San Francisco rolled out a heavily reduced lineup in a lopsided preseason loss to Denver, underscoring how thin the roster remains when top players sit out or nurse injuries. The opening 71-yard drive for a score set the tone, and after that the 49ers managed just a safety and a handful of defensive stops in a game that exposed depth concerns across several spots. For fantasy managers, the night was less about the result and more about which players emerged as late-round, speculative adds who could carve out potential roles if injuries linger or depth is tested deeper into the slate.

Chase Lucas shined on the field for San Francisco, piling up eight tackles and a defensed pass, plus a well-timed pressure that helped force an incompletion. Marques Sigle, in his first pro game, produced seven tackles before missing most of the second half with a knee issue. Tatum Bethune, returning from an ankle tweak, logged six tackles as one of the few bright spots on a night of uncharacteristic tackling struggles. Corey Kiner offered a glimmer of offense with 45 yards on 10 carries and a two-yard catch, signaling possible depth at running back behind SF’s thinner-than-usual group. These performances matter because SF’s injury risk could thrust these players into bigger roles if the regulars remain sidelined.

The takeaway for fantasy and DFS: these standouts are deeper-league considerations at best, but the narratives they create—depth, health, and opportunity—could shape late-season rosters or DFS bargain picks if SF continues to lean on reserve pieces in the upcoming exhibitions. The Bronco-friendly environment of this game amplifies the value of March-through-August observations, reminding fantasy players to monitor practice notes and rosters closely as Week 1 approaches.