2023 San Francisco 49ers Preview: Roster Moves, Depth Chart, Schedule, Storylines and More

This article is part of our Team Previews series.

San Francisco 49ers

The 2022 campaign ended in gut-wrenching fashion for the 49ers when rookie starting quarterback Brock Purdy tore the UCL in his right throwing elbow on the first drive of a loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. San Francisco exacted some revenge on Philadelphia this offseason after signing away star DT Javon Hargrave to complement reigning DPOY Nick Bosa. The core of the 13-4 squad from a year ago remains intact, making the 49ers early favorites if they get consistent play under center.

2023 San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Room

• Veteran Additions: Sam Darnold (from Panthers), Brandon Allen (from Bengals)
• Draft Picks: None
• Departures: Jimmy Garoppolo (to Raiders), Josh Johnson (to Ravens)

Last season was supposed to be Trey Lance's much-anticipated debut as the 49ers' franchise quarterback, but that plan was derailed by a broken ankle five quarters into the campaign. Garoppolo stepped in and played some of the best ball of his career to keep the team afloat before breaking his left foot Week 13. Enter "Mr. Irrelevant" Brock Purdy, who was a healthy scratch for the first two contests but eventually stepped into a seemingly impossible situation and led San Francisco to eight straight wins before sustaining his own injury one game short of the Super Bowl.

After Lance was healthy by the offseason program and Purdy was  cleared ahead of training camp, the latter is projected to start after his incredible run as a rookie. Lance shouldn't be disregarded, however, as he still is an unproven prospect with raw skills that may translate well in fantasy if given an opportunity. After that duo, Darnold could put himself on the map again in what currently is an unsettled situation.

2023 San Francisco 49ers Backfield

• Veteran Additions: None
• Draft Picks: None
• Departures: None

San Francisco struggled with backfield depth after losing Elijah Mitchell to a knee injury Week 1, which forced veteran backup Jeff Wilson into a larger role while rookie third-rounder Tyrion Davis-Price struggled to gain traction. The formula wasn't going to work in coach Kyle Shanahan's run-heavy offense that usually features multiple ball carriers, so the then 3-3 49ers acquired Christian McCaffrey from the rebuilding Panthers in mid-October.

The Stanford product appeared rejuvenated after the move west, racking up 1,210 yards from scrimmage and 11 combined touchdowns – including one passing score – in 11 games for his new squad. More importantly, McCaffrey logged a full slate of games for the first time since 2019, something the team and fantasy managers are hoping will repeat this year.

With McCaffrey lined up to be the featured back, perhaps Mitchell can stay on the field in a change-of-pace role after missing 18 games to injury over his first two seasons. If not, the 49ers feel confident in 2022 UDFA Jordan Mason as a third option after he averaged 6.0 YPC in limited action as a rookie.

2023 San Francisco 49ers Receiving Corps

• Veteran Additions: WR Chris Conley (from Titans)
• Draft Picks: TEs Cameron Latu (Rd. 3, No. 101 – Alabama), Brayden Willis (Rd. 7, No. 247 – Oklahoma); WR Ronnie Bell (Rd. 7, No. 253 – Michigan)
• Departures: TE Tyler Kroft (to Dolphins)

The 49ers' receiver room was the only skill-position group to remain intact from start to finish last year, with the trio of Deebo Samuel (98 touches), Brandon Aiyuk (80) and Jauan Jennings (35) missing just five combined games. Aiyuk took another step forward and notched the first 1,000-yard season of his career, while Jennings served as an option out of the slot.

Samuel was the only starter to finish below expectations, suffering deficits in yards from scrimmage (minus-906), touchdowns (minus-9) and yards per catch (minus-6.96) in comparison to his breakout 2021 campaign. Aside from Samuel, Aiyuk and Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud will continue to serve as the team's primary return man and fourth wideout.

At tight end, George Kittle remains one of the best all-around talents in the NFL, but San Francisco finally addressed a lack of tight end depth by selecting Latu in the third round of the 2023 Draft. The Alabama product won't challenge for the starting job, but Latu could pop up on fantasy radars if Kittle is sidelined this season (the veteran has averaged 3.75 DNPs per year dating back to 2019).

2023 San Francisco 49ers Sleepers

⬆️  Sleeper: Elijah Mitchell

Mitchell projects to come cheap in drafts this year after two separate knee injuries limited him to just five games in 2022. He excelled when he wasn't sidelined, averaging 6.2 yards per carry in limited action. Mitchell enters camp with a clean bill of health, but he'll serve a backup role after the team acquired Christian McCaffrey last season. The former averaged 10.3 carries while playing alongside CMC following the trade, so Mitchell could provide sneaky value even as a reserve this year.

😴  Super Sleeper: Jordan Mason

After going undrafted last April, Mason fought his way onto the 49ers' 53-man roster via special teams. The Georgia Tech product ended up finishing the year third on the RB depth chart while putting together a 43-258-1 rushing line. With both McCaffrey and Mitchell healthy for the start of training camp, Mason will be largely ignored in drafts. However, if either player were to go down, Mason would become a high-priority pickup with a consistent role in Kyle Shanahan's run scheme.

2023 San Francisco 49ers Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Kyle Shanahan (Year 7)

Offensive Coordinator: None – West Coast offense

Defensive Coordinator: Steve Wilks (Year 1) – 4-3 scheme

2023 San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart

QB: Brock Purdy / Sam Darnold / Trey Lance / Brandon Allen

RB: Christian McCaffrey / Elijah Mitchell / Jordan Mason / Tyrion Davis-Price

WR1: Deebo Samuel / Chris Conley

WR2: Brandon Aiyuk / Danny Gray / Ronnie Bell

WR3: Jauan Jennings / Ray-Ray McCloud / Willie Snead

TE: George Kittle / Cameron Latu / Charlie Woerner / Ross Dwelley / Brayden Willis

O-Line: LT Trent Williams / LG Aaron Banks / C Jake Brendel / RG Spencer Burford / RT Colton McKivitz (RotoWire Rank: No. 10)

Kicker: Jake Moody / Zane Gonzalez

Full 2023 Depth Chart

Stats to Know for the San Francisco 49ers

2023 Projected Wins via FanDuel Sportsbook: 10.5 (T-4th)

2022 Record: 13-4

2022 Points Scored: 450 (6th)

2022 Points Allowed: 277 (1st)

2022 Point Differential: +173 (1st)

2022 Run-Play Rate: 48.7 percent (7th)

2022 Offensive Snaps: 1,047 (21st)

2022 PFF O-Line Ranking: No. 7

Full 2022 Team Stats

2023 San Francisco 49ers Schedule

San Francisco 49ers Odds To Win Super Bowl LVIII

• 49ers Super Bowl 58 Odds: 10-1

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 12:00 AM ET on Aug. 1, 2023.