This season there is hope among 49ers fans. Their team is led by an incredible play caller in Kyle Shannahan and an amazing talent in Jimmy Garoppolo. For the team overall this off season has felt as promising as any has in recent memory.
With the return of Pierre Garcon and the addition of Jerick Mckinnon this off season, the offense is shaping up to be a fantasy football goldmine. And with improvements on the defense there seems to be hope for a great season in real life as well.
2018 Fantasy Football San Francisco 49ers Preview
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Quarterbacks
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- C.J. Bethard
This is as clear cut as it gets, it is Jimmy G's team this year. His current ADP sits at 83rd overall; as the 9th QB off the board. With the brilliance and efficiency that he flashed last year he is absolutely worth taking the chance.
Between his own talent and the superior play calling of Kyle Shannahan, Garoppolo can absolutely live up to his expectation. Last year he put up 26 fantasy points against the playoff bound Jacksonville Jaguars. So while his floor may still be a question mark there is no doubt the ceiling is high.
Running Backs
- Jerick Mckinnon
- Matt Breida
- Joe Williams
Acquiring Jerick McKinnon made a splash this off season. Last year McKinnon was predominantly a pass catching back for the Minnesota Vikings. Carlos Hyde left behind 300 backfield touches, but it remains an open question if McKinnon can hold a role as a full blown workhorse. Matt Breida showed talent in small doses last year averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
While I'm not completely against McKinnon this year I believe his ADP (23rd overall) is high enough to cause concern. This could turn into a committee so it's very important to pay attention to the camp battle.
Wide Receivers
- Pierre Garcon
- Marquis Goodwin
- Trent Taylor
- Dante Pettis
No receiver finished particularly high in fantasy rankings last year, but when Jimmy G took over, the metrics for all of their receivers increased dramatically.
Pierre Garcon played relatively well for the first half of the season with 500 yards in 8 games. He never played a game with Jimmy G under center but we expect him to be the number one receiver if he is able to stay healthy.
Marquis Goodwin is the deep threat who caught 29 of his 43 targets in the five games Jimmy G was under center. He is a big play kind of guy and his week-to-week production can be less predictable than the rest of his teammates. But he makes an excellent late round dice roll as a match-up based flex player.
Taylor was the slot receiver last year. He was the 4th most targeted receiver on the team, and didn't appear to be all that effective regardless of his quarterback.
Dante Pettis is the rookie wide receiver who was drafted presumably to take over the slot receiving role. It remains to be seen however, if it was receiver talent or offensive play calling that limited the slot receiving role last year.
With two proven pass catching backs and two receiving tight ends you likely won't get much production from the slot receiver from this team regardless of who wins the job.
Tight Ends
- George Kittle
- Garret Celek
George Kittle had almost double the targets that Celek had last year. It's clear that he is the primary tight end on this team. Kittle has been called a tight end sleeper enough this off season that I don't think we can call him a sleeper anymore, but his potential breakout this year could be big.
According to FantasyPros his ADP is 121 right in between the Vikings defense and Marcus Mariota as the QB17. With Kittle going largely ignored he makes a great late round addition.
The Final Verdict
This is definitely a team to target in your drafts. They have a lot of talented pass catchers and a great offensive play caller. Their 5 game win streak included match ups against some very good defenses, and Jimmy G led them to victory. While they may not be super bowl bound just yet, their players will make great additions to any fantasy team.
Visit the F6P Fantasy Football Draft Kit Page for more advice to prepare for the 2018 season.
Team Previews
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Patriots | Steelers | Titans | Raiders |
| NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | Bears | Buccann ers | 49ers |
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| Redskins | Vikings | Saints | Seahawks |
| Eagles | Lions | Falcons | Cardinals |
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