Week 10 at New Orleans Saints
Richie James blew up last week against the Packers as the rest of the 49ers’ wide receivers were either hurt or on the COVID list. He caught nine of the 13 balls thrown his way for 184 yards and a touchdown. It was a great outing for the speedy James, usually known for his return prowess.
This week, James faces a Saints defense that ranks 20th in aFPA to opposing wide receivers. If the 49ers are still down Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne, consider James a sneaky boom-or-bust WR3 option. If either Samuel or Bourne plays, along with Brandon Aiyuk, who’s expected to return, then James should go back to the bench until we see how many snaps he gets when the corps is healthy. Watch the inactives closely.