The San Francisco 49ers are a fascinating team from a fantasy football perspective. They were the second-highest scoring team in the NFL a season ago, but only tight end George Kittle really stood out as a fantasy factor. That could change in 2020 as they return most of their starting offense and begin leaning more heavily on some of their top offensive playmakers.
Not every 49er will be worth scooping up in a fantasy draft though. Using the consensus average draft position (ADP) generated by Fantasy Pros, here are the 49ers you should and should not consider in your fantasy drafts this season:
Draft: QB Jimmy Garoppolo
A less-than-stellar Super Bowl showing and limited usage early in the season have cast doubt on Garoppolo’s abilities as a quarterback. He was among the league’s most efficient passers last season though and it stands to reason he’ll see an uptick in production with a greater workload in 2020. Over his final eight games last year, Garoppolo’s 16-game averages went to 4,344 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. If you’re still looking for a quarterback late in your draft, Garoppolo is a great value — especially in two-quarterback leagues.
ADP: 137 overall (QB 23)
Draft: TE George Kittle
Tight end is a difficult position to project in fantasy, but Kittle is about as reliable as they come. He still posted 85 catches for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns last seasons despite playing injured for half the season and missing two games. San Francisco’s receiving corps is already banged up and full of question marks, which puts Kittle in line to receive plenty of targets again in 2020. There aren’t a ton of reliable fantasy tight ends, but Kittle is one of them worth scooping up early.
ADP: 18 overall (TE 2)
Pass: RB Tevin Coleman
The 49ers’ backfield is tricky because head coach Kyle Shanahan is liable to distribute a game’s worth of touches to two or three different backs. Sometimes he rides the hot hand and one player gets the lion’s share of the touches. It’s volatile from a fantasy perspective because deciding which 49ers running back will be the lead back is next to impossible. Coleman was the de facto starter last year with 11 starts in 14 games, but he fell out of favor in the latter half of the season and averaged just 6.8 carries and 1.4 catches per contest. He’s worth taking a flyer on if he’s around late and there aren’t more pressing needs on your roster.
ADP: 101 overall (RB 43)
Draft: RB Raheem Mostert
If you must have a 49ers running back, Mostert is the one to pick up. He thrives in Shanahan’s offense with his speed to get to the edge and his decisive running style. He was also adept at making tacklers miss when he did encounter them. Mostert turned 137 carries into 772 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s averaging 6.0 yards per carry on 178-career attempts. Even if he doesn’t get a ton of carries, he’s exceptionally efficient. The issue with him comes in PPR leagues. Last year he was targeted only 22 times in the passing game, and posted 180 yards with two touchdowns on 14 catches. His current ADP is a little high given how unpredictable production is from the 49ers’ backfield, but if any of their running backs is going to have a monster season, it’s Mostert.
ADP: 65 overall (RB 22)
Draft: RB Jerick McKinnon
This sounds crazy on the surface since McKinnon has missed the last two years while dealing with an ACL he tore ahead of the 2018 season. However, if he’s healthy, McKinnon could wind up being a focal point of the 49ers’ offense and an especially productive member of their passing game. Perhaps he winds up getting dropped after a week or two, but he’ll certainly be available when you’re filling in your last roster spot, and the possible reward is well worth the very small risk.
ADP: 286 overall (RB 81)
Draft: WR Deebo Samuel
A Jones fracture in his foot could push Samuel down some draft boards. That only increases his value. Samuel is going to get plenty of touches as the 49ers’ No. 1 wide receiver. He’ll get used in all three levels of the passing game and as a runner. Samuel’s second half in 2019 provided a glimpse of what his peak fantasy value can be in both PPR and standard leagues. His full-season averages over those eight games were 70 catches, 1,150 yards, 18 carries, 244 yards and eight total touchdowns. If he’s healthy — Samuel is going to be a fantasy stud.
ADP: 59 overall (WR 25)
Pass: WR Kendrick Bourne
Bourne is an example of why fantasy production and real-life production don’t always align. He is a very good receiver in the 49ers’ offense. He gets open, he has reliable hands, he’s good in the red zone and he moves the chains. Every team could use a receiver like Bourne. That’s not the case for fantasy. While Bourne has carved out a crucial role in the offense, his best year came in 2018 when he had 487 yards and four touchdowns on 44 catches. He may see a small uptick in target share this year with all the issues the 49ers have at receiver, although his consistency over the last three years indicates his ceiling is a very valuable NFL receiver, and a less-than-stellar fantasy WR.
ADP: N/A
Pass: WR Brandon Aiyuk
There’s a case to be made for Aiyuk where he follows a similar arc to Samuel’s rookie season and becomes a real fantasy factor late in the year. A truncated offseason will make Aiyuk’s transition to the NFL even more difficult though which may put him further behind the curve going into the regular season. There’ll be touches for an athlete as explosive as Aiyuk, but it may take too long for him to carve out a legitimate role in the offense to justify using a draft pick on him. It’s worth monitoring his production and snap counts throughout the season though because there’s a world where he has some pretty big games in Shanahan’s offense.
ADP: 214 overall (WR 63)
Draft: WR Trent Taylor
A foot injury in the preseason kept the Taylor hype train from ever leaving the station last season after rumblings in training camp indicated he was among the team’s best offensive players. He works primarily out of the slot and owns the middle of the field where Garoppolo is at his best. A healthy Taylor could wind up getting a ton of targets this season — making him especially valuable in PPR leagues at his current ADP.
ADP: N/A
Pass: WR Jalen Hurd
The ceiling is enticing with Hurd, but the notion that he reaches it in 2020 is a little far-fetched after he missed all of 2019 with a back injury. His dual-threat ability as a running back and receiver could give him a ton of looks in the red zone and at the goal line. The touchdown potential doesn’t outweigh everything working against Hurd in what’s effectively his rookie season. His inexperience at receiver will limit him at that position, and it’s unlikely his role expands very far beyond that until he’s more consistent at the receiver spot.
ADP: 285 overall (WR 95)
Draft: 49ers defense
This may be a mistake in Week 1 when San Francisco takes on a high-octane Cardinals offense, but the next two games against the Jets and Giants should make up for it. The 49ers’ pass rush is going to generate sacks and turnovers as long as its running at full speed. Perhaps the biggest concern is the lack of takeaways in the secondary last season. Of their 12 interceptions last season, just seven came from defensive backs. There could be a positive regression in that area, but it could also be a flaw that holds this defense back from a fantasy perspective.
