San Francisco 49ers Fantasy Outlook: Is It Officially Brock Purdy Time?

The 49ers came one game shy of making it to the Super Bowl last year. They did so with a rookie QB and some of their star position players not at 100% health. This season they are the clear favorite in their division and are expected to be back in the NFC championship game again.

QB Brock Purdy

As good as Purdy was in 2022, his injury in the playoffs and the presence of both Trey Lance and Sam Darnold are complicating the QB situation in San Fran. Purdy won a lot of games as the starting QB for this team, but he is still considered more of a game manager type than anything else. He only had one 300-yard passing game and unless you play in 2 QB or the super flex format, Purdy is nothing more than waiver-wire fodder who could gain some value if he is named the starter. He has a lot of exciting weapons around him and it does lead to TDs, so if you play in 6-point TD pass leagues, Purdy does gain value. 

QB Trey Lance and QB Sam Darnold

Lance is entering his 3rd season in the NFL and to this point, he has been a huge disappointment. He can’t stay healthy nor has he been able to make the necessary plays to be an adequate NFL QB. His only chance to start the season with any fantasy value will be if Purdy is not ready to start in Week 1. Darnold struggled with the Jets, however, he was capable when starting for the Panthers. He has the most experience of the QBs on this roster but also seems to have the least amount of upside. With that being said, Darnold could surprise some people considering he is surrounded by an elite coaching staff, offensive line and playmakers. 

RB Christian McCaffrey

He comes with a bit of injury risk because of his injury history and the fact that he has been run into the ground. The thing is, when healthy and in this offense, McCaffrey is a top RB in fantasy football whether it be standard scoring, 0.5 PRR or full PPR. He is elite at catching the football, running between the tackles and has a nose for the end zone. With there being questions about the QB play, the 49ers are likely to rely on their running game early on this season. 

RB Elijah Mitchell

Of course, Mitchell has value as a handcuff to CMC, but he is also an exciting runner in his own right. He was productive in this offense last year before CMC was acquired and after as well. They can co-exist in this offense, however, Mitchell shouldn’t be considered in your drafts until the double-digit rounds because CMC will still dominate the touches, limiting Mitchell’s upside. He is a fringe flex option most weeks. 

WR Deebo Samuel

Before CMC arrived in town, Samuel was quite possibly the best WR and RB on the roster. His skill set is so unique and once he gets the ball in his hands, you almost expect big things to happen. He has had injury issues in the past and his production dropped drastically from 2021 to 2022, but that also means he comes at a bit of a discount this season, especially with so many questions surrounding who his QB will be. He is going to see a lot of volume in this offense, so as long as he is healthy, expect a bounce back with his production being closer to his 2021 output than his 2022 output. 

WR Brandon Aiyuk

I am going to sound like a broken record here, but I can’t help it, this team is loaded with talent and injury-prone players. Aiyuk is a solid WR3 with WR2 upside in certain weeks, however, if Kittle or Samuel get hurt, Aiyuk is going to see a big-time uptick in his target share and he could build off his career year in 2022. You will see him being drafted as early as round 7 and as late as the end of round 8, but of course, the questions at QB will impact Aiyuk’s draft day value. 

WR Jauan Jennings

Even though he is looking like the number 3 WR in San Fran, there are so many mouths to feed in this offense that most weeks, Jennings is going to be an afterthought unless injuries start to pile up. The top 2 WR, both RBs and George Kittle will all see as many, if not more targets. 

TE George Kittle

Kittle scored a lot of TDs when Purdy took over as the QB last season, yet his overall production in terms of yards and catches was not good. He only had more than four catches one time in the six games he played with Purdy and topped 30 yards just twice, meaning he was TD-dependent most weeks. That puts Kittle in the 5th or 6th round in terms of his ADP this season, but there is no denying that if its Purdy or Darnold under center, Kittle is going to be used more often in the passing game compared to what his usage would be with Trey Lance and a more run-heavy attack. 

K Jake Moody

He is looking like he will be a top 15-20 kicker, so at this point, he is likely going undrafted and will be used as a waiver wire add for bye weeks. The 49er’s offense has the potential to be top 10, and if they are, Moody could become a top 10 kicker by the middle of the season. He is someone to keep your eye on early on. 

49ers DST

They should be considered one of the top options in fantasy football. They rack up interceptions, they keep opponents off the scoreboard and when healthy, they can rack up sacks with the best of them. They added to their defense in the draft and via free agency and should be one of the first two or three defenses drafted in your league.