2026 Week 4 Fantasy Football: 49ers Sign Brandin Cooks to Active Roster

The 49ers elevated Brandin Cooks from the practice squad to the active roster Thursday, according to ProFootballTalk (NBC Sports). In the same move, San Francisco signed Malik Turner to the practice squad and released KhaDarel Hodge.

The context here matters a lot. The 49ers have been wrecked at wide receiver this season. Demarcus Robinson (high ankle), De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle/deltoid), Christian Kirk (calf), and Ricky Pearsall (knee) are all on injured reserve — Pearsall's IR designation is season-ending. Mike Evans is day-to-day after a rib injury in Week 3. That's an extraordinary amount of attrition at one position, and it's exactly why Cooks — who signed to the practice squad just eight days ago on Sept. 23 and hadn't played yet this season — is now the active roster.

Brandin Cooks

Cooks is a legitimate fantasy add in this context. He's stepping into a WR room that has almost no one healthy, which means opportunity regardless of his age or recent usage. The source story doesn't specify what his role or target share will look like, so don't project a ceiling yet — but the sheer volume of injuries above him on the depth chart makes him a must-add in deeper leagues right now. Stash him in dynasty formats too; if Evans misses time, Cooks could see a meaningful role for multiple weeks.

Malik Turner

Turner lands on the practice squad, not the active roster, so he has no immediate fantasy value. He's a career depth receiver with 29 catches in 47 games across multiple teams, per the source story. He's worth a mental note in case the injury situation worsens further, but don't spend a waiver claim on him yet.

The key connection: Cooks' promotion is directly tied to Evans being day-to-day. If Evans suits up, Cooks' role shrinks considerably. If Evans misses time, Cooks becomes the de facto top healthy receiver on the active roster given everyone else is on IR. Watch the Evans injury report closely heading into the week.