The 49ers had a great season in 2019, reaching Super Bowl LIV, but falling just short to the Chiefs. Their formula of relying on a dominant run game and defense worked last year, and we don't expect much to change in 2020. George Kittle is the best Fantasy option in San Francisco, Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman lead the ground attack, and Jimmy Garoppolo wasn't as bad in Fantasy as you might think. The 49ers are again the favorite to win the NFC West, and they should have some quality Fantasy options as well.
2019 Review
Record: 13-2 (2)
PPG: 29.9 (2)
YPG: 381.1 (4)
Pass YPG: 237.0 (13)
Rush YPG: 144.1 (2)
PAPG: 29.9 (29)
RAPG: 31.1 (2)
2019 Fantasy finishes
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo QB13
RB: Raheem Mostert RB25, Tevin Coleman RB39, Matt Breida* RB45
WR: Emmanuel Sanders* WR30; Deebo Samuel WR32
TE: George Kittle TE2
*No longer with team
Number to know: 5
That's how many times Garoppolo scored at least 20 Fantasy points in 2019. It goes to show you that cumulative stats aren't the best judge of a player sometimes. For example, Garoppolo finished as the No. 13 Fantasy quarterback last year, while Daniel Jones was No. 23. But Jones had four games with at least 20 Fantasy points in his 12 outings, and I'd much rather have Jones in 2020 than Garoppolo.
2020 Offseason
Draft Picks
1. (14) Javon Kinlaw, DT
1. (25) Brandon Aiyuk, WR
5. (153) Colton McKivitz, OT
6. (190) Charlie Woerner, TE
7. (217) Jauan Jennings, WR
Additions
Key Departures
WR Emmanuel Sanders, RB Matt Breida, DT DeForest Buckner, OT Joe Staley
Available Opportunity
123 carries, 22 RB targets, 74 WR targets, 2 TE targets
Rankings and Projections
Heath Cummings' projections | ||
QB | Jimmy Garoppolo | 4,276 YD, 27 TD, 14 INT |
RB | Tevin Coleman | 631 YD, 5 TD; 29 REC, 271 YD, 2 TD |
RB | Raheem Mostert | 828 YD, 7 TD; 18 REC, 158 YD, 1 TD |
RB | Jerick McKinnon | 282 YD, 2 TD; 23 REC, 156 YD, 1 TD |
WR | Deebo Samuel | 92 TAR, 61 REC, 866 YD, 5 TD |
WR | Brandon Aiyuk | 81 TAR, 49 REC, 733 YD, 4 TD |
TE | George Kittle | 127 TAR, 90 REC, 1,229 YD, 6 TD |
Biggest Question
What can you expect from Deebo Samuel this year?
Before Samuel breaking his foot in June, he was a breakout candidate for the 49ers — and Fantasy managers. Now, he might be someone to avoid in most drafts. While Samuel was given a timetable of 12-16 weeks to return — he said he would be back in 10 weeks — and could be ready for Week 1, this is a serious injury with potential for relapse. His broken foot is a Jones fracture, and he might be in trouble for the 2020 campaign. There could be complications in his recovery, and the 49ers could opt to put Samuel on the PUP list to open the year, keeping him out for at least six weeks. Maybe you can draft Samuel with a late-round flier in seasonal leagues, but I have minimal expectations for him in 2020. I'd rather draft Brandon Aiyuk over Samuel if you want one of San Francisco's receivers this year.
One sleeper, one breakout and one bust
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Mostert is going to be the first San Francisco running back drafted in all Fantasy leagues, but don't be surprised if Coleman is better. While Mostert outplayed Coleman to close 2019, including the playoffs, the 49ers still opted to start Coleman most weeks, including Super Bowl LIV. And he did average 13.6 PPR points per game from Weeks 5-12. Jerick McKinnon is expected to return this year, and Jeff Wilson will also have a role. But with Breida gone, the top two running backs for San Francisco will be Mostert and Coleman, and you can draft Coleman later on Draft Day in all leagues.
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The 49ers surprised many when they selected Aiyuk in the first round of the NFL Draft, and he could be a surprise Fantasy player this year. With Sanders gone and, more importantly, Samuel hurt, Aiyuk could be the No. 1 wide receiver in San Francisco in 2020. He was already likely to start opposite Samuel, but now the 49ers need him in a big way. He played well at Arizona State last year with 65 catches for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games. And the 49ers will likely be creative with different ways to put the ball in his hands as a runner, much as they did with Samuel last year. While guys like Kendrick Bourne and Jalen Hurd will likely have to step up as well with Samuel out, Aiyuk is the one with the highest ceiling. He's worth a late-round pick in all leagues, and depending on how long Samuel is out, Aiyuk could be the No. 1 rookie receiver in the NFL this year based on opportunity.
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Mostert was awesome last year for the 49ers, scoring a touchdown in each of his final six games of the regular season, and he added five touchdowns in the playoffs. But if his workload doesn't improve -- he averaged 12.8 total touches per game in the final six games of the year -- then his Fantasy production could be minimal if he doesn't find the end zone. He only had seven catches over that span as well. Coleman will get work, as will McKinnon and potentially Wilson. If you can draft Mostert after Round 6 in non-PPR leagues and Round 7 in PPR, that's good value. But anything before that could be a mistake, which is why Mostert is listed in this category.
Fantasy Previews
AFC East: Bills | Jets | Patriots | Dolphins
NFC East: Giants | Cowboys | Eagles | Redskins
AFC South: Colts | Texans | Jaguars | Titans
NFC South: Panthers | Bucs | Falcons | Saints
AFC North: Ravens | Steelers | Browns | Bengals
NFC North: Packers | Vikings | Bears | Lions
AFC West: Chiefs | Broncos | Raiders | Chargers
NFC West: Seahawks | 49ers | Rams | Cardinals
So what Fantasy football sleepers should you snatch in your draft? And which WR1 candidate can you wait on until late? Visit SportsLine now to get cheat sheets from the model that was all over Derrick Henry's huge season, and find out.