X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

San Francisco 49ers: 2015 Fantasy Football Analysis and Team Outlook

Has there been a team with more personnel changes since the end of the 2014 season than the San Francisco 49ers? The 49ers have lost a considerable amount of talent on both sides of the ball as well as Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, leading to wild speculation as to how good or bad the team will be in 2015. Given all the changes that have taken place, you won’t find many stats for this particular team preview, but rather analysis on the team’s new direction.

Off-Season Acquisitions: WR Torrey Smith, RB Reggie Bush, RB Mike Davis, WR DeAndre Smelter

No Longer on the Roster: WR Michael Crabtree, WR Stevie Johnson, RB Frank Gore

New Coaches: HC Jim Tomsula, OC Geep Chryst, DC Eric Mangini

Editor’s Note: If you’re looking for a new, awesome, highly customizable and free option for year-round commissioner & dynasty leagues, something more capable than Yahoo, better looking than CBS, and built from the ground up with fantasy football in mind, play free fantasy football with our friends at Fleaflicker.

 

Quarterback

We’re a few years removed from Colin Kaepernick’s unexpected breakout season in 2012 when he filled in for the injured Alex Smith. Since then, NFL and fantasy analysts alike have talked up the possibility of Kaepernick emerging as a true star at the quarterback position. Sadly, this hasn’t really come to see the light of day and we’re left with a version of Colin Kaepernick that isn’t all that exciting for fantasy purposes. Since his big breakout in 2012, Kaepernick has basically been a middle of the pack fantasy QB, finishing 17th among the position in 2014. In fact, he was actually 17th in both passing yards and touchdowns last season, reinforcing the idea that he is simply middle of the pack.

The argument for Kaepernick has always been his ability to scramble out of the pocket and garner you fantasy points with his legs. His rushing total has actually gone up each of the last three years with 415 rushing yards in 2012, 524 in 2013, and 639 in 2014. Even in increasing his rushing total, Kaepernick just hasn’t contributed enough to justify his place as a fantasy starter. I suppose when you consider all of his numbers you could make a claim that he’s a solid QB2 option in a two-quarterback league but I’d much rather take my chances on someone with higher upside like Eli Manning, Teddy Bridgewater, or even waiting a little longer and swinging for the fences with Jameis Winston. Basically, Colin Kaepernick isn’t really worth more than a bye-week fill-in at this point.

 

Wide Receivers

With the Michael Crabtree era coming to a close, San Francisco will turn to former Baltimore Raven Torrey Smith as their presumed number one receiver. Smith has shown to be a low-end WR2 over stretches of his career but was often out-shined by Steve Smith last season. The tough part in analyzing Smith’s value in San Francisco is that the 49ers haven’t had a consistent pass catcher in years.

Crabtree and Anquan Boldin have come on in spurts, often alternating in who is more dependable. Granted, Torrey Smith is a very different player than either of those guys. Considering his down-the-field speed, Torrey Smith should be able to break some big plays whenever Kaepernick can get the ball to him. The rankings on Torrey Smith slot him just below WR3 status, which is appropriate. He possesses some upside but isn’t someone I would be confident in drafting. As for Anquan Boldin, his two years in San Francisco have been nearly identical. In 2013, Boldin reeled in 85 receptions on 130 targets for 1,179 yards and seven touchdowns. Last year, Boldin’s numbers slipped by the tiniest of margins to 83 receptions on the same 130 targets for 1,062 yards and five touchdowns. That isn’t a considerable dropoff by any means so expect to see more of the same out of Boldin in 2015.

 

Running Backs

Surprisingly, the most perplexing aspect of the San Francisco offense this coming season is the running game. Once Frank Gore departed for Indianapolis, (with a hilarious fake-out in Philadelphia) the expectation was that Carlos Hyde would slide right into the starting gig. It was a long time coming for Hyde as Gore had been counted out before he was ready to relinquish his place atop the depth chart. Since being drafted last year, Hyde has been pegged as the next big thing as far as 49ers running backs were concerned. With Gore out of the way, it finally became his time to shine…or so we thought. The team then brought in Reggie Bush, which, shouldn’t be all that too concerning on the surface. Bush was outplayed by Joique Bell in Detroit and is primarily a pass-catching back. The signing of Bush could have indicated that the 49ers were getting ready to imply a dual-back system where Hyde would be getting the carries between the tackles while Bush would handle pass-catching duties. That would have been a fine scenario for Hyde as he wasn’t more than a RB2 anyway.

Then news broke that Reggie Bush has actually been handling the majority of the first team reps in practice, complicating this scenario more than anyone anticipated. It’s only June so there’s still plenty of time for Carlos Hyde to reclaim his place as the first option out of the backfield but I’m definitely concerned about his workload going forward. Why bring in a guy (Bush) and give him the first team reps if you’re just going to utilize someone (Hyde) that’s been on your roster all along anyway? The whole thing just seems strange and is starting to sound more like a running back-by-committee at best. Personally, I’m likely avoiding this situation altogether if I can help it. If Hyde happens to fall to me in a draft where I’m waiting on my second RB, so be it. Otherwise, I likely won’t own him. As for Bush, he automatically becomes a late round sleeper with this report. I wouldn’t say he’s a must-draft mostly due to the murkiness of the backfield but also in conjunction with the fact that this team isn’t expected to be all that good.

 

Rookies and Tight Ends

Given how many defensive players decided to retire rather than return to San Francisco, it was no surprise the team went heavy on defense in the draft. The team did select both a running back (Mike Davis) and a wide receiver (DeAndre Smelter) in the fourth round but given all that’s changed in this offense as it is it’s impossible to determine if either of these players will have any immediate impact, especially with the amount of players that sit ahead of them. Vernon Davis remains the team’s starting tight end but sadly he’s regressed to the point where he has to prove he can still be viable at his age. 31 is no dinosaur even in the NFL but there’s simply too many high-upside tight ends worth rostering before you get to Davis.

New Head Coach Jim Tomsula was promoted from within the organization, as he was the defensive line coach under Jim Harbaugh. The organization also shifted quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst to Offensive Coordinator. This tells me the 49ers shouldn’t be all that different as far as scheme is concerned. It wans’t that long ago the Niners were a trendy Super Bowl pick. With all of these changes they’re essentially a fantasy wasteland to avoid if you can help it. How the mighty have fallen.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zac Gallen2 hours ago

Gets Opening Day Nod
Nolan Schanuel2 hours ago

Injury Isn't Serious
Isaiah Stewart3 hours ago

Injured Against Boston
Duncan Robinson4 hours ago

Doesn't Return On Monday
Jackson Chourio4 hours ago

Makes Opening Day Roster
Anthony Davis4 hours ago

Cleared To Meet Atlanta
Blake Snell4 hours ago

Heading To The Giants
Onyeka Okongwu4 hours ago

To Return On Monday
Bryce McGowens5 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Tyus Jones5 hours ago

Won't Play On Tuesday
Deni Avdija5 hours ago

Unavailable For Tuesday
Nick Martinez5 hours ago

To Open The Year In The Rotation
OG Anunoby6 hours ago

Set For Multi-Game Absence
Kyle Kuzma6 hours ago

Uncertain For Tuesday
Luka Doncic6 hours ago

Considered Probable For Tuesday
Matt McLain6 hours ago

Scratched With Shoulder Soreness
Bilal Coulibaly6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Rest Of Season
Kenley Jansen6 hours ago

Scheduled To Make Four More Spring Appearances
Jackson Chourio6 hours ago

"In The Mix" For Roster Spot
Rudy Gobert6 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Scoot Henderson6 hours ago

Returns To Starting Unit Without Restrictions
Matisse Thybulle6 hours ago

Available Again On Monday
Jerami Grant6 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Monday
Lauri Markkanen6 hours ago

Returns To Action On Monday
Alex Caruso7 hours ago

Ready To Roll Monday
Coby White7 hours ago

Ruled Out For Monday
Kristaps Porzingis7 hours ago

Returns To Celtics Lineup
Jaylen Brown7 hours ago

Ready To Go On Monday
Jayson Tatum7 hours ago

Won't Play Against Detroit
Teuvo Teravainen7 hours ago

Misses Second Straight Game
Joshua Dobbs7 hours ago

49ers Reach Agreement With Joshua Dobbs
TOR7 hours ago

Mitch Marner To Miss At Least Two More Games
Jacob Markstrom7 hours ago

Could Return This Weekend
Rico Dowdle7 hours ago

Staying With Cowboys
Mikhail Sergachev7 hours ago

Skates On Monday
Dustin Wolf8 hours ago

Between The Pipes Monday
New Orleans Saints8 hours ago

Saints Expected To Sign Chase Young
Alexander Mattison8 hours ago

Signing With Raiders
DJ LeMahieu9 hours ago

In Danger Of Missing Opening Day
Buffalo Bills9 hours ago

Taron Johnson Re-Signs With Bills On Three-Year Deal
José Urquidy9 hours ago

Jose Urquidy Has Forearm Strain, Will Begin On Injured List
Justin Verlander9 hours ago

Expected To Face Hitters "In The Next Day Or Two"
Corey Seager9 hours ago

Takes Batting Practice Monday
Aaron Judge9 hours ago

Likely To Play In Four Of Final Six Spring Games
Garrett Crochet10 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Nolan Schanuel10 hours ago

Scratched With Back Tightness
Dallas Cowboys10 hours ago

Leighton Vander Esch Calling It A Career
DJ LeMahieu11 hours ago

Still Pretty Sore
Aaron Judge11 hours ago

To Return On Wednesday
Jhoan Duran11 hours ago

To Begin Season On Injured List
Bryan Battle12 hours ago

Bout Ends in Controversy
Ange Loosa12 hours ago

Fight Ruled A No-Contest After Accidental Eye Poke
Ovince Saint Preux12 hours ago

Wins Split Decision In A Back-And-Forth Fight
Kennedy Nzechukwu12 hours ago

Suffers Split-Decision Loss To Ovince Saint Preux
Gerald Meerschaert12 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Shohei Ohtani12 hours ago

Cleared To Begin Throwing Program
Bryan Barberena12 hours ago

Submitted In The Second Round
Kyle Manzardo12 hours ago

Sent To Minor-League Camp
Jackson Merrill13 hours ago

Wins Center Field Job
Denny Hamlin13 hours ago

Emerges Victorious For Second Bristol Win In A Row
Alexander Mattison14 hours ago

Visiting With Raiders
Dak Prescott14 hours ago

Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott's Contract
Dmitry Orlov15 hours ago

Collects Four Points In Big Win
Tyler Toffoli15 hours ago

Dominates Against Columbus With Three Points
Lucas Raymond15 hours ago

Pots Pair Of Goals Versus Penguins
Kaz Grala15 hours ago

Finishes 19th At Bristol Motor Speedway
Bo Horvat15 hours ago

Scores Twice In Losing Effort
Brad Keselowski15 hours ago

Exceeds Value In DFS At Bristol Motor Speedway
Pavel Buchnevich15 hours ago

Delivers Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Ryan Lindgren15 hours ago

Suffers Leg Injury Versus Islanders
Kyle Larson16 hours ago

After 5th at Bristol: "I Hope I Never Have To Run A Race Like That Again"
Chase Elliott16 hours ago

Earns First Top 10 Finish Of 2024
Justin Haley16 hours ago

Earns Best NextGen Short Track Finish for Rick Ware Racing
Ty Gibbs16 hours ago

Has Dominant Day at Bristol but Fades Late
John Hunter Nemechek21 hours ago

Found Speed At Bristol
Chris Buescher21 hours ago

Secures Top 10 At Bristol
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Late Charge to Fourth Masks Early Race Struggles
Christopher Bell1 day ago

Ran Well, But His Teammates Were All Better
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

. Matches Career-Best Finish At Bristol
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Fades to 16th at Bristol After Handling Struggles
Russell2 days ago

Wilson Still Considered The Starter
William Byron2 days ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Bristol
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Starts 19th At Bristol After Damage In Practice
Justin Haley2 days ago

Scores A Starting Position Of 32nd For Bristol
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Should Compete For The Win At Bristol
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

History Indicates Brad Keselowski Being A Favorable Bristol Play
Joey Logano2 days ago

Should Be Rostered With Caution At Bristol
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is Tyler Reddick Worth Rostering At Bristol This Week?
Martin Truex Jr2 days ago

. Could Work As A Tournament Play At Bristol
Alexander Nylander2 days ago

Totals Three Points In Saturday's Win
Sebastian Aho2 days ago

Leads Hurricanes To Victory In Toronto
Owen Tippett2 days ago

Delivers Three Assists In High-Scoring Loss
Steven Stamkos2 days ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Four-Point Performance
Nick Schmaltz2 days ago

Records Three Assists In Win Over New Jersey
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Racks Up Five Points In Saturday's Win
Brady Tkachuk2 days ago

Sinks Islanders With Third Hat Trick
Pannie Kianzad2 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Macy Chiasson2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission Win
Isaac Dulgarian2 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Christian Rodriguez2 days ago

Overcomes Early Adversity At UFC Vegas 88
Tai Tuivasa2 days ago

Suffers Fourth Straight Loss
Marcin Tybura2 days ago

Gets First-Round Submission
Justin Fields2 days ago

Traded To The Steelers
NHL2 days ago

Lukas Reichel Will Be In The Lineup Sunday
Cale Makar2 days ago

A Game-Time Decision Saturday
Zach Parise2 days ago

Likely To Return Saturday
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Panthers Bringing In Michael Gallup For A Visit
Mike Williams3 days ago

Panthers To Host Mike Williams On A Visit
New York Jets3 days ago

Jets Expected To Sign Tyron Smith
AJ Dillon3 days ago

Officially Re-Signs With Packers
Van Jefferson3 days ago

Steelers Signing Van Jefferson
Jakobi Meyers3 days ago

Raiders Restructure Jakobi Meyers' Contract
Jimmy Garoppolo3 days ago

Rams Agree With Jimmy Garoppolo On One-Year Deal
Gerald Meerschaert3 days ago

To Fight In Main Event Of UFC Vegas 88
Bryan Barberena3 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
Kennedy Nzechukwu3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Ovince Saint Preux3 days ago

Set For 27th UFC Appearance
Bryan Battle3 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ange Loosa3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 88
San Francisco 49ers3 days ago

De'Vondre Campbell Heading To San Francisco
Dallas Cowboys3 days ago

Leighton Vander Esch Being Cut By Cowboys
Michael Gallup3 days ago

Cowboys Releasing Michael Gallup
Kenny Pickett3 days ago

Steelers Sending Kenny Pickett To Eagles
Pannie Kianzad5 days ago

Looking For Redemption At UFC Vegas 88
Macy Chiasson5 days ago

Ends Layoff At UFC Vegas 88
Isaac Dulgarian5 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 88
Christiaan Bezuidenhout5 days ago

Looking To Put It All Together At TPC Sawgrass
Eric Cole5 days ago

Rebounding Well In The Sunshine State
Brian Harman5 days ago

Playing The Dark-Horse Role Again At The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

Searching For Answers Thus Far In 2024
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

One Of The Tour's Fastest Risers To Start The New Year
Sam Burns5 days ago

Brings A Stellar Run Of Form Into TPC Sawgrass
PGA6 days ago

Sungjae Im Trending Up After Arnold Palmer Success
Jason Day6 days ago

Facing Iron Hiccup Heading To The Players
Tom Hoge6 days ago

Brings Strong Form And History To Sawgrass
Min Woo Lee6 days ago

Ready For Second Trip To Sawgrass
Will Zalatoris6 days ago

Working Toward A Win
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2024)

The legal tampering period for NFL free agency begins on March 11 at noon EST, so news of signings will be flying in all week. Veterans like Russell Wilson and Jonnu Smith were released before their contracts expired, meaning they got a head start on free agency and have already reached agreements with new organizations.... Read More


Rome Odunze - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Coach Knows Ball: Rome Odunze NFL Draft Film Breakdown of Washington WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Winners and Losers of 2024 NFL Free Agency (Teams)

Well, strap in, folks, because the first week of 2024 NFL Free Agency was a rollercoaster ride. Some teams made power moves while others seemingly snoozed at the switch. The Houston Texans, for instance, came out swinging, pulling off some of the savviest deals that could very well tilt the scales in their favor this... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Next Gen Stats Review: 2023 Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

A while back, we covered the Next Gen Stats for running backs, including rushing yards over expected and the percentage of plays with eight or more defenders in the box. Check out the running back review of the Next Gen Stats, as it adds a layer to player analysis. We love the advanced stats for... Read More


Keenan Allen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Keenan Allen Traded To Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Star wide receiver Keenan Allen has been one of the more underrated players in the NFL over the past few years. He spent the first 11 years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers, playing for the franchise since their days in San Diego. However, the team reportedly asked Allen to take a pay... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Marquise Brown Signs With Chiefs: Fantasy Football Impact

Veteran wide receiver Marquise Brown signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Brown hopes to follow JuJu Smith-Schuster’s footprints by playing on a one-year deal with the Chiefs and earning a multi-year big-money contract the following offseason. The former Oklahoma star spent the first three years of his career with the... Read More


Justin Jefferson - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

Will The Vikings Trade Justin Jefferson? 2024 NFL Outlook

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is one of the top players in the NFL. The superstar was part of an impressive 2020 NFL Draft class. Yet, he was the fifth wide receiver off the board. Jefferson has been a superstar since his rookie year, making three consecutive Pro Bowl teams and All-Pro rosters to... Read More


Marquise Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Free Agency Fits For Marquise Brown – 2024 Free Agent Outlook

Free agent wide receiver Marquise Brown is one of the more explosive players in the NFL. The veteran wide receiver ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at his Pro Day coming out of Oklahoma. He was a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 NFL Draft. Brown has spent most of his career as... Read More


Nico Collins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings For 2024 Best Ball Leagues (Tiers 4-9)

We have now entered the process of free agency, which is providing pathways for some wide receivers to seize significant roles in their new landing spots. The player movement that has ensued will also decrease the stock of other receivers whose roles will decrease within their reshaped depth charts. Participation in the best ball draft... Read More


Cade Otton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Early 2024 Best Ball Tight End Sleepers

Top tight ends such as Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce are bound to put up quality fantasy football numbers weekly, but most tight ends are unpredictable. The top tier of tight ends are reliable for fantasy football purposes, but most tight ends are boom-or-bust type of players. Even though it is hard to hit on... Read More


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Lineup Picks

D'Andre Swift Signs With Bears: Fantasy Football Impact

Newly signed Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift has been one of the most promising, but also underperforming running backs across the NFL and the fantasy landscape in recent years. After three injury-riddled seasons in Detroit where he showed flashes of greatness but didn't quite live up to the hype, Swift was traded to the... Read More


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Top 50 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings After the 2024 NFL Combine

With the NFL Combine in our rearview mirror, now is a logical time to put out an up-to-date rankings for this year’s NFL Draft. Below, you will find my top-50 players who have declared for this NFL Draft. Below those ranks, you will also find several fantasy-relevant notes I have on this class, and on... Read More


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Calvin Ridley Signs With Titans: Fantasy Football Impact

The Tennessee Titans made a huge move once NFL free agency officially opened. They signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million contract with $50 million fully guaranteed. Ridley was the top receiver on the open market. The Titans swooped in out of left field and signed him to give second-year quarterback Will... Read More