The 49ers are shorthanded on offense, but could be getting a key contributor back in Week 4. Blaine Grisak breaks down what Deebo Samuel’s status means for fantasy football.

It sounds like San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel will be back in action sooner than expected. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported Saturday evening that Samuel is planning to play against the New England Patriots on Sunday.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is expected to play Sunday against the New England Patriots, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Samuel missed last weekend's loss to the Los Angeles Rams with a calf injury.

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker Curtis Robinson were both placed on IR after suffering season-ending injuries. Hargrave tore his triceps in the 49ers’ Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Robinson, a reserve and key special teams contributor tore his ACL during Thursday’s practice.

The New England Patriots have officially placed cornerback Alex Austin on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Patriots.com confirmed the news ahead of Sunday’s Week 4 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.

Star running back Christian McCaffrey has yet to play this season as he recovers from Achilles tendinitis and a calf injury. But it seems that the 49ers may soon be ramping up his workload to test how he is recovering. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that he is planning for the ramp-up to happen as early as next week.

San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey is on track to return by early November as he deals with Achilles tendinitis, according to NFL Network's