The NFL trade deadline is approaching and the 49ers made one of the most significant moves of the season thus far, acquiring veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders from the Denver Broncos along with a fifth-round pick in exchange for a third and a fourth-round pick. What does the move mean for fantasy football? We’ve asked our writers to provide their take on the fantasy implications of the trade.

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There isn’t a huge upgrade at quarterback for Sanders moving from Denver to San Francisco, but the offense should spend more time in the red-zone and Sanders moves from the No. 2 on his team behind Sutton to the likely No. 1 in San Francisco, moving his rest of season status to a low-end WR3.
– Bobby Sylvester (@bobbyfantasypro)

The question we must ask ourselves is, has Jimmy G been bad or has he been serviceable enough because the San Francisco defense has been so dominant? As good and legit as their defense has been, I don’t think it will be as good rest of season. They have played teams that are either pretty bad (Cincinnati) or have been playing bad (Cleveland). They played Washington in the rain and almost lost to Pittsburgh with an essentially rookie quarterback. Therefore, I think in order for the 49ers to keep the momentum going, Garoppolo needs to show his worth. Up to this point, we can blame much of the team’s offensive troubles on the instability of its wide receiving corps. Injuries, rookie jitters, and the “Dante Pettis drama” certainly have not helped. Not one wide receiver in San Francisco has topped 200 yards receiving this year. They are the only team without a wide receiver compiling 200+ yards, something Will Fuller did in one game. I think the addition of Emmanuel Sanders is a great strategic move. He is a seasoned veteran and will adapt quickly. He will also help mentor the mercurial Pettis and rookie Deebo Samuel and will help ignite Marquise Goodwin. But most of all he will motivate Garoppolo, who will need to prove himself when the team plays the likes of Seattle, Green Bay, and Baltimore in the upcoming weeks. Last of all, while the Patriots overpaid for Mohamed Sanu, San Francisco got a deal for Sanders. He will provide leadership and motivation. If the offense cannot turn it around with him in the lineup then San Francisco will not go far into the playoffs this year and will really need to address many offensive positions in the offseason starting with quarterback.
– Marc Mathyk (@Masterjune70)

The trade of Emmanuel Sanders to the 49ers is more of a great NFL trade than a fantasy football trade. He does get a small fantasy boost with upgrading his quarterback from Joe Flacco to Jimmy Garoppolo. He will probably end up being a top-25 receiver when the 2019 fantasy season is complete. Try sending out trade offers to other league owners that might be excited about the Sanders news.
– Andrew Liang (@whenpigskinfly)

Emmanuel Sanders makes the 49ers better and should carve out a prominent role in the offense. He should have plenty of opportunities to be the top receiver for the 49ers, but his fantasy value increases only slightly. Sanders had hauled in 30 of 44 targets for 367 yards and two touchdowns for the Broncos in seven games this season. With a stingy defense and a run-heavy offense, Sanders is borderline fantasy WR3 who has a chance to push for WR2 value as the top target in San Francisco.
– Brad Camara (@beerad30)

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