Saturday sees the San Francisco 49ers play a home game for the first time since January.

The 49ers' return to Levi's Stadium for the first of back-to-back home preseason games to round off their exhibition schedule and, after a disappointing outing on the road against the Raiders, they will be looking to show much better in front of their home fans.

Denver Broncos (0-1) at San Francisco 49ers (0-1)
Date: Saturday, August 19
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Levi's Stadium/Santa Clara, CA
Betting odds: Broncos -4.5, Over/Under 39.5
How to watch on TV: NFL Network, KPIX 5
Streaming: FuboTV, YouTube TV, Network apps, etc.
Radio: KNBR 680 AM / 104.5 FM, 107.7 FM “The Bone" / SacTown Sports 1140AM

Will Brock Purdy play?

After practicing for three straight days for the first time since his return from offseason elbow surgery, it initially appeared unlikely quarterback Brock Purdy would feature against Denver.

However, Kyle Shanahan opened the door to that possibility afterwards, hinting Purdy could play "one or two series". The decision may ultimately come down to how Purdy's arm feels after his heavy practice workload this week, and the intrigue around this game will heighten significantly if the 49ers opt to send him out for even a brief cameo.

Who starts at nickel?

Isaiah Oliver appeared to have an iron grip on the starting nickel corner role going into the preseason. That is now gone after he gave up four catches and a touchdown in an alarming display against the Raiders. The 49ers have tried several different solutions in practice this week, and the identity of the starter at inside corner versus the Broncos may give an idea as to which way they are leaning in a now wide-open battle at a crucial position.

3 Players to watch

• QB Sam Darnold: For all the talk about Trey Lance's unconvincing performance against the Raiders, it is Darnold who will be the first of the two backups on the field against Denver regardless of whether Purdy plays. Darnold looked poised and made some impressive deep throws in his debut last Sunday and, though there will be much attention on Lance's performance, Darnold could arguably secure the QB2 spot with another strong showing.
• TE Cameron Latu: The 49ers spent a third-round pick on Latu in this year's draft, but there are growing suggestions he might not even make the roster. Latu's practice efforts have been beset by drops, and a fumble and a holding penalty last week increased the scrutiny on him. Unless he can turn things around with a sure-handed showing here, Latu could soon find himself on a new team.
• DE Robert Beal Jr: San Francisco hasn't had the benefit of much edge depth in training camp and preseason because of injuries. Fifth-round pick Beal was back in practice this week, though, and was reported as achieving the significant feat of beating Trent Williams in a one-on-one. That's enough to make him exciting to watch in his 49er debut this weekend.

More 49ers news ahead of the game

• 49ers may finally need to be concerned about Nick Bosa's holdout
• Nickel corner is now the 49ers' most compelling non-QB battle

49ers may finally need to be concerned about Nick Bosa’s holdout

Three weeks until the season and he still isn’t signed.

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