefly exited. He was seen trying to loosen up the knee on the sideline, but ultimately returned and played well.
Pearsall was a limited participant at practice this week as he continues to manage both the knee and ankle issues. The San Francisco 49ers listed him as questionable on the final injury report heading into Saturday night’s Week 18 showdown against the Seattle Seahawks. Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed on Thursday that no player has been ruled out for the critical matchup, which is an encouraging sign for Pearsall’s availability.
The PCL sprain will be an ongoing issue for Pearsall until the season ends, and he will likely remain on the injury report for as long as the 49ers’ season continues. However, there should be no concern about him missing this game.
The 49ers are hosting the Seattle Seahawks in a game to determine the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Pearsall may be playing hurt, but he is healthy enough to go. Fantasy managers should expect Pearsall to suit up for Saturday night’s game.
Pearsall’s Fantasy Football Outlook
We saw Pearsall return from this continued knee/ankle issue on Sunday night and do what he does against the Bears: five catches for 80 yards.
This kid is a big play threat in the most efficient offense going and that makes him more than a Rashid Shaheed type that is relying on a bomb. Kyle Shanahan is a master at scheming around the strengths of his players and let’s not forget that he spent Round 1 draft capital on Pearsall just two years ago.
MORE: Free Fantasy Football Start/Sit Optimizer
We know that George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey are going to soak up plenty of usage in this system and they should. But with Brandon Aiyuk on his way out of town and Jauan Jennings ready to hit the open market, it’s not hard to see Pearsall exploding in 2026.
His health certainly needs to be considered and I still want to see some route development before ranking him as a weekly starter, but it’s possible that he goes well after a player like Luther Burden this summer and gives you similar production when all is said and done.
I said “possible”. I’ll have Burden higher, but in terms of production vs ADP, I think it has a real chance to be a conversation.
— Kyle Soppe, PFSN Fantasy Analyst
