The San Francisco 49ers once again have one of the deepest rosters in the NFL, and are poised to contend in the NFC once again. Newcomers like Stevie Johnson and Carlos Hyde coupled with the renewed health of Michael Crabtree should provide Colin Kaepernick with the stable of weapons he needs to have a bounce-back season. While the 49ers depth is one of the team’s strengths, it serves as a hindrance to the fantasy prospects of their position players. Let’s take a look at the fantasy outlooks of the 49ers offensive players for the upcoming season.
San Francisco 49ers Fantasy Outlook
Quarterback
Colin Kaepernick is the undisputed starting quarterback for the 49ers. Now entering his fourth season in the NFL, I expect him to finally take the next step. Last season was largely derailed by the absence of Michael Crabtree, as teams would simply blanket Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis, leaving Kaepernick with no one to pass to. The 49ers addressed this lack of targets this offseason. They added veteran wide receiver Stevie Johnson, drafted speedster Bruce Ellington, and drafted arguably the best running back in the draft in Carlos Hyde. Kaepernick is protected by a stellar offensive line and flanked by explosive weapons. This is the year his passing game will take the next step. He is currently being drafted on average as the 10th or 11th ranked quarterback. With his running skills, he has the potential to be a top-5 quarterback this year.
Running Backs
The 49ers have arguably the deepest stable of running backs in the NFL this year. Veteran Frank Gore is a good bet to lead the team in carries again, but his age combined with a deep and talented group of runners on the roster limits his potential. The 49ers drafted Carlos Hyde, a powerful running back who many pegged as the best in the draft class, with a late second round pick. In addition to serving as Gore’s primary backup, he will likely also be relied on as the goal-line back. Behind Gore and Hyde, Kendall Hunter has proven to be a capable replacement and LaMichael James will likely mix in on third downs as well. On top of those 4, the 49ers even have Marcus Lattimore available this season. That’s a total of five talented backs competing for touches. The 49ers have a deep group of runners that will undoubtedly benefit their real life offense, but the touches will be hard to come by. Gore will likely see his carries dip below the 250 mark that he is used to, and won’t be much more than a steady RB2 for your fantasy team this year. If you want a handcuff, Carlos Hyde would be my choice. Despite Hunter’s seniority, Hyde has the power and physicality that the 49ers look for in their runners, and should be able to contribute immediately if Gore goes down.
Receivers
A large reason why I expect Kaepernick to have a bounce-back season is the improvement in the wide receiver group. The 49ers added Stevie Johnson, who should be a reliable slot receiver. Due to the 49ers style of play (heavily run-oriented), I don’t expect Stevie Johnson to make much of an impact fantasy wise, because the 49ers offense simply doesn’t produce enough volume to sustain three wide receivers. However, I am a big fan of Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin. Boldin has undeniable chemistry with Kaepernick and will again serve as a steady WR3 in fantasy. His numbers will take a hit due to Crabtree’s presence, but he will continue to get a heavy dose of targets on third down and in the red zone. Michael Crabtree’s numbers have been incredible when Kaepernick is under center, and if he stays healthy I expect him to be a borderline WR1 this year. Don’t be fooled by last year’s pedestrian numbers as Crabtree was still recovering from an achilles tear. With so many talented weapons on the 49ers roster, Crabtree will be single covered the entire season, and I expect him to put up career numbers.
Tight Ends
The tight end position for the 49ers consists of two people: Vernon Davis and Vance McDonald. Vernon Davis had an excellent season last year, matching a career high thirteen touchdowns. However, much of his production came while Crabtree was out of the lineup. With the influx of new weapons this offseason, Davis’ yards and receptions are sure to go down. He will still be a threat in the red zone, but don’t draft him expecting the 800 yards he put up last year. Vance McDonald is an intriguing player to consider if Vernon goes down. He’s a talented player, who had some trouble with drops this past season, but if Vernon were to miss time, McDonald would be a strong red zone target and potential bye week fill-in.
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