San Francisco 49ers Daily Fantasy Preview

Vegas Projected Win Total - 7

The San Francisco 49ers have been through a lot this offseason, suffering losses of longtime running backs, and early retirements. Jim Tomsula has taken over the 49ers, as Jim Harbaugh is back at his alma mater, Michigan. Frank Gore left San Francisco this offseason as their leading rusher, and will now pass the torch to, a similar style running back, Carlos Hyde. The biggest question coming into 2015, is what Colin Kaepernick are we going to get? The Niners ranked 30th in passing yards (191.4), and 25th in points per game (19.1). Those are not numbers we like in fantasy football, and they were often skipped over most weeks. Vernon Davis went off the grid last season, seeing the lowest amount of targets since 2008. This had a lot to do with the play calling, as well as the inconsistency of Kaepernick. Expect Davis to be near 80 targets this season, and a decent value option week-to-week. San Francisco will enter the season with mostly GPP plays, until we see an improvement in efficiency on offense. Kap presents an interesting option due to his ground game, but it is not always reliable. Anquan Boldin was a nice option last season, but the addition of Torrey Smith may even out his targets each week. With the 49ers sticking with their ground game still, the lack off passing game will hinder the upside of the receiving core.

Impact Fantasy Players

Anquan Boldin & Torrey Smith - For Kaepernick, Boldin was the go-to option among the wideouts, leading the team in targets, and hauling in 83 receptions. Next on the list was Michael Crabtree, who is now with the Oakland Raiders. Boldin only saw double-digit targets three times last season, and only had one game over 100 yards. So why is he an impact fantasy player? Boldin still poses a threat week-to-week to be the 49ers top wideout, and will likely be the safety blanket of Kaepernick. Torrey Smith hauled in 10 touchdowns last season, and was Flacco's go-to guy down the field. He will likely be the deep threat for Kap, who we all know has the arm strength to feed Smith on those long bombs. With both Smith and Boldin projected very similar stats, it will be a tossup most weeks deciding who comes out on top as the better play.

Colin Kaepernick - Last season was a love/hate relationship for those who took him. He would either dazzle with combined yards and a few scores, or would be an absolute lineup killer. I hate to say it, but it will likely be the same this season. The only thing that keeps Kaepernick in play is his ability to run, and he can have a bust out run that will make his value in one play. With running quarterbacks valued highly in daily fantasy, a poor containing defense will put Kap on the map for that week. This will be something to keep your eyes peeled for. If the Niners find a nice run game with Hyde, as they should, this should keep things fairly open for the offense to be versatile. Kap is projected similar attempts on the ground, and hopefully can produce more than the one touchdown he had in 2014. He will be an interesting play week-to-week, and expect to see him listed as mainly a GPP option, and rarely a cash game play. There is no shortage of talent around him, especially adding a solid wideout in Smith this offseason. This should add to the vertical game, as Boldin provides a reliable receiver in the pass game. If Davis comes back to his usual self, which is expected coming out of 49ers camp, he will be a cheap play to pair up for that double touchdown upside.

Carlos Hyde - You can tack in Carlos Hyde to this list, as he will be the featured back in this offense. He will be a solid red zone back, and be featured in this heavy run offense. Depending on his price tag, he should be a solid back against weaker defenses.

Impact Fantasy Rookies

None - The 49ers do not have a rookie coming in to be a fantasy impact player, but they do have a second-year back out of Ohio State, Carlos Hyde. He draws a similar comparison to Gore, who is now in Indianapolis. Hyde is a small powerful back, and we do not have to worry about him getting snaked in the red zone. With Kap being a runner this may take some attempts away from him, but should keep defenses guessing, and provide many playmaking opportunities.

Storylines

A lot of offseason storylines have been with the departing non-skill position guys, like Patrick Willis, Anthony Davis, and Chris Borland. The 49ers defense will still rank among the top half of the league, but I doubt they will creep into the top eight, or even top ten. On the offensive side of the ball, everything falls onto the shoulders of the quarterback, as he holds many of these options' fates in the palm of his hands. If Kap can't provide a steady passing attack, the receiving core will be a non-factor in 2015.

Stock Watch

Up - Carlos Hyde

Carlos Hyde will come in as a number one back, and his stock is very high. The 49ers are sticking to their guns as a run heavy offense, and Hyde will lead the way. Reggie Bush will be a factor on third downs out of the passing game, and likely nothing more. Hyde has promise as a RB2 for most weeks.

Down - Torrey Smith

With Torrey Smith scoring ten touchdowns last season, that will not be the case in 2014. He was one of two receiving options in Baltimore, with the other being Steve Smith. Torrey will come into a run heavy offense, and will have limited upside week-to-week, but be the occasional GPP play.

Projections

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Daily Fantasy Outlook

These NFC West offenses, outside of Seattle, are not great ones to target, and that is the same for the 49ers. Most players will be week-to-week GPP plays at the most, while Carlos Hyde could turn into a stable cash game running back, depending on his price tag. The targets will likely be difficult to gauge each week, but I am assuming their price tags will be low enough to take the risk. Look for a bounce-back year from Vernon Davis, and looking at week one pricing, he is an interesting value play.