Fantasy Football 2019 Team Previews: San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
Must Owns
George Kittle, TE (ADP: 26): Kittle is awesome. He was a hyped sleeper last season and delivered big time, finishing 2018 with 1,377 yards and five touchdowns while catching most of his passes from either Nick Mullens or C.J. Beathard. At this moment, Jimmy Garoppolo is healthy, which would presumably be fantastic for Kittle this year. Kittle was targeted by the 49ers’ underwhelming trip 136 times in 2018, which should be about the same or could even potentially rise. He’s currently the second tight end off the board, and while I don’t have much issue with that – although I rank Zach Ertz second – I am hesitant to pull the trigger on any non-Travis Kelce TE this early. I just think the RBs and WRs available here are too valuable, despite how much I like Kittle.
Dante Pettis, WR (ADP: 103): Pettis had been going at the end of the Top 35 WRs earlier this draft season, seemingly blowing the chance he’d sneakunder the radar and be a value. Some weird chatter during camp has changed the outlook on him, however, and pushed him down in the 40s at WR. Perfect!
Pettis was impressive as a rookie, averaging 17.3 yards per reception and scoring five touchdowns. He also caught just 27 passes for 467 yards in 12 games (seven starts), but remember, his QB play was among the worst in the NFL. That should improve a great deal with Garoppolo back. Pettis has the talent to break into the Top 20 or so at the position, but his track record is too short to project that with a ton of confidence. This ADP is perfect.
Tevin Coleman, RB (ADP: 61): Coleman is beginning to look like the lead dog in the 49ers backfield, but that doesn’t mean his “lion’s share” is going to be all that big. Coleman has never carried the ball 200 times in a season, and last year was the first time he’d ever appeared in all 16 game. Stats-wise, there’s no debate about Coleman; he’s damn good. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry last season, and averages 4.4 for his career. He’s capable near the goal line, and he has proven he can not only catch the ball, but score touchdowns in the passing game. If his workload increases a lot, Coleman will wind up as one of the best value picks in all of fantasy. He could also be hurt and lose the lead role entirely, making him a big fat bust. Coleman comes with a wide range of outcomes, but this ADP is right about the right time to take that risk.
Fantasy Relevant
None
Handcuff(s)
Matt Breida, RB (ADP: 101): Breida has been brushed aside this offseason by most, but it’s entirely possible that he eats into Coleman’s work a lot. Breida was legit good in 2018, averaging 5.3 yards per carry across 153 rushing attempts. He scored five total touchdowns, and did all this despite facing stacked fronts who weren’t scared of San Francisco’s horrific QB play. His skill set overlaps a lot with Coleman’s so it’s unclear if one will handle early downs while the other is a passing downs guy, or if they’ll trade series. In a vacuum, I want Coleman, but the better value on draft day is clearly Breida at this ADP. I’d say he’s a must-own handcuff for Coleman owners, because if either back gets lead duty that RB will be at worst a high-end weekly RB2.
Deep Sleepers
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (ADP: 150): Hope springs eternal for Garoppolo, who has been in the NFL since 2014 but has started 10 games. His win-loss record, 8-2, is awesome, but no fantasy owner cares. I care about his stats, and what I see is unimpressive. In 2017 he was 5-0 after becoming the 49ers’ starter, but he threw five picks to go with his seven touchdowns, and averaged a modest 260 yards per game. Last season he was still careless with the ball, tossing five touchdowns against three interceptions. This will be a very important season for him, and this is the best weaponry he’s ever had. There’s a chance Garoppolo is a fantasy relevant QB, but his tendency to turn the ball over, and his limited ability to impact the game as a rusher make him a weak fantasy candidate.
Deebo Samuel, WR (ADP: 164): Samuel, a second rounder out of South Carolina, has a great chance to be the starting slot receiver. He’s a stocky, strong pass-catcher who showed a nose for the end zone in his senior year, scoring 11 touchdowns for the Gamecocks. I’m not much of a believer in Garoppolo, nor do I think this is a high-scoring offense, so I would be surprised if it can support a fourth fantasy option. Samuel could creep onto the FLEX radar in full-PPR leagues, however, and he’s a very intriguing option in dynasty drafts.
Marquise Goodwin, WR (ADP: 197): Life has come at Goodwin fast. He was reportedly on the roster bubble, one year after entering Week 1 as the 49ers’ No. 1 receiver. The problem for Goodwin is that he’s one-dimensional. He has ridiculous, world-class speed and that powered him in 2017 to a 962-yard season. But Goodwin is little more than a deep threat, and he’s never scored more than four touchdowns in a season. I expect him to hang onto his roster spot and have some big games, but you’ll never be able to predict them. He’s not someone I’m interested in drafting this year.