Fantasy Football Player Notes

The rookie RB shrugged off his finger injury to pile up 32 touches for 168 yards and a touchdown in Week 12. It was his second straight game with 27 carries and his six targets were a new career-high. Furthermore, Mitchell's rest-of-season schedule is just fantastic. He draws the Falcons, Titans, and Texans in Weeks 15-17. Consider him a high-end RB2 if he stays healthy.

The 25-year-old had another monstrous game in Week 4, hauling in 8-of-12 targets for 156 yards and two touchdowns. He's one of just two wide receivers to have a 25% target share in all four games this season (alongside Cooper Kupp). That consistency is fantastic and Brandon Aiyuk saw just three targets against Seattle. Samuel is a WR1 moving forward. The hot start appears to be legit.

Kittle's talent is undeniable. His biggest issue from a fantasy perspective is the run-heavy nature of San Francisco's offense, in addition to his elite blocking abilities. Kittle found the end zone in three straight games entering Week 12, but he was given just two targets against Minnesota. It's a reminder of his floor in the 49ers' offense, but fantasy managers should hold strong. This type of usage can happen, but it won't be common. With some other upper echelon tight ends currently struggling, Kittle has re-cemented himself as one of the most elite options.

It might be tempting to sell high on Aiyuk after such an up-and-down fantasy campaign, but the sophomore wideout has now topped 85 receiving yards in 3-of-4 games. The run-heavy nature of San Francisco's offense will make him a bit of a volatile fantasy player, but Aiyuk's talent is winning in recent games. He should be viewed as a WR2 as San Francisco faces a favorable schedule throughout the fantasy playoffs.

Jeff Wilson Jr. went from my favorite sleeper RB of the season to hard pass starting the year on the PUP list with a knee injury. Wilson had some great moments last season when asked to carry the load. However, with so many running backs on this roster, Wilson could be buried. He's someone to monitor on the waiver wire, but not worth draft capital outside of deep leagues.

Yes, the 49ers made a Super Bowl with Jimmy Garoppolo. The 49ers also just moved heaven and earth to get Trey Lance on their roster. Garoppolo has made just 25 starts for San Francisco over the last few years. He has a cumbersome contract and struggles to throw the ball downfield. He's also not the athlete Trey Lance is, and it would be shocking for Lance to sit an entire season under Jimmy G, effectively missing two straight seasons on the field (the other due to Lance sitting out 2020 during the pandemic). There's an outside chance Garoppolo plays in fewer games this season for the 49ers than Lance. He's simply not a good fantasy investment in the current environment surrounding him, and frankly, even when he's been on the field, he hasn't dazzled enough to get excited about.

There was some belief entering Week 5 that Sermon's patience/vision/power would pair better with Trey Lance's abilities than Elijah Mitchell's speed would. However, Kyle Shanahan doesn't seem to think so. Mitchell handled 81.8% of the team's RB rushing share on Sunday. He was clearly the lead guy and Sermon is shaping up as a RB4/handcuff option moving forward.

Lance posted strong results in just one half of football in Week 4. He scrambled on 23% of his dropbacks while hitting big plays in the passing game. If he winds up starting in Week 5 against the Cardinals then fantasy managers should start him as a low-end QB1.