Fantasy Football Player Notes
2021 PPR Draft Rankings
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26.
George Kittle
TE - (at LAR)
Since Kittle came into the NFL, he's produced TE1-type numbers in 58.5 percent of his games, which ranks third among all tight ends since 2000, ahead of guys like Tony Gonzalez and Jimmy Graham. He's in the prime of his career and now gets an upgrade at quarterback? He hasn't scored many touchdowns (never more than five), which has kept him out of the Travis Kelce territory. If he gets a bump in touchdowns with Trey Lance, we could see a Kelce-like finish in 2021 for Kittle. Health has proven to be an obstacle, but you shouldn't bet against Kittle finishing as a top-two tight end.
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58.
Brandon Aiyuk
WR - (at LAR)
Aiyuk is a tough one to crack, as he exploded onto the fantasy scene last year, finishing with 583 yards and four touchdowns over his final seven games, but there were factors that helped him achieve those numbers. The major ones being the injuries to George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. There were just four games where the trio were on the field together, and during that time, Aiyuk saw just 21 targets (the lowest of the three) and had 13/189/1 combined in those games. To be fair, it was from Week 4-7, so it was very early in Aiyuk's rookie season, so it's possible he just hadn't earned the trust yet. There's a wide range of outcomes in his projections, going as high as a top-15 wide receiver, but also as low as a wide receiver in the WR30-36 range. You want equity when drafting, so taking Aiyuk as anything more than a WR3 when Kittle and Samuel are healthy is risky.
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76.
Deebo Samuel
WR - (at LAR)
Something tells me that Samuel is going to become the Jarvis Landry of the 2020's. What do I mean by that? Well, he's probably going to finish better than where I have him ranked at the end of the season, but just because he finishes as the WR24 (hypothetically), it doesn't necessarily mean he's the 24th best receiver to roster. Through 22 career games, Samuel has never hit the "boom" mark of 25 PPR points. On top of that, there are suddenly a lot of mouths to feed in the 49ers pass attack. He's a solid player with a decent floor, but he won't be the reason you win a fantasy championship. You can take him as a stable WR3, or shoot for someone with a higher ceiling/lower floor.
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82.
Raheem Mostert
RB - (at LAR)
There's no denying it... when Mostert is healthy and on the field, he's a beast. He's turned 282 career carries into 1,590 yards and 11 touchdowns. But that's the issue, he's never healthy. There's a reason he's 29 years old and has just 282 carries on his frame. Have the 49ers lost patience? They traded up to draft Trey Sermon in the third round, which could indicate they're ready to move on from Mostert, or it could be them ensuring they have a high-quality backup for if/when he gets injured. Mostert tallied at least 14 carries in 5-of-8 starts last year, which is more than enough to get into RB2 territory with his efficiency, but you can't draft him as such when injuries/Sermon are factored in. He's not someone you can confidently draft as a starter for your fantasy team because there's so much unknown. However, if he gets the job back, this is a pick that can make a difference in fantasy leagues. The 49ers have one of the easiest schedules in the league, so if they let Mostert get rolling, he's unlikely to slow down.
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113.
Trey Sermon
RB - (at LAR)
As of now, we have to assume it's Raheem Mostert as the starting running back, though Kyle Shanahan did trade up into the third round to get Sermon. This should tell you that Mostert is on a short leash, and to be fair, he hasn't been able to hold up to a workhorse workload. The 49ers have one of the softest schedules in the league among running backs, so if we start hearing whispers that Sermon will start right out of the gate, he should shoot up draft boards. For now, he should be viewed as one of the best bench stashes in fantasy football.
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173.
San Francisco 49ers
DST - (at LAR)
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204.
Trey Lance
QB - (at LAR)
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222.
Robbie Gould
K - (at LAR)
Gould isn't quite as automatic as he once was, but even at 38 years of age, he can still be a fantasy starter. The fantasy points weren't there for him last year, as San Francisco often converted touchdowns rather than settling for field goals once they got into the red zone. In fact, Gould's 23 field-goal attempts were his lowest ever in a full season (Gould missed one game lat year, but still). But he converted at an 82.6% rate, and hit 11 of his 14 attempts from 40 yards or more. With natural regression, Gould should see his field-goal attempts jump by about 25%, and he should be a top-12 kicker by season's end if he can maintain his level of performance for another season.
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257.
Jeff Wilson Jr.
RB - (at LAR)
So much for a potential breakout season for Wilson. He tore his meniscus while weightlifting in May, which required surgery that'll keep him on the shelf for 4-6 months, meaning he'll miss the start of the season (and maybe the whole thing). The 49ers drafted Trey Sermon in the third round, still have Raheem Mostert, and added Wayne Gallman in free agency, so they're not hurting at running back with Wilson out. He's undraftable.
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273.
Wayne Gallman
RB - (at LAR)
I was really hoping Gallman would get an opportunity somewhere after flashing his ability in 2020 where he talled double-digit PPR points in seven straight games after taking over for Saquon Barkley and Devonta Freeman. Unfortunately, he landed on a depth chart that's now crowded with Raheem Mostert, Trey Sermon, Jeff Wilson, and Elijah Mitchell. The injury to Wilson that'll keep him out at the start of the season likely holds a roster spot for Gallman, but he still likely needs another injury to be relevant.
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285.
Jimmy Garoppolo
QB - (at LAR)
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357.
Elijah Mitchell
RB - (at LAR)
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405.
Jalen Hurd
WR - (at LAR)
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412.
Kyle Juszczyk
RB - (at LAR)
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433.
JaMycal Hasty
RB - (at LAR)
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444.
Richie James Jr.
WR - (at LAR)
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451.
Mohamed Sanu
WR - (at LAR)
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495.
Andrew Jacas
K - (at LAR)
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538.
Ross Dwelley
TE - (at LAR)
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540.
Charlie Woerner
TE - (at LAR)
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