Cardinals vs. 49ers Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, James Conner

Welcome to our Cardinals vs. 49ers fantasy football start 'em, sit' em matchups analysis article for Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season.

Read our matchups analysis, player breakdowns, and lineup recommendations for the matchup and set those winning lineups. Good luck RotoBallers!

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers

Spread: 49ers -14.0
Implied Total: Cardinals (14.75) vs. 49ers (28.75)
Pace: Cardinals (19th) vs. 49ers (31st)
Cardinals Off. DVOA: 32.1% Pass (9th), 17.8% Rush (3rd)
49ers Off. DVOA: 45.9% Pass (3rd), 16.4% Rush (4th)
Cardinals Def. DVOA: 5.1% Pass (18th), -6.4% Rush (19th)
49ers Def. DVOA: -26.4% Pass (4th), -2.3% Rush (21st)

Matchups We Love

Christian McCaffrey (RB, SF)

Kyle Shanahan stated he was going to involve Elijah Mitchell more, and he did. Mitchell toted the rock 11 times with three targets. The good news is that it didn't much matter for McCaffrey, who still saw 23 touches for 119 total yards and a touchdown on 61% of the snaps. The offense is more than capable of supporting a secondary back, especially when their rushing attack is firing on all cylinders and they have the lead. Mitchell moves into flex territory given the point spread is the highest of the week.

Longest active streak of games with 15+ FPTS, non-QB (including playoffs):

10 — Christian McCaffrey
5 — Mike Evans
4 — Zack Moss
4 — Tyreek Hill pic.twitter.com/PjL0clNbHM

— StatMuse NFL (@statmusenfl) September 30, 2023

Matchups We Hate

Cardinals Passing Attack

Kudos to Dobbs and Co. for knocking off Dallas in impressive fashion. The climb becomes even steeper this week against the 49ers, whose pass defense is elite. Much like Dallas, they've been beaten more on the ground. Marquise Brown remains the player to consider here as a top-36 option. Michael Wilson made a nice catch downfield for 69 yards, and Rondale Moore turned seven touches into 62 yards and a score, but it's ill-advised to chase those two this week.

UPDATE: Brown is listed as questionable. It's unclear the extent of the injury, but there were reports he might be a game-time decision, which would be a problem.

James Conner (RB, ARI)

It wasn't a spot many had Conner slated for 100-plus yards and a touchdown, but he delivered. They utilized more bodies in the backfield but that was primarily because they found a matchup they could exploit, overpowering the Dallas run defense. Conner's outlook is grim again at Levi's Stadium, but his workload keeps him in the top 24.

Other Matchups

49ers WRs

When one of Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, or George Kittle is out, the other two go nuclear. It was exactly what happened for Samuel, who averaged 21.5 yards per reception, taking over the downfield role Aiyuk ordinarily has. Coincidentally, it looks like the reverse might happen this week. Samuel has missed two straight practices while Aiyuk is back at practice. If Samuel is out, Aiyuk becomes a top-15 option.

UPDATE: Jauan Jennings is out, Samuel is questionable, and Aiyuk is good to go. Samuel is still in your lineup if active, but we'll see how he progresses over the weekend.

The 49ers appear to be optimistic WR Deebo Samuel will be available to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) September 30, 2023

George Kittle (TE, SF)

As we alluded to above, it was no surprise to see Kittle post his best game of the season. He's always a threat to go off, but the odds skyrocket when one of those two WRs is out. It's a juicy matchup against the Cardinals, positioning him as a top-five play.

Brock Purdy (QB, SF)

Purdy surpassed his usual yards total while maintaining the two touchdowns we now expect. Arizona is not as bad on defense as was projected entering the year, but Purdy is still a capable streamer.

Notable Injuries

Kyler Murray (knee)
Marquise Brown (thumb)
Deebo Samuel (ribs, knee)
Jauan Jennings (shin)

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