De'ZhaunStribling

News: 6 hours agoStribling secured four of five targets for 46 yards in the 49ers' 41-17 preseason win over the Chargers on Thursday.

Spin: After posting a team-high seven catches for 63 yards in his professional debut during last Thursday's preseason loss to the Titans, Stribling, who was the second 49er to see a target against the Chargers, continued impressing by tying veteran KhaDarel Hodge for the team lead in receptions and receiving yards. The rookie second-round pick already was ticketed for a larger role than initially envisioned after Ricky Pearsall had season-ending PCL surgery earlier in August, but Stribling's ability to carry over the momentum from a strong training camp into the first pair of exhibitions has his arrow pointing upward even more as the regular season approaches.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Stribling was selected by the 49ers with the 33rd overall pick in April's draft. Stribling had a productive collegiate run, catching 44-plus passes in four of his five seasons, three of which came with different schools. That production included 52-882-6 and 55-811-6 receiving lines at Oklahoma State and Ole Miss over the past two seasons. Stribling primarily worked as a perimeter receiver and peaked with a 22% target share with OSU in 2024. His overall efficiency is pedestrian, but he has good size and speed (4.36 40-yard dash at the combine) and is a plus blocker. Stribling has plenty competition for Year 1 playing time (Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, Christian Kirk), so a slow start is possible, but it's likely he'll eventually find his way to a bigger role and fantasy relevance. He's a fine late-round flier.