49ers at Falcons Preview: Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle Carry San Francisco Without Mike Evans as Raheem Morris Faces His Old Team

The San Francisco 49ers bring the NFC's last unbeaten record to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, and they will likely do it without their top receiver. Mike Evans did not practice Wednesday with the Achilles tendinitis that knocked him out of Monday night's 23-17 win over Washington, and reports this week say he is expected to miss time, with the hope that he returns after San Francisco's Week 8 bye. That leaves Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle to carry a 6-0 offense on a short week against a 2-4 Atlanta team that has lost two straight.

The game also has a sideline subplot. Raheem Morris, fired by the Falcons after back-to-back 8-9 seasons, was hired as San Francisco's defensive coordinator in February to replace Robert Saleh, who left to coach Tennessee. Sunday is his first trip back to Atlanta, where Kevin Stefanski now runs the team.

Where the injury reports stand

San Francisco held a walkthrough Wednesday after the Monday night game and before flying east, so its participation levels were estimates. Ten players did not take part, and the list includes both of the 49ers' most important absences of the season.

Kyle Shanahan said the team would manage Evans week to week, as it did last week, and did not rule him out. Beat reporter Jennifer Lee Chan reported the Achilles is structurally intact. Ricky Pearsall is on season-ending injured reserve with a knee injury, so if Evans sits, the receiver room is Kirk (if activated) and depth pieces. Atlanta remains without edge rusher James Pearce Jr., who is serving an eight-game league suspension and can be reinstated Nov. 2, and Jalon Walker, who tore his ACL in September.

How the two teams got here

San Francisco led Washington 23-3 late in the third quarter Monday before hanging on. Brock Purdy went 21 of 29 for 264 yards and a touchdown, and one preview puts his season line at 14 touchdown passes against two interceptions. McCaffrey ran 16 times for 64 yards and two scores and caught nine of 10 targets for 53 yards, while Kittle caught five of a season-high eight targets for 69 yards and a touchdown. Evans had three catches for 94 yards before leaving at halftime, and the offense stalled once he was gone.

Atlanta's losses have come in different ways. The Falcons fell 30-23 in overtime to Baltimore in Week 5, a game in which Michael Penix Jr. hurt his ribs late and could not take the field in overtime. He was cleared and started in Week 6 against Chicago, but the Bears led 14-0 after one quarter and won 31-23. Penix finished 19 of 33 for 225 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, his first multi-touchdown game of a season he started late while recovering from last year's partially torn ACL. Drake London caught four of 10 targets for 62 yards.

The surprise was Bijan Robinson's usage. He ran just nine times for 61 yards against Chicago as Atlanta chased the game. On the season, he has 641 rushing yards at 5.8 yards per carry, and Shanahan called him as good as advertised in both the run and pass game.

Fantasy fallout

Christian McCaffrey: He has scored in five straight games and is the most bankable workload on the slate. With Evans and Samuel out, he handled 25 touches Monday, and that is the workload to expect again. He is an elite RB1 this week.

George Kittle: The target tree after Evans left Monday ran almost entirely through McCaffrey and Kittle. Kittle has 26 catches for 337 yards and five touchdowns through six games, and one outlet ranks Atlanta 21st against tight ends. He is a locked-in TE1.

Brock Purdy: He is a low-end QB1. The concentration of targets helps efficiency but lowers the ceiling, and a short week with a thin receiver room argues against chasing a big passing day.

Christian Kirk: If San Francisco activates him by Saturday, he becomes a speculative WR4 with an immediate route share. He has not played this season, and one preview questions what he has left after two down years, so he is a bench stash until he shows it on the field.

Bijan Robinson: Start him with confidence. The nine-carry game was game script, not a demotion, and he remains Atlanta's best path to points. The one concern is a 49ers run defense one preview lists at 3.61 yards per carry allowed.

Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London: Penix is a streaming option in superflex leagues and a fringe QB2 elsewhere; CBS Sports listed him among its Week 7 sleepers. London is a WR2 on volume, with 10 targets last week. Kyle Pitts has three touchdowns on just 22 targets through six games, per one review, which makes him a touchdown-dependent TE2.

The betting angle

San Francisco is a 3.5-point road favorite at most books, per CBS Sports, SI and Covers, with bet365 (via Sportsbook Review) at 4.5. The total sits at 50.5 at CBS Sports and Complex, with at least one preview listing 49.5.

The Verdexed read: the market is pricing a 6-0 team, but this is the roughest spot on San Francisco's schedule so far. The 49ers played Monday, are traveling east and will likely be without Evans and possibly Bosa, while Atlanta is on a normal week and may get Terrell back at corner. A total above 50 also asks a lot of an offense that scored zero points in the fourth quarter Monday and of a Falcons attack that has been slow out of the gate. Bosa's Thursday and Friday practice status is the number to watch before betting the side. Verdexed's game-by-game view is at /nfl/predictions, and the full Week 7 slate is at /blog/nfl-week-7-picks-2026.

What to do in your league

Start McCaffrey, Kittle and Robinson without hesitation. Purdy and London are solid starts, Penix is a superflex streamer, and Pitts is a fallback only if you are short at tight end with four teams on bye. If you have bench room and need receiver depth after the bye weeks, Kirk is worth a stash before the 49ers' activation decision becomes public.

Managers who roster Evans should plan as if he is out. The 1 p.m. kickoff means his status will be set before the late games, but with San Francisco on bye in Week 8 the realistic target for his return is Week 9 against the Raiders.

What's next

Thursday's report shows whether Bosa returns to practice, and the 49ers must decide by Saturday whether to activate Kirk from injured reserve. For Atlanta, the questions are Terrell's activation and whether Deablo and Bowman return to practice. Friday's designations will settle most of it. After this game, San Francisco takes its bye, and Atlanta visits Tampa Bay in Week 8 before Pearce becomes eligible to return.